You Cut Your Scraps... Now What?
You did it. You actually took the time to cut your scraps into manageable sizes. Take a bow (and maybe a nap), because you’ve already conquered the hardest part of scrap management!
But now you’re staring at piles of pre-cut squares and strips thinking, "Great, now they’re just smaller piles of chaos." Don't panic. Here is how to turn those piles into a library of inspiration without losing your mind.
Precut scrap squares and rectangles in red and pink
Pick Your Organizing Personality
There is no "right" way to sort, only the way that makes you want to sew. Pick the method that matches how you design:
By Color: Perfect for the rainbow lovers. If you often think, "I need a pop of red right here," this is for you.
By Color Temperature: My personal favorite! Group your "warms" (reds, pinks, yellows) and your "cools" (blues, greens, purples). It’s a game-changer for modern traditional designs.
By Size: If you're a logic-first quilter, keep all your 2.5” strips together and your 5” squares in their own bin. This makes following patterns a breeze.
Strings sorted by color temperature with solids in their own bin
How I Make it Work
I use a mix of all three! I have 8 cubes in my shelf dedicated to color groups like "Low Volume/Whites," "Light Blues/Aquas," and "Solid Colors." Inside those color-coded bins, I store my pre-cuts by size.
For my "string" scraps, I keep it even simpler: one basket for warms, one for cools, and one for solids. Don't overthink the undertones—if it looks purple to you, it’s purple. Move on and keep sewing!
My fabric scrap organization system within my cube shelf
The Bottom Line
Your scrap system should serve you, not the other way around. Whether you’re a "color expert" or an "anything goes" enthusiast, get those beauties tucked away so you can actually use them in your next quilt.
Which sorting method makes your brain the happiest? Let me know in the comments!
Your organizing wizard,
Kate
