wildyard

I only cut my less than FQ and irregular scraps ahead. I keep FQs together and things between that and 2 yds. together. More than 2 yds. are seperate also for when I need a lot of one fabric. Since I am a scrappy quilter first, most of my fabrics fall into the 1/2 to 2 yd. group.

love to sew

I cut my scraps to Bonnie Hunters way but 1/2 yard cuts don't qualify as a scrap for me and I keep it whole until I need to cut if up for a project.

mhollifiel

I dislike fat quarters and ALWAYS cut them up when they fall into my hands. My "go-to" cut is the 2.5" With FQs, I layer them up and whack away. Typically, one WOF strip will border one of my 8.5" "show off a big, beautiful print" square, making a finished 12" block. I make lots of these into gorgeous - but quick - potato chip blocks (can't make just one) for my charity quilts.

The FQ is trouble for my kind of quilting. I stack them up when pressing so I can cut in bulk. What's the point of a FQ when I need WOF for most of my work? If I don't have two of the same placed together, I have to sort and match the strips when I finish cutting. If a random match shows up for a print I cut earlier, I have to track that one down to keep them together. I never buy FQs but am gifted them sometimes. I can see that for some quilters they are a godsend; but not in my world. I slash those bad boys up as quick as they enter the herd.

This potato chip block is a favorite. I use an 8.5" block usually showcasing a neat print and encircle it with a 2.5" strip. This finishes at 12" making it easy to do comfort quilts that won't get caught in wheelchairs (3 blocks across and 4 down), lap quilts (4 blocks across and 5 down), and so on. Add a border or not, it looks great either way. FQ strips really waste a lot of fabric with this block.

I'd offer you FQ lovers any that come my way but they don't live here long. They are slaughtered and in the "freezer" of my cut stash! Yes, I grew up on a livestock farm and am PROUD of it!

PS. For those of you who fall in love with the the PCQ, here's a neat variation: When the block is finished and pressed, whack it half into both ways. turn the opposite blocks of the four squares around 180 so that the opposing corners are nose to nose in the center! This looks so hard but is so easy!

willferg

Hi, Holli,

Here's something similar you might enjoy:

http://patcherymenagerie.blogspot.co...d-squares.html

wildyard

wilferg I totally love that quilt. I have saved the site for later reference. Thanks for sharing that with us.

willferg

Me, too. It's on my list of quilts to make

Sewnoma

I think your plan sounds pretty good, especially if those seem to be sizes you use the most and you like doing scrappy quilts.

I don't normally cut up my half-yard pieces, but I do chop up fat quarters. I usually do 4-1/2" squares because I tend to like 12" and 8" finished blocks in quilts. Or I'll cut it into strips of random widths, to use in my crazy quilts.