It is on such a winter day that I do what generations
of farm women have done – they “work the
scrap basket.” Doesn’t every woman have
a scrap basket? This is the disorganized
heap of fabric created from sewing projects or disassembly of donated clothing
with the idea that “someday” one will organize it all and make an heirloom quilt
or a rag rug.

Why would a modern woman, perfectly capable of
buying fabric endlessly, mess with scraps of fabric? The answer for me is that working the scrap
basket calms me. There is something pleasing
and quiet about the near mindless task of touching the fabric, fitting it into
a simple pattern, and seeing scrappy beauty come about. I can
play with the pieces for hours.
I might also admit that when I play with my scraps,
I don’t watch television. I might have
some quiet music on the stereo, but I play without the environment pounding on
me. It is similar to taking a good long
walk in the woods – you walk for a while; you think, you sing, and before you
know it, you’ve come up with something creative. So it is with my scraps. My mind is seemingly grateful that there are
no quilting rules to follow. There are
no color specifications. The pattern is
simply mindless once selected. And
actually, I don’t even care if there is a “finished” quilt resulting.
My grandmothers worked their scraps because they
lived on isolated farms, but now Grandma is more apt to be at the senior center
playing bridge (or pool). Whatever the lifestyle, we need a few quiet
and peaceful moments in a day. My mind
is one that needs to do a little resting and healing and benefits from those
moments.
On days when I don’t
feel like working the scrap basket, there is always the possibility of writing
a little rambling piece like this. I can
always end it with…..”now, where was I going with this?” Just like the process of sewing those scraps together into a whole, one just never knows. It’s the process that brings peace.
You are an amazing woman...you have found multiple areas of your life in which you find rest. Thank you for sharing your life with your readers. I love your insights.
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