WASTE NOT, WANT NOT

Well, I am finally back in to the swing of my quilting and knitting since the Christmas decorations (well, most of them) are all stowed away for next year.  The above blocks are all the January block of the month that I will be working on this year.  I need more than one for each month, however, since mine will turn in to a quilt for a KINGsize bed!

So what's the "Waste Not, Want  Not" title.  Well, see those corners on the blocks? 

This little snippet came from there, and it had lots of cousins from all the other "half square triangle" spots.

OK, they are small pretty small, but there's just something in me that couldn't let those pieces of fabric go to waste.  I don't pretend to be an equal to the amazing Gee's Bend women, and it's not really the current economy that's got me in the mode.  Perhaps it's just 'cause a grew up with a mother who NEVER threw anything away (anything that was useful, that is).  Every time I buy fabric, I remember her ALWAYS buying at least 1/8 yard less than the pattern called for.  She was the best ever "scrimper" in squeezing and moving around those pattern pieces to the best advantage.  

Once I sewed today's triangles together, I had mostly 1 -3/4" squares and a few 1 - 1/2".

The strip you see up there by the ruler is one of many strips left over from the postage stamp project that I used for this pillow that I made at my first quilting class.  So there could be a use for these little guys making something like this.  Or they could be sewn together and used in combination with plain strips for a strip quilt that I'll be working on soon.  They would also be great sewn in strips for a narrow sashing.

Hope my mom would be proud for not being wasteful.

Now I've got to go get to some knitting to finish up next weeks' birthday projects.  Hope to share photos of those with you soon.  Until then, stay warm.