i kind of did it the same way you did- 35 years ago---but i was not an (avid quilter) back then- i still made my children's clothes-and used the scraps- but when a new baby was coming along for a friend/family member -at times i would buy some fabric and make them a baby quilt- i didn't really become an avid quilter until 10-11 years ago---and i did walk into a shop and buy yardage---lots of yardage!
i still use lots of scraps---but i do not hesitate to purchase yardage too.
