While making the top of my one block wonder quilt, I used a lot of leaders and ender’s. Instead of my standard 1.5" sq leaders and enders, I joined all my strips of 2.5" scraps. Then sewed them together in rainbow order, slashing it about a third across to reverse a strip.
It was a fast make because I had all the scrap strips. It ended up about 40" x 50" it’ll go into my daughter’s car to brighten up the back seat.
Thoughts on scrap. I used to have a scrap mountain, stuffed in bags and forgotten. Through trial and error I now have a system, which might be useful to you. After every project, I immediately cut leftover fabric into usable strips. My preference is for 2.5" strips and squares. Once I’ve cut as many of them as I can, then I cut the biggest strips, down to about 1.5" anything smaller than that I throw away. I also cut some 1.5" squares for leaders and ender’s.
This was what I had left after trimming the quilt. The stuff on the left will be tossed.
Cut into strips.
I carefully put them into boxes, because if they get thrown in, then they will need ironing before use and I know I won’t bother, and they won’t get used
This is my current scrap stash. Three small boxes, sorted by colour, all cut into usable strips. I keep my 2.5" strips separate, and any binding leftovers get wound onto cards for small projects.
Once the boxes start to fill, then it’s time to do something with them. Which was why I made the above quilt. The boxes are getting fullish now, so I’ll make a scrappy log cabin quilt next.
Leaders and enders btw will eventually be a ‘free’ quilt (or at least a block) they are the little squares I sew together at the start or end of a chain piecing row, this stops the machine eating the thread and starting with a snarled seam. It also saves so much thread.
Lots of detail on leaders and enders here
