To Sort Or Not To Sort

Stashbusters.com has had an interesting discussion on the pros and cons of scrap sorting and whether or not to cut fabric up into usable shapes. I like to do a middle of the road policy.

As a rule, I do not cut up strips or strings from yardage unless I need them. But I do generate a lot of "squaring-up" strings when I take a first cut. Often, I will make that first cut an inch extra so that it becomes a usable string, however wonky it is. Those all go to my scrappy string quilt tops, unsorted by color, just right into the string bucket beside my machine. Lately, I tried making a few skinnier strings to use as gift wrap ribbons for an olde homey look to gifts. I also use wickedly skinny strings folded over to double them and make calico catnip mouse tails out of them.

I do quite a bit of cuttingfor my swap groups, too. When I cut nickels, I may get some chunky scraps. These can be great for the triangular corners of the string blocks, but I don't save too many of those. Better to cut most down into light and dark 2 1/2" squares. I keep two piles of these, light and dark, right beside my machine. It only takes 3 short seams to build a nice four-patch out of them and that's my leader/ender. In the course of a year, I was able to get enough four patches made to assemble this quilt:

 Here are the blocks of four patches sewn into a nine patch configuration with scrappy reds in the layout.

 Here is the finished quilt in my guild's show.

Here is the quilt being field-tested for comfort quality!!!! And it all started here:

This rusty ole shelf is perfect for being right beside my machine with lots of lights and darks to grab quickly.

Here are a few of the random dark 2 1/2" squares waiting to be chosen next. "Pick me, pick me!" they scream at me as I work on other projects.

Here is a big stack of pressed four patches waiting to go into some wonderful next quilt!