Something from nothing

I really love starting a new project from a set of new fabrics.  Using a new set of fabric for the first time is a real thrill and for some of my favourite fabrics I savour them a while and. put off using them until I find the most perfect use for them.  Wee Wander by Sarah Jane Studios is one such set that I am currently coveting.  I have at least half a metre of each fabric in the whole range, and a metre in the many.  I have plenty of the fabric and it remains pristine and untouched so I could reasonably use a little and still have plenty left to make other projects.  There is certainly a few quilts worth of fabric to go at.  And yet I cannot bear to touch it because I am savouring that special moment when its time has come and I know its destiny.

I have plenty of scraps of fabric but I am not great at putting them together to create something special.  As I try to save sets for specific projects I tend to have remainders knocking about and I am not good at putting them to good use, despite often pinning scrappy quilts and admiring those who can make things of beauty from what are essentially leftovers.

Last year my youngest sister made her first quilt with my supervision.  She chose the fabrics herself, had a go at cutting the six inch squares, pieced and quilted them and then left me to do the hand sewn binding.  We did this over a couple of days and she certainly enjoyed herself and felt a sense of achievement at what had been a tricky time for her.  She didn't turn into a quilter at that moment but she had learnt some new skills and we had a fun time together.  

At the weekend I did some tidying of my fabric and came across the remaining fabric from this quilt and felt that a year on, it would be nice to make something to match her quilt.  The fabrics are pleasant enough, but not really my style, but I know my sister would appreciate a gift made by me to match her own handiwork.  At a similar time I saw a lovely half square triangle cushion on a blog and knew that this would work perfectly.  I found some white fabric from a previous project and felt that next to the white these fabrics somehow worked really well and I preferred them much more.  

Over the weekend I am going to add a border and quilt the front so when the cushions are completed they are soft and distinctive.  This is an unexpected project for me because I have not coveted the fabric over a long time and I am not dipping into my immaculate fabric sets, and yet I am getting a real sense of satisfaction from making something from scraps.  I imagine this is the pleasure chefs get from making wonderful food from cheap cuts of meat which rival the traditional fillet steak.  Hopefully over the weekend I will be able to show finished cushions and my sister and I will both have gained something.