I May Have A Scrap Problem... How About Some Scrappy Blocks?

 

Hi, all!

Well, today I actually worked on something scrappy!  One of our quilt ministry members ended up moving to another state as a result of a COVID-related job loss in her family, and we decided to make a collaboration quilt for her.  I finally picked up all the completed blocks this week and started laying it out on the wall today...

It's certainly going to be an eclectic quilt!  I had to add some strips to some of the blocks to bring them up to size and trim down some others.  All the outer blocks are 12.5" square.  I thought the center heart block was 36.5" square, but imagine my surprise when I sewed the side blocks together and they were longer!  Oops..... But easy enough to fix.  I'll trim it down a bit and add a stop border to bring it to the right size.  Hopefully this one will be assembled before the end of the week so I can take it to one of the other members for quilting.  She has a new long arm machine she needs to break in!

And how about a little inspiration?  Not as much as usual today because it's been a busy week, but I did find two really beautiful pairs of quilts....

I particularly love the front quilt - all that movement!!!

And the only thing better than one postage stamp quilt?  

Night and day twins!!

Have a great, scrappy week!

Hugs!

Sarah

Can I Get a Whoop Whoop? #ufonomore

Hi, all!

Friday has rolled around again - the tenth, I think, since we started staying home.  The days all roll together, but it's always good to remember when Friday rolls around and we get our whoop whoop on, isn't it?  So let's get started!

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On April 13th, I took this picture, of nine quilt tops I had pieced since moving to our new house.  Oh the shame of it!  But I put Jolene back to work, and this week I finished the last of those quilts!

First to be finished were four baby quilts that are now headed to Little Lambs Foundation of Utah!

The next five quilts will go to my church's quilt ministry, to replenish our sadly depleted stock of quilts.  

A brightly colored baby quilt...

...a graphic quilt with some really cute economy blocks...

A quilt which used up a lovely stash of orphan basket blocks...

Another orphan block quilt, this time using up extra 16-patch blocks from a quilt I made long ago...

... and last, but certainly not least, my favorite - a mashup of lots of random brightly colored orphan blocks that I have been hoarding for years!

And now I can truly say I have no more quilt tops waiting to be quilted - #ufonomore!

So - - - can I get a whoop whoop?

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And now it's your turn!

What's got you whooping it up this week?

What's making you do a little happy dance?

Share!  We want to dance right along with you,

And it's always more fun to dance with friends!

The party will stay open until Sunday midnight.

Hope to see you then?

Hugs!

Sarah

I May Have A Scrap Problem... A Little Sanity In This Crazy World!

Hi, all!

Still hanging in there?  We are - although I have to admit that it is hard to stay in all the time!  I've been going a little stir crazy, and while I love making masks, they don't take much mental effort, and my thoughts have been running around in circles as a result.  So when I filled all the orders I had received for masks, I decided to take a little "personal" time.  The orphan block quilt had been hanging on my design wall taunting me, so I decided it was time to make a little progress on it.   

And  I not only made progress on it, I finished it!  Once I got started, it was hard to stop - and it really did serve to bring my mind back into focus.  A little quilt math is good for the soul, apparently!

It's also fun to see blocks left over from other quilts I created, like the goldfish block from Emmy's annual quilt a few years ago...

...the Christmas tree from my Patchwork Forest QAL last summer...

... a tiny block left over from my Gypsy Wife quilt...

...test blocks for the Hearts for New Zealand drive...

A block from Lilli's Summer Wedding quilt...

My first (and so far my only) successful attempt at paper piecing...

...and a spiderweb test block that I painstakingly worked out the math for before using the "real" fabrics!

Also nestled in this quilt are blocks that were sent to me from friends who hoped that I would find a good home for them, and finally I have!  

And now it's time to get back to making face masks - but I feel better for the break and can make a fresh start.  Plus, my orphan block tub is a good bit lighter this morning!

Have you been working with your scraps lately?  Maybe you too have used up some orphan blocks?  Tell me about it!

Hugs!

Sarah

Make-A-List Monday - Still Looking for Inspiration?

Hi, all!

Are you still hanging in there?  Or wandering around in a funk, missing your quilting mojo?  I feel like I've been making so-o-o-o-o many face masks - useful, helpful, but they don't require much thought or skill, and today I took a break and did some piecing that did require both thought AND skill.  

It was a good break, and I'm feeling more "centered" now.  Tomorrow I'll get back to making face masks - especially since there's so much more demand now.

