Some people seem to feel that quilting without a purpose is a waste of time, material, and talent. So what? So what if I go into the sewing room, sew a bunch of blocks and then end up hiding them in the closet? So. What?
That's what I thought. So what? I could spend the same amount of time doing anything else--playing on the computer, window shopping, making cookies. They all "waste" in a sense if the end result uses resources (gas, electricity, time, etc.) and there is little or nothing gained. Except! There's that entertainment value and (maybe) a sense of accomplishment. Quilting, even with no purpose or completion, does the same.
Truthfully, the entertainment value is rather high if you consider all of the expenses. I'd rather not. I'd rather focus on the good things. The quilts, the clothing, the home accessories. Those kinds of things and many more have come out of my studio. And in almost every case there was little or no waste. Here's why: I use every tiny scrap of every thing. No kidding. The scraps of fabric, well, that's a given. But I use the scraps of thread. When that spool goes in the trash, it is completely, utterly, empty. And I don't waste pieces in the middle. Indeed, Richard has commented on how frugal I am with thread. The same with needles. So long as the machine and needle are doing their jobs, why change? I don't throw out a pot after cooking X number of meals. Why some folks change the needle after every project is well beyond my comprehension.
What else do I save? Hmm, I rotary cutter blades, pins of any kind, needles, scissors (don't you dare use my scissors!) and any other tool in the making of a quilt. I take very good care of them all. And for the disaster that my sewing room seems to be, I'm fairly well capable of finding most of those tools. It may take a moment or even a hot minute, but it's there somewhere. I'm super crazy about saving paper. That's from teaching in a poor school where paper is like gold. Zippers, buttons, string, any form of embellishment, they are gold! So I use the front and backs of paper, recycle all the others and call myself a frugal girl. If a wasteful family member says I'm a hoarder, well, maybe that person should begin watching his/her "carbon footprint." Mine seems to be rather small, if only the wasteful ones follow my wishes when I'm gone.
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| Marley's "Girl Pillow," made from playing with scraps |
I like your thinking. Waste not!
ReplyDeleteI don't think doing something that feeds your soul is a waste,but your frugality with your materials is very impressive.
ReplyDelete