Fabric square or granny squares!

I generate a lot of scraps. Sometimes I just throw these away, but other times they are definitely large enough to keep, because if I throw them away I get this huge guilty feeling--I am supposed to be recycling fabric, and besides, it costs money! Why should I throw away perfectly good fabric?? That’s why I always collect them in bags.
Yes! Really!.. I am a gatherer. I stash every bit of fabric out of my sewing projects.
It was in 2004, that my nice (my sister’s daughter, I brought up her since the age of 12 months) qualified for her 12th standard and was preparing for her medical entrance. She dropped one year for preparation of entrance examinations to study medicine. She is (and was at that time on that age too) very laborious person, she never shirk work and kill her time. I made her to do something creative to increase her concentration on studies and also to learn something creative.
On those vacations, she asked me “Aunty… What to do with these bag-full of little fabric pieces? This bag is un-necessarily occupied the space of our store room. Donate them to your NGO’s sewing centre”
Really that was the time I used to sew all dresses of my family myself that’s why from all my sewing projects I generate a lot of scraps, and I have accumulated a very large stash of scraps and remnants that I say I’ll use, but probably never will. Finally, had a purpose for them!
I decided to make fabric squares first, what to do with fabric squares was not decided, it was only to utilize those fabric pieces and to make my nice busy in between her studies, and she really enjoyed that project. I did the preparation part; sorting, washing, ironing and cutting part. She did the construction of the “finished fabric square” part.
For making fabric squares I used only the fabric pieces that were true to grain, by doing this I prevent the distortion problem. I prewashed all the fabric, dried them and removed their wrinkles with iron.
I usually prefer to use my rotary tools to cut the fabric squares. I cut my fabric squares on a rotary matt with a see-through ruler and rotary cutter.
I assembled the required material and tried to set target to accommplish my work….it was hard to count how much time it will take..
Luckily my mom visited us for a week. she helped me to accomplish my part of the project. It was the month of March it was very hot in the day time and a big chunk of day of mine along with my mom involved sorting out my scraps of leftover fabric pieces cutting-cutting CUTTING them in pieces for….what? We say to ourselves “Will decide later!” and laaaaaaaugh! Together!.....

I thought I had a TON of scraps, but if I wish to make a double bed cover (my secret decision), I turns out I need more! Lots more!! So my imaginary bed cover may take a while, which seems to be okay. Let we cut out the pieces first! So we just cut the fabric squares together as accurately as we could. I tried my best to accomplish my part of work within my mom’s stay. We sorted out all the possible fabric pieces worth our size. Mine part was complete.
Than I taught my nice how to assemble the fabric pieces.
Here are the instructions for you too!

I took two pieces of similar print/colour folded their sides to ¼ inches sand-witched loose gauzed/muslin(lining) fabric in between for better finish and attach them together with rough stitches all around.

see the complete instructaions in the digram underneath.......

i tried to see the work she completed

she was good on her work...very neat and clean...

see... the heap of completed squares sendwitched with some linning,

my idea for linning was the

upper wright surface will look smooth and it become durable too!

isn't it green living mantra

lastly a poem for my nice

She loves to Work

she loves to work

she loves to work

she loves to work, work, work,

work, work, she loves to work on me.

she is employe

dshe's employed

she's employed, and I'm overjoyed,

she loves to work on me

she punches the clock

Punches the clockPunches the clockI go into shock

she loves to work on me.

----richard jarboe


never waste

or

throw

any

bit

of

fabric

while

doing your sewing at your home, there are several ways to use them up, i will post another important method of using tail like fabric piece.

good night!