WHen I first started quilting, I watched every quilt show on tele. It took awhile for me to be convinced to cut off the "dog ears" on the triangle blocks, but finally I did.
Well, I don't know how to make a "few" blocks, I always do it for DAYS, so you can imagine that I had a lot of dog ears that I had to cut off. It would really bug me to look in the trash can and see all those pieces of fabric.
Even for me, who have come by hoarding by hereditary (my grandmother did it - - this is NOT my fault! :wink: ) I understood that I had to throw scraps away.
The day my daughter suggested I use my little scraps and dog ears to fill a bean bag for grandson, I thought I had died and gone to heaven! I proceeded to make scraps small enough to go in there! Made quilts to add to the filling, and I just flew through fabric making quilts and scraps/batting for the bean bag ... don't get excited people ... it does NOT work!
so, depressed, I went back to grinding my teeth every time I had to throw away the dog ears! I wasn't quite manic, but it was definitely having an effect on me.
I don't know where the idea came from, but the day my daughter came out to the bunkhouse with a pretty half pint canning jar and lid, I KNEW what I was going to do with it! And, I did!
I don't remember how long it took me to fill that jar up with JUST dog ears ... but, it is now part of my decor and I have not worried about the dog ears, ever again!
But, I still develop a tic every time I have to trim a block and throw away .5" on one side ... four times ... that is TWO inches!
And, when I have to square an end to fabric? I purposely cut it very generously so that I have more than slivers -- of course, not so much with fat quarters.
I will post some pictures of some of my scrap blocks ... waiting for inspiration for a quilt! (trying to think of a background that will tie them all together -- or something :lol: )