leaders & enders

Once upon a time, with my Prime Time Quilt group (Az), we did a 2" fabric swap (everyone brought x amt of 2" strips [dark/med/light] and while we chatted we chopped our squares... then we divided them into BIG paper grocery bags - by lt. med dark - shook them like powdered donuts, proceeded to pass those babies around and grabbed a handfull of each until they were all gone.) ... Of course, while we chatted...
[can you believe some women in the group actually rushed and finished their quilts? our challenge was to mak 9-patches. Theirs turned out fabulous, but now i bet their bored, right? poor things.]

Fast Forward:
... it dawned on me that i could use it use those squares that i'd been saving ... for a rainy day project... for "leaders/enders" ... (i was already 'saving thread' by using scraps to start/stop when i'd start/stop while piecing)  ... WHAT A CONCEPT!

Well, it turns out, i'm not the only one doing this ... and there are even books published! duh. Great minds think alike ... "Adventures in Leaders & Enders, more quilts in less time"  and then, almost moments after i had my ah-ha moment (ok. i ran out of scrap and remembered the squares) ... i went to the KCMQG meeting and Carla - is also an over-achiever ;o) ... has finished quilts! and shared them and her style during the meetings "ten minute tip" !!!! exciting stuff.  If only i'd thought of that first...!

k. i'm off to make more 'scrap' ... later.