Stitchnripper

i only work on one project at a time! I have never met or heard of anyone else. I do keep a separate project to take to once a month quilting but I never work on it at home. I also finish everything I start. My quilty friends tease me

WMUTeach

I gather the needed fabric as required or really close to what is required for the fabric and store it in a container. I then make a test block. I rarely cut all the pieces up front. I do a combination of sticky notes, I have them on hand, and pins. I don't trust the sticky notes even the super sticky notes, to stay in place. So, I pin them to the fabric. I also keep a quilt diary. I will tape in a small sample of the fabric, the number of pieces I need and a rough drawing of the shape of piece that needs to be cut. This has saved me more than once. Another technique I use from time to time is to not label the individual fabric but to label the segments/cuts of my test block. It works too!

aashley333

Gathering great ideas! I only work on one project at a time, usually. I haven't made any "kits". Also, don't cut out all at once--too impatient to get started! Since I don't use them to baste my quilts anymore, I use a larger safety pin to secure a square of paper to label blocks.

zennia

I like your idea with the paper plates.

greaterexp

I usually make a test block before cutting everything to make sure the directions are correct. Once I start cutting, I use binder clips to hold similar pieces together with a piece of painter's tape with the measurements (and/or name for that piece, such as "A", written on the tape and stuck to the binder clip. If there aren't many pieces, I often use small containers to hold the like pieces with a label affixed to keep them straight.

quiltsfor

I don't have a lot to 'store' cut for patterns, I only have one going at a time, but at times it takes a while to get to that part of the pattern, so that is why I have the cut pieces 'stacked and stored'.

This is my process: I buy all of the fabric for a pattern that I am planning, and then store the fabric all together in my cabinet. I may have up to 5 or 6 of these in my cabinets, waiting for when I'm ready to make them. Then, once I am ready to start a quilt pattern, then I cut all of the fabric that I stored for that quilt, that is needed for the entire quilt. I then label the cut fabric pieces as to how many and what they are, and then put them in labeled piles, or bags and then into one container. Then I pull out the next cut piece to work on, as per the pattern. I don't make one square at a time. I do a lot of chain stitching. Once I get two of my cut pieces put together, then I lay them out on my work tables in groups of 5 or 10. Then when I pick out the next piece to add, I chain piece them to the existing piles, keeping the groups (of 5 or 10) together in a stack. Ironing when needed/required, before picking up the next stack of 5 or 10 to chain piece the cut onto them. Here is an example of what my work process looks like.

my-ty

Whenever I make a quilt where my background is also used as a border or my pieces are large or long, I use this method:

• I cut the biggest pieces first, and then slip them into a plastic sandwich bag with a scrap piece of paper indicating the dimensions and count for each piece. For example:
  • bag 1: 2 strips 3.5" by 80" (border length)
  • bag 2: 2 strips 3.5" by 65" (border width)
  • bag 3: 6 strips 2.5" by ?" (binding)
  • etc.
• As I use these pieces, it's easy to find the correct piece and then I stroke it off of it's list. Empty bag should have a list with everything stroked off.

I tend to accidentally cut into those long or large pieces that were set aside for another part of the quilt! This helps me stay organized and minimize the cutting mistakes. Also the pieces are not over-handled as I keep checking which piece is which. I just recycle my scrap paper and reuse the bags for the next project. I either use a project box, or just keep these bags on the side of my cutting area.