Scraps on the way

I do enjoy working with scraps. There's something satisfying about taking small pieces of fabric, that I suspect others may reject (and I can't bear to part with), making them into a block and then piecing the blocks together to make a whole quilt.

So I'm currently working on two of these, the first I created some of the blocks late last year, but dug them out (thinking they were all put together) only to discover that I must have come to one of those 'Now what do I do?' points and set it aside. It never ceases to amaze me how coming fresh to something just helps to bring a new perspective and whatever stuck point we were in can be overcome more easily. Anyway, I moved a couple of blocks from where I had sewn them in, added some of the many beige/brown blocks I had, and presto, here is a flimsy now ready for quilting.

Its pretty windy here today, so I needed a couple of props to help keep it still while I tried to take a shot. Since you can't see the small pieces close up, here are a couple of my favourites: 

This has the deer in the centre which is from a quilt I made for my eldest son a year or two ago. See what I mean about not being able to throw small pieces away?

And then there's this one which has a piece of Christmas fabric that I must have used at some time - maybe in a runner or a gift for someone, I can't quite recall. But it makes me smile to see this little star: 

There are other little pieces of owl eyes, a small piece of music fabric and so on. Since my scrap quilts often go to the local hospice where one of my friends works, I like to think that maybe there's something that will recall a pleasant memory from life for those who may find it difficult to know what to say - either patients, family or carers. Sometimes a quilt or other item can just help to start a conversation. 

The second scrap quilt is a string cross that I need to add a final border to and then quilt, so I'll wait until the quilting is done to share that one.  Happy sewing!

Lynn