Fabric squares
 

Does anyone cut squares of fabric if you don't have a particular project in mind?

The reason I ask is I've just been gifted with two very large bags full of fabric squares - 3" and what looks like 1-1/2". There are three more bags being gifted to other people, all from the same source. I've never seen anyone do this. There are too many squares/colors/patterns for this to be one project and I can't even imagine cutting this many squares in advance for a couple of projects.

Are they scraps? Or multiples of the same fabric? I could see it with scraps with the intention of someday using them. The 3" size would make for good 2 1/2 inch HSTs, so someone may have had a scrappy HST in mind!

But I only cut as I use for a project. Could be the person was expecting to make a lot of the same quilt pattern for multiple people? Or they just liked cutting fabric more than sewing it back together LOL!

Yes, I do cut my scraps into a variety of different sized squares. Eventually they will become scrappy quilts. I find that doing a bit at a time, is much less daunting than being faced with than overflowing scrap basket.

There are a lot of free patterns that you can use them for. I am making Heart blocks and the Arkansas Road. Yes the 3" would be used for HST's.

Some people go ahead and cut up scraps in sizes they most often use that way they are ready to go. Makes a quicker scrappy quilt if the cutting is already done.

Yep! Probably someone "processed" a bunch of scraps.

Or they make a LOT of quilts with those sizes and have a habit of over-cutting. But seems more likely they're processed scraps.

I love stacks of scrappy squares, make me itch to spend a day at my machine!

Many yrs ago I bought very cheaply shoe boxes filled with scrap squares........2 1/2", 3 1/2"', 4 1/2" ----- 2 boxes each size of prints,and various solids.....still have some...but used most in scrappy jewel box,nine patch on point in a strip style, bow ties......even now incorporating the last of the solids in GFG and the prints in cathedral windows.....the person I purchased from was just one who did nine patch quilts and just decided she was through, but had precut all this fabric!

I have cut some of my stash into apple core and tumbler ( GO dies) for future projects...and just bought at 1/2 price the GO DWR which I think I want to do in partial scraps as Ebony Love did on her tute...we will see.......

Lots of multiples of the same fabric in the bags I got, although I'm not seeing the entire "collection." I didn't sort the smaller squares by color/print (yet - although I'm sure my OCD will overcome me at some point). I did see more of the same prints in the smaller squares that I'd seen in the 3" squares.

I'm hoping these were in some order before the person who did them decided to get rid of her stash, but at that point they were just thrown willy-nilly into bags.

HSTs would be good - I'm thinking the magic 8 method would be easiest with many of these.

Thanks for the input and ideas!

I am not one to cut scraps until I know what quilt pattern I will use them in, then cut for that---believing leaving scraps in the largest size gives me more options for using them. However, if your pile are already cut into smaller pieces/squares, I think I would find a scrappy quilt pattern first, then start cutting/trimming them to the size needed in that pattern. Obviously I am one to select my pattern/design first, then mess with the fabrics to fit. Good luck and have fun with your new stash!

YES! A woman at our quilt retreat this week is making the most fabulous quilt! She has been cutting 10" squares, 5" squares, 2 1/2" and 2" squares. She's taking the 2 1/2" inch and stitching together in rows of 7 with a white at each end. I wish I had a picture.....Somehow, it's sewn to look like it's on the diagonal. She'll clip the points on the whites and add a white 2 1/2" sashing. What she's done so far is fabulous! She sets the blocks by her machine (all 2 1/2" ones) in "light and dark" piles.......:)

I was at a yard sale once where the daughter was selling her mother's stash. The mother had dementia and to keep her hands busy she hand cut squares for hours each day. Unfortunately, the fabric quality varied greatly, but her cutting was pretty accurate.

Boy would i love to see that quilt!

A while back I volunteered to clean up and organize bags of fabric donated to our guild. There were many bags of squares of various sizes. One of our members sorted them by size and sewed the same size squares into strips, she then sashed the strips into a large quilt top. It was very attractive, used up a ton of different sized squares coordinated by the sashing.

Sounds like scrappy in the making to me. #' ones good for HST's as said, and the 1.5" ones, perhaps a postage stamp quilt..?

I love making scrappy quilts! When making any project, I take the smaller scraps and cut them into both 5 " squares and 2 1/2 " squares. They then live in ziplock bags on my scrap shelf until I feel I have enough to do something with!

I would keep what you can use and pass them onto another quilter.

Check out http://hummingbird-highway.com. Joan Ford has lots of patterns for her system called Scrap Therapy. Her books Cut The Scraps are good ones

I have a huge pile of 2.5" squares because I want to make the Exploding Star quilt. When I take the dirt nap I am sure my kids will say "For God's sake what is this hot mess?" and throw it willy-nilly into a bag for some poor soul to make sense of! Oh I hope I have enough time to sew all these WIP! (works in progress)

I cut 2-1/2 squares from scraps. I'll make an Irish Chain out of them or something.

