b.Zang- I truly understand what you are saying about using cast-offs. I do it and I love it. There is something about old made new again that satisfies my soul. I personally think quilts should have soul and mine do. We all love buying fabric, and it is easier than recycling. However, I find there is no match for the satisfaction of making something unique and beautiful from what would otherwise be wasted. IMHO it takes more skill and much more personal investment to make something from nothing than to buy a kit or hundreds of dollars worth of the latest designs. When I make a quilt, it is my own work of art made in the spirit in which I live. I do it for satisfaction and satisfaction comes from being true to my principles of respect for the earth and its resources and using creativity, not cash, to create something beautiful.