On the Road with a Scrap Basket

The Famous Over-Flowing Scrap Basket in the back of the Quilt Mobile

I've done it before.
And I did it just yesterday.
And I'll probably be doing it again.
Yes, I drove over 200 miles (one way) to talk about SCRAPS.
I guess quilters just can't get enough of this stuff, and apparently I don't get tired of talking about it, either!

The famous over-flowing scrap basket is my main prop for the lecture I do called "Taming the Scrap Basket". It's a humorous look at the life of quilters and their fabric addictions....and also includes many helpful ideas about scrap-control and usage....though I'd have to say this basket is not exactly a good example!

The first time I gave this lecture, I thought I'd take along my scrap basket, especially since it is big and would make a colorful focus point. It has fabric going back to even before I quilted.
It was a big hit, and I soon realized that I would not be able to use up these scraps if I wanted to have a prop for my lecture! So, as anyone would do, I just started a whole new container for the scraps I was currently generating.

At the end of each lecture, I invite everyone to come up and take a scrap. This wasn't a problem until at one guild I noticed the ladies were taking LOTS of scraps!
My pack-rat heart leapt to my throat, and then I quickly came to my senses...really, it's not like I was actually using these scraps, and I was certainly making more!

And then, while I was packng up, it really hit me: No matter how many times I gave this talk, and no matter how many scraps were shared with the audience, the basket never became less than packed full!

Even last night, I still had to cram the scraps back inside to get the lid on.
I have never added any scraps to this basket since I started giving the lecture.

I think the scraps are beginning to reproduce on their own.

To test this theory, I used my current scrap container (a small dome-topped waste basket) and my friend C.C., who one time claimed she needed some scraps. I said she could have some of mine, and loaned her the dome-top container.

When it came home, it seemed the level of scraps was lower, but maybe because CC had folded them neatly back inside. One rumaging through for a bit of blue, and the volume was just as large it had ever been.
Yesterday, CC was talking about her scraps, and I"m sure I heard at least 3 different containers mentioned.
Well, I warned her when I gave her those scraps.....they might be self-propagating.

My advice is not to worry about scraps. Never think you have to "keep up" with them...but do share them freely. There will always be plenty to go around!