I cut 2inch squares from scrap fabrics, join them together and make bags which I sell for charity. I usually make ones with zip tops, they measure about 13" x 8" with a gusset and handles: they are very popular. I use up scraps of wadding (joined together) and line them with sheeting etc. As you may guess I can't stop sewing and many of my ideas come from this fabulous board. Bless you all!!

I would take the same size pieces and sew them into 9-patches, 16-patches, 25-patches, depending on size. There are so many pretty patterns that use those.
Cut them on the diagonal both ways and sew the straight edges together.
Add triangles and background fabric for a smashing star.
Add sashing or multiple sashing with 4-patch cornerstones.
Have fun!

I do cut 5" squares out of my scraps. I love the Pat Speth method of using 5" squares in her nickel square patterns. They are all scrappy but very interesting quilt designs. I'm like someone else who said the 3" squares would make great 2 1/2" HST. You could do a scrappy Lady of the Lake with them. Susan

Definitely. I'm surprised if you haven't heard that actually many people do this with their scraps. This way they are ready in an instant for whatever you need in 2.5" (for example--that is the size I like the best) sizes. I once had a whole bucket full.

But I've done it with 3", 4" 5" and 6". It is how I can have young girls over, bring over the plastic container of 6" squares and say, "Let's make something from these."

Bonnie K. Hunter of Quiltville has a method for scrap cutting. You can find it on her website.

I have a lot of 2 1/2" floral blocks. I need ideas of what to make with them!!

I have cut lots of squares to sew into 4 patches and alternate them with machine embroidery blocks to make many children's quilts.

I now people who cut all of their scraps into nice squares like that. Not me. When I am finished with a project the little scraps go in my scrap bin, which is bursting at the seams. Anything a little bit bigger goes back back into bins sorted by color. I do a lot of paper piecing and use it for those.

I appreciate the input! I'd understand this if it was scraps but it's obviously lengths of fabric that have been cut into three different sizes of squares - yes, I found more squares, cut even smaller, at the bottom of a bag.

I'm seeing HSTs and postage stamp projects in my future!

I cut the biggest square I can ouf of any scrap fabric and then the next size down until I have used as much of the fabric as I possibly can. I start out at 10", 9" 8, 7, 6 1/2", 6", 5 1/2" 5" and on down to 1 1/2 inches. I won't cut anything smaller than 1 1/2 inches and then put them in clear boxes with only one size in each box. Needless to say I am definitely behind with cutting the squares, and anything to do with quilting, after two open heart surgeries, a move, and a zillion of other distractions. I am still trying to get my sewing room unpacked and organized, but getting there little by little. I love scrappy quilts and others as well, but haven't made anything other than charity baby quilts for some time with everything else going on. One of these days if the GL lets me live long enough I will utilize all my efforts hopefully. Love to hear everyone's ideas of what they do with their scraps. I think they multiply over night though as my boxes seem to grow rather than shrink. Have a scrappy save-all started (as my Grandmother called it) in the form of stars and that used a lot of odd shaped pieces, but still need to get it together yet.

Best get busy at working in that room instead of spending all my time on this board, but oh it is so interesting and so many neat ideas and pretty quilts.

Happy quilting everyone.

There are a lot of people who cut their scraps into different shapes.

Here is a link to Bonnie Hunter's Scrap User System. She explains why she cuts her scraps into certain sizes.

http://quiltville.com/scrapusersystem.shtml

Interesting - thanks for the link!

I totally got distracted by these squares. ;) There I was, smack in the middle of a digital scrapbooking learning curve and whoosh! FABRIC! QUILTING!

It turns out these are 3-1/2, 2-1/2 and 1-1/2 inch squares, with the same fabrics found throughout, which makes it easier to mix and match up blocks (should I ever be so inclined). Just for the fun of it - because I'm more willing to be adventurous/wild/crazy with gifted fabric - I just started sewing up squares using a 2-1/2" block in the center, bordered by 12 of the 1-1/2" squares, with the only fabric pattern consideration being contrasts in print and light/dark. I am going to attempt sashing by sewing together squares of the same fabric, but I'm not sure I have enough of any one print or solid to do it for anything large. So for now, it's one of those things that you lay across the foot of the bed (the proper name always escapes me so feel free to fill in my blank!).

I also started an HST project that might be done for my daughter's birthday. I found a block pattern called Annie's Choice, made entirely of HSTs, and it just happens her name is Annie. Another foot-of-the-bed thingie - might be able to finish by her birthday later this month. I am matching up prints/colors for that one - reds and whites, which will look nice with her mostly black bedding.

I appreciate all the input! I was kind of flummoxed by the size and sheer volume of these squares and thanks to y'all, the projects are already taking shape!

OMG - ain't that the truth! One of my considerations for sashing was another length of fabric I was gifted (from someone else). I decided I don't like it enough to see that much of it all at once on the front of a quilt, but it looks a lot like the backing on some the quilted pillow covers I got at a yard sale.

Oddly, my "grab a square and sew it to another square" project looks a lot like her ugly quilt block closeup. Hmmm.