My current enders and leaders project.

Have you heard of enders and leaders?  It's a wonderful way to get "boring" piecing done without thinking about it, saves thread and your machine.  I learned about it from Bonnie Hunter at her website "Quiltville", here's a link to her leaders and enders page. 

When you are finished sewing a seam, or a chain of seams, instead of pulling the thread out and cutting it, put some fabric under the foot and sew a seam, then cut.  This results in you always having fabric under your foot.

This prevents the thread to get pulled down and tangled, and saves thread. 

At the moment I'm making 12 cm crazy quilt blocks as leaders and enders, not because it's boring but to use up some scraps.

Next to my sewing machine I've got a bin that catches all scraps big enough to sew on.

At the end of a chain of sewing, I pick up two pieces of scrap fabric and sew them together.

Then adding more pieces as enders and leaders, usually I've got 3 or 4 blocks going at a time.

Honestly I only finger press the seams as I'm working on them and ironing them as they are finished, I guess I've got a lazy streak..

These blocks have a life of their own, this one is not a traditional crazy quilt block, apparently it wanted to look like this.  :-)

When it's bigger than 12 x 12 cm, I cut it to size, this shows a different block.

These blocks come together quicker than you think, and it's like magic.  They almost sew themselves while you are working on your other sewing...

I haven't decided how to put together this quilt yet, I'll have to get back to you about that...