How to Cut Scraps for the Friendship Sampler Quilt

The Friendship Quilt Along has barely begun and already I’ve received lots of questions about scrap cutting! Learn how to cut up your scraps of fabric into accurate 5-inch squares in this new quilting tutorial:

Would you like to join the Friendship Quilt Along? Click Here to find the pattern for Block #1!

This 52-page pattern includes everything you need to get started. You’ll also find fabric preparation and piecing tips to help you begin making Block #1. I’ve also included an overview of the four types of machine quilting we’ll be using to quilt the blocks.

And this first pattern includes detailed material lists for the five different quilt sizes you can make: crib, throw, twin, queen or king!

Click Here to check out the Block 1 pattern and get started today!

Scrappy Happy Friendship Blocks

I decided early on when planning the Friendship Sampler Quilt to use 5-inch squares for this project. Every block will use a specific number of 5-inch squares for Fabric A. This will create a super scrappy affect that looks great no matter what fabrics you have on hand!

You can also use precut packs of 5-inch squares (charm packs) too. If your charm packs have a pinked or jagged cut edge, you may need a few more squares to make up for the fabric lost on the edges.

If the scrappy look just isn’t your thing, don’t worry! You can also cut out your pieces from yardage as well and I’ve included that fabric amount in each pattern as well.

Cutting Scraps into 5-inch Squares

5-inch squares are a good size to cut your fabric scraps into. It’s a very versatile size that can easily be pieced into half square triangles, or cut into smaller pieces.

The key to cutting accurate squares and shapes from scraps is to begin on the grainline of the fabric. To find the grainline, I carefully picked at the edge of the scrap to fray the threads slightly.

Once I’d pulled off a few threads from the edge of the fabric, I had a straight line visible on one edge of the scrap. I then lined up my ruler parallel to this straight line and trimmed off one side:

I then flipped over the fabric and lined up the cut edge of the fabric with the 5-inch mark on my ruler. After cutting again, this created a 5-inch wide strip.

All I had to do was cut as many 5-inch squares from this strip as I could:

What do I do with smaller scraps?

If you have lots of leftover pieces that can’t make a 5 inch square you can also cut them down into smaller shapes.

We will be using lots of 4½, 4, 3½, 3, 2½, 2 and 1½ inch squares in this quilt along. So even if you can’t cut a 5 inch square, cut the next closest shape and we will definitely use it at some point this year.

Sub-cutting shapes from 5-inch squares

All of the pieces for Fabric A can be cut from 5-inch squares. Many times you will need to sub-cut the 5-inch square down into smaller shapes. In the video I showed you how to cut 1- 2½ and 3 – 2 inch squares from one square.

Occasionally you may cut out extra shapes that you don’t need for the block we’re making. Set these extra shapes aside in an airtight plastic container so there ready to be used later.

I store my extra pieces this way so the starch doesn’t soften from exposure to the air. We want our pieces to be nice and stiff and stable so they’re easy to cut accurately and piece precisely.

Now that you’ve cut out lots of scraps, I’m sure your eager to get started piecing your first quilt block!

On Saturday I’m planning to share a tip video on how to piece half square triangles. Then next Monday, December 3, I’ll share a video on how to piece block #1 step-by-step!

Remember you can join the Friendship Sampler Quilt Along anytime! Click Here to find the first pattern to get started.

Let’s go quilt,

Leah Day

P.S. It’s never too late to join the Friendship Sampler Quilt Along! Click Here to find the patterns.

Find more Friendship Quilt Along Tutorials

Check out the other tutorials I shared for this Scrappy Star quilt block:

• How to cut scraps for the Friendship Quilt Along
• Piece two at a time half square triangles
• How to piece the Scrappy Star quilt block
• Baste a block for home machine quilting
• How to quilt a Scrappy Star on your home machine
• How to load a longarm with a single quilt block
• Quilt the Scrappy Star block on your longarm machine