What are your favorite pre-cuts and why?
 

I have decided to actually ***use*** my stash (a radical idea, I know, but......) so I am cutting up yardage for future quilts. I'm starting with my batiks because I really enjoy those fabrics. Most of my batiks are 1/2-yard or 1-yard cuts. So far, I am cutting mostly:

2.5" strips because they are useful for so many quilt patterns, including 9-patch quilts. Plus I am currently making a batik quilt that takes 5" centers and 2.5" strips surrounding the centers.

2" strips because I like this size for log cabin quilts.

1.25" strips of dark batiks because I plan on making an uneven log cabin out of batiks and I like the dominant design to be the darks rather than the lights (which will be 2").

I am also cutting 5" squares but am wondering if I really want so many of them. They work for my current quilt, but I'm not so sure about future quilts. Because I typically cut a 5" strip of yardage and then cut that down into squares, I end up with a lot of 5" squares of each fabric.

Anyway, I am wondering which pre-cuts others find most useful, especially when cutting up stash yardage.

Look over some patterns you want to make in the future to help you decide. I use a lot of 2.5" strips, so I often cut a few pieces of those when cutting up my yardage/scraps. Layer cake (10" squares) are good too because you can subcut those to other sizes/shapes.

I don't cut into yardage until I know what I want to make. I find it harder to store cut pieces than yardage, and I can see the yardage that's available more easily. However I do understand the beauty of being able to dive right into sewing without having to cut first. I just don't think it would work for me. I do sometimes go through my scraps, though, and cut lots and lots of 1.5" strips into lengths for log cabin quilts.

It is a radical decision to actually use one's scraps. For the past few years I have shipped them off to people here and to my sister that belongs to a guild and several of the ladies love to make string quilts and always asking for scraps. I have bought a several jelly rolls and discovered I didn't like the jelly roll race outcome. So I am like Dunster, I prefer not to cut them before I have an idea for the quilt in mind because there is nothing more frustrating finding I am short on a specific fabric.

Fat quarters and jelly rolls seem to be what I like the most and have the most patterns usages for

I don't use pre cuts, and I don't cut my stash fabric until I know how I am going to use it. Sorry I am no help!!

I use my Go and cut different size squares, triangles, and strips. I keep them all the size to combine to make a 12" finished block. I store them as neutrals and darks. Neutral is anything lighter then a brown paper sack. Dark is everything else. Re Bonnie Hunter. I don't separate by color though. I use these to make scrappy quilts, nothing else.

I try to keep my stash very small -- one bin. There are 2 options for leftovers. The first is to assign them to a new quilt asap, in which case I cut them into what I need. The second option is to add to a crazy quilt I've decided to start working on to use up my scraps because they're starting to get out of control. I do occasionally have a few pieces of fabric that I really love & hope to use in the future. I mostly do hand applique work so I love Fat 16ths (9x11") -- and love buying that size at LQS, also. I also like 2.5" strips as they are great for sashing & borders.

Because my stash was really starting to get to be too much -- mostly because I had a 2nd whole bin (sweater size for under the bed) that's in a storage closet -- I decided to open up some of that fabric to my 4 year old niece. I made her a flannel board & let her pick from certain fabrics -- especially JAF/HL fabrics from when I didn't know any better. I bought a pinking blade for my rotary cutter & kept an old mat that got warped which I use for pinking cutting. She picks 1-2 fabrics that she really likes most each time she comes to visit & I cut them into doll clothes for her "design wall". I'm thinking this next time I might also cut her some 2" squares so she can do some quilt layouts as well. She absolutely loves that thing; it gets those fabrics out of my stash; and I get the joy of seeing them up on a design wall whenever I go to visit her, too.

I don't have many precuts. I'd like to do more with jelly rolls, but so far I have mostly FQ's. You might be like Joan Ford's books about scrap quilting. I've checked them out from our local public library. She talks about organizing and cutting up scraps and provides some patterns. http://hummingbird-highway.com/

I only cut fabric as and when required. I am not very keen on precuts. 21/2", 11/2", 51/2" squares. 101/2" squares or just 51/2" strip ready to precut.

Same here.

I don't cut my fabric until I have a specific quilt in mind. I am enjoy making the strip tube quilts from Cozy Quilts.

I think it depends on the kind of quilts you like to make. I went through a phase that I cut up lots of stash into various size pieces - they never get used - just not the way I work. Now, I never cut anything up until I know what I'm doing with it.

I like making doll or baby quilts with scraps after I finish making a quilt. That gets rid of the scraps and I love to display the little quilts. The grand daughters love them too.

When my scraps are too small or I don't like them enough to keep for a quilt, I cut them into 1 1/2 inch strips for a future log cabin or string quilt.

