marand

This is really conserving while "buying". I have decided not to buy pre cuts anymore, especially jelly rolls and charm packs. I find the jelly rolls are not always accurate. I now only buy yardage. Usually half yards. And fat quarters. I will buy 10 " squares occasionally because they can be cut up into 2 ½ inch or five inch pieces. I save all scraps but don't cut them up until I have a project. My new go to are bags requiring 2 ½ inch strips or squares. Also, I save all batting pieces and fuse together. I just cut my own 2 ½ inch strips from batting cut off sides of quilts, etc. to use in a pocket book I am making. Or table runners. I shop from my own stash but do not limit myself to it if I have a new project.

oksewglad

Using the Easy Angle triangle and the EA Companion triangle uses this idea. For a 2" finished triangle cut a 2 1/2" strip and use the ruler to cut your HST..I like it because I can utilize evenly cut leftover strips for triangles.

I have problems buying precuts too. From my experience using them in the LQS, is that there are a certain number of pieces you don't use and off they go into a scrap pile.

sewbizgirl

I conserve by saving all my scraps and using them for something else. A large leftover piece can be used for a yoke and pockets in a little girl's dress. When most of the piece is gone I cut 5" squares and 2.5" squares. Those are stored by size, and used later for scrappy quilts.

Snooze2978

I also determine how many cuts I can get from each fabric for the pattern I'm working on. Then I cut the amount I think I'll need plus a couple inches more as I always starch and then press the fabrics so I know it will shrink a little plus it might not have been cut straight at the store. I'm OCD when working on a pattern. I write down how many strips from each fabric plus how many cuts from each strip on a piece of scratch paper. Every page that comes out of my printer if it has a blank side, it becomes scratch paper. I cut that into 4 pieces evenly. As I get all the cutting done, I check mark along side it. Borders, sashings, bindings, everything. I told you I'm OCD and this shows it.........lol.