alderdweller

I am determined to organize my fabric, and just folding and stacking hasn't been workable for me.
I am thinking of cutting mine in 10 inch squares and stacking. I know some cut in 2 1/2 strips, but it seems like I could easily cut most everything I need out of the 10 inch.
Does anyone use this method, and do you find it helpful?
Thanks!

Iceblossom

Around Y2K I was in a fabric swapping group before the 10" square was a precut size. We started with a bug fabric swap and decided on the size for a number of reasons -- one of which it was a pretty easy way of cutting fabric. But also because it gave you enough room to work around getting a full design from large prints.

LOL I am STILL using some of the squares and themes. They stored very well for me in boxes I got from work that held packets of coffee. It is easy to find a 12x12" box. They are easy to cut down for scrap or themed quilts.

I tried the 2.5"strip but it always seemed I needed 2" or 3" strips instead, or that I would spend the rest of my life doing nothing but patterns that required 2.5" cuts -- and there are a lot of them! A lot of people like that idea but it sort of scared me.

Using my mantra of "I can cut down but I can't cut up" I have decided to only save 6.5" strips larger than a square. Anything less than that I give away and I am trying to use up my remaining 10" squares

Hope you find what works for you!

dunster

That would not work for me, but it might work for someone else. It would depend on what kind of quilts you make and what sizes fabric you already have. I prefer to keep yardage on magazine boards, placed upright on shelves. It would be difficult to use it for borders or bindings if I cut it into 10" squares, and I think there would be more waste when I cut the squares up for patterns that weren't designed to use layer cakes.

KalamaQuilts

the biggest question would be do you use a ton of layer cake quilt patterns? that is the only reason I'd cut to 10".
What size blocks do you use the most?

quiltingcandy

It truly depends on what type of quilts you like to make. I prefer to keep my fabric at its' largest piece and not cut it down. I do like to do a lot of fussy cutting too and you can't really do that if it's too small. I have given away so much fabric lately because if finally occurred to me that I am not going to use it again, or it doesn't have the same appeal it did and someone else should have it. My fabric is stored by color and theme. So Christmas has 2 bin, so does Halloween because it follows me home, there is a black & white, floral. And no matter how organized I try to be - it seems a detour sets in from time to time.

toverly

I sort fabric by color in bins. It sure helps to see when I need to use up blues or whatever color. The squares I cut are 5", 2 1/2 ", 2" and 1 1/2". It is an effort to use them up. Maybe 10" would be easier to use.

Mkotch

What size pieces do you usually sew with? I have found layer cakes (10" squares) to be the least useful pre-cut. There's not enough fabric to make a 12" square of just about any pattern. If I need 2.5" strips, the layer cake comes up short, too. I like fat quarters myself. But, like Toverly, I sort my fabric in bins by color.

Rhonda K

Why isn't fold and stack working out? Tell us more about the "why" and we can help with options.

How are you folding the fabric? What size yardage or pieces do you have to store? Do you need to store in bins or on a shelf?

I wouldn't cut yardage as it may not work for the next project. Ten inch squares aren't going to be fun to use for binding.

I use a 6.5 inch X 24.5 inch ruler and fold the fabric around it. Then fold that piece of fabric in half. They stack easily on the shelf or storage bins if needed.

Pieces of fabrics less than 1/2 yards are ruler folded on a 5 inch ruler and folded on the 5 inch size. Then stacked in a bin like fat quarters.

WMUTeach

Yes, like many, I tried cutting scraps into consistent sizes of 2.5 squares and strips, 3. 5, and 10 inch squares. For me it was a waste of time and quite likely fabric. I ended up not having the size I needed in the colors that played together well. Oh, it looked nice on the shelves but I really did not use them much or well. I now only cut 2.5 strips and if the piece is really small, 2.5 squares.

As many others have said, consider the types of quilts you make, what thrills your heart and creativity and go with that. I also sorted all my stash by color about 5 years ago and that works better for me. I can now determine if I have enough of a particular color to meet the requirement of the quilt I am interested in making without sorting through piles of smaller cuts that may or may not meet the size requirement that I need.

In the end, choose what works best for you. Give one method a try. Doesn't work? Change your plan and go for a new choice.

Stitchnripper

I don't have a stash as such, just some bolts of black and white which I use a lot, and a few pieces of yardage and a lot of scraps which I like because I do enjoy making scrap quilts. I wouldn't cut anything down because I don't want to be restricted to that size unless I knew that's what I made all the time with a few exceptions. I did get two different fat quarter bundles recently because I loved the fabric. I did make one into a beautiful quilt and have plans for the other one.