I regret cutting 5" squares without a pattern in mind. But I have cut plenty of assorted-width strips becuase when I feel like sewing but don't want to think, I enjoy making string blocks. If they are ready and waiting, I knock out a few at night to relax.

I don't cut until I use them. I purchase my batiks usually a yard at a time also and keep the yardage in plastic totes. But as precuts, I seem to purchase layer cakes and jelly rolls. The layer cakes can easily be cut down to charm squares if needed. I admire your desire to use your stash. Wish I felt so inclined. LOL.

I am going to spend some time cutting up a lot of fat qtrs. that I seem to have accumulated with nothing in mind when purchased. I'll be cutting a 2.5" strip, a 2.5" sq, a 3.5" sq, a 6.5x3.5" rectangle, and a 10" sq. Any thing left will go into the "donation" box. These shapes seem to be what I've been using the most of lately.

If I am buying pre-cuts, my favorite is a fat qtr stack. I can make anything, any size out of that. If I am short fabric, when I get around to it , say 2 yrs later, I just add solids, background, or go shopping to "fill in". If I have left over after the quilt i made, then I store 1 yard plus on bds, fat qtr on ft qtr bds, and everything else bonnie hunter style , as neutral strips, or dark strips of various widths and lengths in the same bucket of neutral or dark. The strips make, log cabins, strings, crazys, wonkeys, crumbs, piano key boarders, or can be cut into some squares. I never cut up yardage otherwise.

I love a layer cake. I once made a whole sampler BOM out of one of them. You can also cut them into 5 inch charms.

One famous quilter said she cuts off a 2.5 inch strip of every single piece of fabric she buys.

That being said---I do not cut up yardage ahead of time into any sizes unless I have a specific pattern in mind.

I use a lot of fat quarters since they are handy for experimenting with new block layouts. I would hesitate to cut yardage into anything smaller since there are too many times when I need a large piece for setting the resultant blocks into a quilt. But I probably keep a lot less yardage around than most quilters because I just don't have room to store it. I've currently got 10 pieces that are in 2 yard cuts and another 20 that are 1 yard cuts. The rest of my stash (probably around 150yards worth) is either fat quarters or "precuts" that are mostly cut from my leftover scraps.

I generally only cut down pieces that are smaller than a fat quarter. For those pieces, I cut into the largest size that falls into one of the following groupings- 10" squares (layer cake size), 5" squares (charm size), 3.5" squares and 2" squares (a la Joan Ford, since I sometimes make some of the blocks from her quilt books). If I have a 2.5" strip that is at least 22" long I will put that with my jelly roll strips.

Anything that is too small to fit into any of those categories gets used for string quilting, or crumb quilting.

If I had plenty of money and plenty of room, I'd buy lots of those fat quarter bundles and lots of jelly rolls, then supplement them with layer cakes. Those are all very versatile units and you can make some very nice scrappy quilts with them :sew::sew::sew::sew::)




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I am a newbie and not very good at cutting. I am doing a bursting star from Jenny Doan, I used a white layer cake but cut 16 10 in squares from yardage, not 2 of them came out the same.....tugging, shrinking etc.... I need more experience which I hope will come with time so I purchase charm squares and layer cakes for now. Also bought a few jelly rolls in black and some white for projects to come. And also bought some 1.5 inch rolls.

I belong to a couple of Fat Quarter Clubs so have Fat Quarters up to my ears. But I generally buy yardage unless there's a particular line that I want all of, in which case I order fat quarter bundles or half yard bundles

I don't precut my yardage and only buy the occasional jelly-roll or charm pack when I have a project in mind (and I really like the fabric line). I suppose you could check Bonnie Hunter's precut guidelines. Lots of people swear by them.

Several years ago, I went through my scrap bin and cut most of it into 2.5, 3, 5, 6.5 and 10's I also keep a box of 2.5 strips and I keep all the bias cut strips from binding to use on my scrappy quilts. I find that I I seldom use my 3 inch cuts so I don't cut those any longer. I use the 2.5, 5's and 2.5 strips the most. That said, I have now disciplined myself to not toss small scraps into a bin but to cut them immediately into 2.5 squares and 5 inch squares or 2.5 strips if the piece is longer. If the remainder from a project is more than about fat quarter size I don't cut it into standard cuts. I leave it whole for future use. This fits me and my quilting choices and style. I like dipping into my "pre-cuts" for my scrappy quilts! Quick and ready to go.

I'm with Jeanne and Dunster... The only thing I cut ahead are 2 1/2 squares from small left over pieces since they are great for an Enders/Leaders project.

