What is a Scrap?

I seem to be overflowing with scraps so last night was time for a sort out.  Out came all the odd bits of embroidery, stuff which could be used for backing, odds and ends of cords etc. which filled one box then the leftover blue and yellow strips from the kitchen window blind in case I need them for the next one.

Bearing in mind that it's only pieces say 6" or less that get put into scrap here there's a sizeable amount of stuff which could be used for crazy patchwork.  Oh and some brown strips that may just be enough for a small coiled bowl:

They're making some quite nice backgrounds ............

Then we're left with the real scraps which are but fragments really with nothing much more than an inch wide.  Horror of horrors this little lot of snippets weighs 650g which equates to more than 4 yards of the average quilting cotton thus up to £40 or more of fabric and being added to all the time.  That's scarey!

Offering them to somebody who might make more imminent use of them did cross my mind but what about all the blue bits for my seascape (the one I've been thinking about for perhaps 10 years and for which the frame will be warped if it spends much more time standing on end before I do anything about it)?  And there's the selvedges I saved should I want to do something fun with them?  Space is at a premium here .......... I need to make some rash decisions!  When my husband asked why I was actually saving them, I started to reply, rather hesitantly, with "I could .............." .  He stopped me with "I could" means you don't actually need them at all.  Use them or lose them I think .......... I better get thinking fast!

The postman didn't bring my zips for the bag today but did bring a disappointment.  I bought (or should I say won) a couple of FQs of "American patchwork cotton" on ebay.  One is lovely but the other is dressmaking fabric.  It's not worth making a fuss for the small amount I paid but I am disappointed that a "quilting shop" sent this out and I have let them know.  I expect I'll find a use for it at some point but it won't be used for the next I Spy quilt as planned.

He also bought a lovely surprise though.

Some months ago I won the above book in a little compeition via The Sewing Directory but never received my "prize".  I had a feeling that the book was coming from elsewhere so just the other day decided to mention it (I must have been feeling brave for a minute or two) ............ not only have I now received the book (the original appears to have been lost in the post somehow) but some fat quarters as way of an apology.  I'm going to sit and have a read this evening to see if there's anything from the book I can use for my crazy quilting blocks (smile).
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