Thanks,
SBG, for the well wishes for my Mom. She's doing well so far.
NoraB- I just thought of something for your scraps of batting. Can you put them together between old fabric to practice machine quilting? That's what I thought of doing. A lot of teachers tell you to have squares nearby to quilt before you start your quilting. This advice comes from seasoned quilters. It makes sense to me to "warm up" before you actually start.
I hope this makes sense as I'm still catching up on sleep