If you don't press before you cut, you might not get an accurate cut. Same goes for strips -- although I recently rolled my strips so they don't get so mangled.

you can always send some my way! Hee Hee...........I'm a scrap quilter, I would make Bonnie Hunter proud!

I just save them in a bag and cut as I need.....I am collecting 1.5 inch squares for a postage stamp quilt (queen size)....so from time to time I cut a pile of squares and baste them to 1 inch papers....Yes I am going to English Paper Piece...Yes...I am a little nuts.

I love Bonnie K. Hunter's books for scrap quilts - I have her book "Adventures with Leaders and Enders" and I have a lot of 1.5, 2.0 and 2.5" squares cut for using. It is so nice not to have to cut when I get the urge to sew a scrappy together. I just finished the piecing (waiting for borders/back/quilting) one that I made 290 9-patches from 2" squares. All the 2" squares were already cut - lucky for me since I sewed them all together while I had a broken arm and was unable to do any cutting. A quilting buddy cut the connecting squares for me so I could assemble the quilt. I also have a quilt project in mind that uses two different sizes squares/rectangles so I cut them first from any scraps, then move on to the other sizes.

One summer, I took a whole brown grocery bag to our beach house and cut the scraps into usable sizes - I made five or six tops from that bag ... all I had to purchase fabric for were the borders and backs. Score!!!!

I'm with Nancy. I do sort them into strings and chunks and then by light or dark. If you like to make more scrap quilts than any other, you might like to cut them into sizes you normally use. But that's not as helpful, especially if you do applique`.

I use Bonnie Hunters method and combind it with Joan Fords method, Cut the Scraps. I love the organization that has resulted in doing this.

I have cut my scraps into 2" squares, 2.5" squares, 1.5" strips, 2" strips, 2.5" strips and 4, 5, 6" squares.

I was so tired of my 2.5" squares this year that I've declared war on them and want to use them up--so I'm in the process of sewing them all together---I've gotten the bag emptied the first time, so they are all at least sewed in groups of two. I'm curious how many quilts I will be able to make out of them. So far, I have enough for roughly 3-4 quilts in 9 patches made up, plus I'm making a heart quilt (out of red and blue 2.5" squares) plus, I'll have enough for I don't know how many other just squares...but I'm keeping track. When I'm finished, I'll post here.

My point it, that these were squares I was really tired of looking at, so I'm trying to use them up--then I'll start with another batch as I have another trash bag full of scraps that need to be cut down into some sort of order.

But I agree in a sense with those who don't want to do this ahead of time as this does limit you with what you can do with your scraps. As soon as you've cut that piece into squares or strips of 2.5" you can no longer make a 3 or 4" square out of it...or use it for applique, except for very small pieces.

But for me it does work to go ahead and cut them since I know I'm always making more scraps and I can just use the next group of scraps coming up for whatever that piece I needed was....

About 3 years ago, I took 6 boxes of scraps and trimmed off excess, trimming into likely squares and strips. Part of what I did was set up a box with plastic bags of 2.5" sq, 2.5x5.5 and 5" squares. I made a quilt which is traditionally called "square cross", as well as another that was 3D bow ties and a bunch of 4 patches that found their way into other quilts. I had 2 boxes when I finished trimming and sorting. (and mailing a bunch of 2.5" squares to an on-line buddy) This pattern is traditional, but I met it at Sisters Oregon and have made 2 or 3 of them.

I toss scraps and pieces into a basket as I sew. Once a month or so, I bring it to a sewing group and pass the basket around and everyone takes what they want/like/need. It's fun to see what other people create from my scraps and my sewing room stays neater! Win...Win!