Happiness is a bag of scraps

Scraps.

I adore scraps and scrap quilts. 

I also adore organization. 

organizing scraps is like herding cats.

I had been using Bonnie's method, which basically to sort by size.  That worked for a while, but I found myself looking for specific colors more than sizes, so I switched to colors.  It was still a big jumbled mess in the drawers.

I was reading a magazine I had picked up - Sew Scrappy - and they had little tips from quilters on the pages.  Usually the tips aren't overly helpful, but then on page 37 I found it.  Someone who usually buys 1/2 yard cuts (just like me!)   She cuts it into two FQ, saves one, and cuts the other into strips of varying widths.

Doesn't sound overly impressive, does it?

But I got to thinking.

I have too many sizes of my scraps.

I needed to simplify.

My scrappy plan:

New Fabric:

Cut into 2 FQ.

Cut one of them into two 6 1/2" strips and two 2 1/2" strips.

Done! 

6 1/2" gives me plenty to work with and I seem to use a lot of 2 1/2" strips.

 and I still have a whole FQ admire.

What about leftovers and remnants from finished projects?

Cut into the above width strips, (in my world a "strip" is defined as at least 12" long).

Smaller scraps will be cut into:

5" squares (charms)

2 1/2" squares

2" squares

1 1/2" x up to 8 1/2 strips , cut to the nearest half.  (super scrappy log cabin anyone?)

and if I REALLY love the fabric, 1" strings.

I'm still going to sort by color, but everything will be cut and ready to use.  I'll know exactly what sizes I have.

The part I'm not looking forward to is going through what I already have.