These are not to be confused with nickels, a.k.a. 5 cent coins.
These nickels are not equal. 5" squares cost more than 5 cents. Some quilt shops sell charm packs which are usually an assortment of 5" squares from a collection. Charm packs are a good way to get a sample of each fabric in a line and a good way to get an assortment of fabrics for scrap quilting. When purchased, the squares average 15-20 cents each. I rarely buy the "ready made" charm packs.
Some quilters cut virgin fabric into nickels. Virgin fabric is fabric that was purchased, but has never been cut into and is therefore still in pristine condition. I don't do that. I cut nickels from remnants of finished projects when the pieces left over are too small to fold and stack on my shelves. If not used this way, the scraps might have been discarded. This makes me feel very economical.
Nickels are easily stored in a Rubbermaid tub. They are great to take along for a sewing day at someone's house. They eliminate the need to plan ahead and cut pieces for a project. There are even books showing many blocks that can be made entirely from nickels. Enough about the merits of nickels.
These 4 1/2" units were made from nickels.
It took 120 of the units to make this 40" x 48" top.
I have enough made for another top the same size. Both will be donated to a nursing home.
