I cut shapes and sort my scraps into shapes first an then put into categories. I like scrap quilts and find it easier to make if not sorted all by color but by clean design ( solids, small prints and tone on tone) and large prints, odd prints. Strips are parallel, not always sorted by size at this time but under 3 inches. Still easy to pull colors as needed. Larger strips go into their own shoe-boxes, 3,3 1/2,4,4 1/2,5,6.