"One Man's Trash..."

Many of us live by the old adage, "One Man's Trash is Another Man's Treasure".  We shop at garage sales, attend auctions, collect antiques, use hand-me-downs and donate to resale shops.  As quilters, we save our scraps for scrap quilts, string quilts, charm quilts and crazy quilts.  I absolutely love scraps!!!  I even  have quilting friends who save their scraps and give them to me because they don't use them.  When I get a box or bag of scraps it's like Christmas.  I love to sort through them.  I like to examine their size, shape, color and print.  I adore making  quilts with the vast collection of fabrics that I gather.

I can't stand to throw away something that may be useful.  I believe in reusing and recycling whenever possible.  I am certainly a gatherer.  I collect many things to use in my home and my classroom.  If I can't use something I may pass it on to fellow teachers or Scout leaders.

Being a long arm quilter, I always have scraps of batting to deal with.  I say "deal with" because, remember, I can't stand to throw away anything useful.  Batting scraps are useful in many ways.  They can be used to stuff pillows, pet beds, stuffed animals, draft dodgers.  They can be used for the fur on paper Christmas stocking decorations, Santa's beard and eyebrows or to depict the snow in a winter project.  You can even use batting scraps in some fish tank filters!

Believe it or not ..... I've had trouble giving them away!  There is only so much needed at school for various projects.  The local nursing facility can only make so many pillows and even though my dog is huge he does not need multiple beds.

Yeah! Someone wants my batting scraps.  They, in fact, are thrilled to get them and will put them to good use.  One of my sisters lives in a small town in Michigan and the Arts Center makes several hundred scarescrows each year which are displayed throughout the town as part of their Fall decorations.  They will use the batting to stuff the scarecrow's heads.  I am relieved that I don't have to throw away perfectly good stuffing!

The dedicated volunteers who create these scarecrows work very hard and do a fantastic job.  If you would like to see these beautiful works of art, take in some lunch and perhaps shop a little, get in your car and head to Buchanan, Michigan this fall and enjoy!!!  You may even be inspired to make your own scarecrow.  Perhaps you'll make a patchwork jacket for him/her.

Happy Quilting,
Laurel