Is SC like patchwork?

A piece of patchwork is made from many fabrics that used to be part of bigger pieces of fabric - some sheets, some shirts, others dresses. The best patchworks are made of many different patterns, colours and textures. Although most of the squares are completely different in appearance, in a conventional patchwork each square needs to be exactly the same size.

Patchworking starts small. You kick off by gathering loads of different fabrics that you like and think would work well together.

You cut them into squares, then sew a few of them together to make a long row. Then you do another long row. You sew those two rows together along the long edge. As the rows are sewn together, the patchwork becomes stronger.

As you work, the squares that used to be on the edge of the patchwork gradually move into the centre of the new whole. But that doesn't make them any more important than the new squares arriving on the edges.

One patch on its own is no use at all. It's only when the patches are attached to each other that they complement each other, become beautiful and have the potential to be useful again.

A small patchwork can look lovely as a placemat. A bit more work and it can become a nice tablecloth. A lot of time and effort later you've got a quilt to cover a double bed. All lovely items and very pretty, but each completely different in its appearance and uses.

Some people don't go much for patchwork. Others think it's stunning and spend a fortune buying quilts and cushion covers. Perhaps part of the appeal of patchwork is the sense of history and work behind the finished piece and the stories behind each square - what they used to belong to and how they came to be part of the new whole.