Look up Pat Speth - author of Nickel Quilts - for 5" quilts - you can do so much with 5" square units. Her website has a lot of free quilt patterns. Just Google her name.

I actually like fat quarters I have a stash of them, 2nd is 5" squares the pre-cuts allow you to get the entire line of fabric and they can be cut down to 2.5" mini charms.

I love precuts. I have many books showing various patterns and I use them all the time. My quilts turn out great. I use the charm squares 5" and jelly rows the most. I have never made a jelly roll race quilt which generally look pretty awful to me compared to what you could make with them. I don't cut up my stash, only scraps.

Unlike most of us, I am a huge proponent of cutting up fabric - all sizes. This is close to my cutting approach. I hate fat quarters so they get cut down almost immediately. If the fabric is cutesy or beautiful, they get cut into 8.5 squares for popcorn quilts - fast and fun. Otherwise, the above is my cutting style and I don't hesitate to cut up lots of yardage especially my Kona Black and Snow into 2.5"strips. I also do some of those (but not as many) in 1.5" for sashing. NO 3" anything! I love 5" strips and squares. The 5' squares are perfect for fast four patches when sewn end to end, cut in half on the unsewn sides, turned and sewn end to end again then cut in two again. Voila! Nice four patches right quick and in a hurry! I also like 5" strips for the bindings on quilts that turn out smallish.

I do anywhere from 100 - 150 pieced tops for my three guilds' charities every year so I find that aggressive cutting helps me get a whole lot done. I have just finished about 60 tops and I don't remember actually "cutting out" even one of those. I used what I had already cut and (I admit) finished up about a half dozen UFOs as well.

NOTE: The beautiful quilts you see in shows aren't mine. I make "quilted fun covers" for kids and if my quilts warm and comfort them, that's my desired outcome. I use lots of fun juvenile novelty prints and fun stuff for "old farts" in wheel chairs.

My method is to pick a pattern and make a kit or 2 for future quilts. I find a precut kit more interesting than a scrappy jelly roll or layer cake. But my ways aren't for everyone.

I think you should look at the type of quilts you prefer to make. Do you use a lot of 2 1/2" squares/strips? Do you use a lot of HSTs that come from 5" or 6" squares? If you cut into strips that are the sizes you have used most in the past, there is a good chance this is what you will need in the future!

This exactly! I tend to like loads of different types of quilts but I gravitate to MC and NYB a lot. So those aren't really "precut" friendly. Plus I just can't see paying that much extra for my fabric as the precuts carry a premium for their convenience. But I do like looking at the precuts and more than once have almost bit the bullet and bought a jelly roll. But my inner cheapskate always wins out in the end. Maybe if I happen upon a sale and I really like the collection but until then, I stick with yardage. The exception is I have bought a few FQ packs in hand dyes.

When sorting scraps I only cut down smaller pieces. I cut 1 1/2" and 1" bits for offset LC (the smallest piece I use in those is 1" x 1 1/2"). I have some of them precut down to the logs and keep them stored in a candy tin.

I have ziploc bags that have some 2" strips in them sorted by value (light, medium, dark). Odd size scraps from paper piecing I have in ziploc bags sorted by color. I use those to make HST, in applique and also EPP.
My bucket list of quilts I want to make seems to evolve over time so I find it best not to cut up any of my yardage until I have decided on a pattern.

I used to be really into jelly rolls but then got over them somewhat. For now anyways. Now I am into layer cakes because they can be cut so many ways & they are just cool to me. The only thing is the price of them unless you get a good deal like sometimes on Craftsy & also Missouri Star Quilts daily deal. They are very expensive compared to yardage but if I get the chance to get one then it is a layer cake. I love the fat quarter bundles too but a whole bundle is too much over my budget. They certainly are nice though.

My favorite would be fat quarters as I can get so much out of each one. I do a lot of scrappy quilts and they give me lots of options!! :-) I have an extensive stash of them.

That flannel board is a brilliant idea!! I wish my sweet grands lived closer so I could do this with them. I also wish I only had 2 bins. I have way more again then I need. Although, last year, I used a lot of my stash. I can see I need to do that for the rest of the year and next year. It is very inspirational to hear ideas from others!

I have been quilting on and off for over 20 years. During that time, my taste in both colors and quilts has changed. I would always want my fabric to be usable for whatever new style I want to do. Thus, I would leave whole pieces, both for flexibility and for sale-ability if I want to cash in what I have and convert to something new. I think people would be more likely to buy, say, FQ's than 2.5 inch strips.

I recommend that if you're inclined to want to cut things up, cut a 2.5 inch strip or two from each of the fabrics and save the rest. Then you have both worlds, a big chunk for flexibility and a strip to play with now.