In the meantime, if you're not making face masks, and need a little "something" to juice up your mojo, how about this quilt?

I've seen these cropping up on Instagram, as part of the #FreshlyQuiltedTP quilt-along.  The pattern is We're On A Roll by Java House Quilts.  What better way to commemorate this time than with a quilt with a sense of humor?  If I wasn't making so blasted many masks (needed, so needed) I'd jump on this one in a second.  

Have you seen any other quarantine quilt-alongs that have piqued your interest?  I'd love to hear about them - just mention them in the comments below!  

Here's hoping you have plenty of TP at your house!  

Hugs!

Sarah

I May Have A Scrap Problem... Help Out With Your Scraps!

Hi, all!

Wow - what a difference a week makes!  One week ago, I was enjoying using my orphan blocks to make quilts - and I still have one up on the design wall in progress...

But then I started getting phone calls and messages from medical personnel who needed face masks, and wondered if I or some of my quilting buddies could make some for them.  And how could I say no?  So I started researching patterns, found one that seemed to fit the bill (after consultation with the medical professionals) and went on a face mask making binge!

And the best thing about making face masks?  They only take two pieces of fabric, cut 6 x 9, so they are perfect to make from scraps!  I used up a whole pile of 10" squares I had cut from my scrap stash to make those masks shown above, and I have more cut out to make this week.  Monday I posted a tutorial for face masks on the blog if you want to join in the effort.  Just find people in your area who are in need!  Once I started posting pics on Facebook, I had several folks contact me about making some for them, or for their offices.  

Oh, and back on the orphan block quilts - my friend Louise, who blogs at My Quilt Odyssey, has written a post about making quilts from orphan blocks.  Click here to read her very informative article!

If you're not overwhelmed by home schooling like so many moms I know, it's a great time to work on diminishing your scrap stash.  So what are you working on these days?

Hugs!

Sarah

I May Have A Scrap Problem.... Orphan Blocks!

Hi, all!

Are you going stir crazy yet?  It seems like the whole world has gone bonkers, but we know the secret to staying sane - quilting!  I decided that while we are homebound, I am going to do two things - make lots of comfort quilts using scraps and stash, and I'm going to work on a Christmas wall hanging kit that I've had for several (seven?) years now!  

So yesterday I grabbed my orphan block tub (yes, that's it above, plus I found another smaller one hidden away!) and pulled out some pieces that caught my eye.  I started with sixteen blocks in tan and navy, pulled one out and added one in tan and red, added some Irish linen, and came up with this quilt top.

I learned a lesson with this quilt - Irish linen doesn't work well in on-point quilts.  I'm going to need to starch the heck out of this top before quilting, but it's going to make a great comfort quilt for someone!

Then I gathered up four over-sized blocks out of the stash and set out to make some baby quilts for Little Lambs Foundation of Utah. 

Fortunately I have a lot of different colors in Kona, and managed to find some that blended well with these blocks.  

All four of these are right at 36" square, so will be quick and easy to quilt - I love a fast finish, don't you?  

Here's a picture of the five quilt tops I finished on Tuesday - a good day's work, I think!  They go so quickly when you're using orphan blocks, and now those blocks will go to give five people a whole lot of comfort - an important function in this world we live in!

And here's the next batch of orphan blocks I'll be tackling.  I didn't even remember I had these stuck in the box - I imagine they were a donation from someone, so if you recognize them as yours, please let me know - they are beautiful and I'd love to give credit where credit is due!  I am thinking I will put a thin sashing between these blocks, with maybe a slightly wider border all around.  Kona stash, here I come!

Do you have a box filled up with orphan blocks?  Have you thought of turning them into comfort quilts?  Hands2Help 2020 starts this Sunday, and with so many of us having enforced stay-at-home time these days, what better way to spend some of your time?  I barely made a dent in my orphan block box with those five quilts, so I know there's lots of possibilities still hidden in them.  I can't wait to see what beautiful quilts can be created and shared!

Hugs!

Sarah

Can I Get A Whoop Whoop? Sweet Hearts

Hi, all!

Well, Friday has rolled around once again, and you know what that means - it's time to get our whoop whoop on!  I hope you're ready - I know I am!  Let's get started!

I've been busy making pillows this week for a marketplace at a women's event, and I've shared most of them, but I realized that I hadn't shared my three favorite pillows....

These pillows started with three pretty little orphan blocks.  All three had shades of pink in them, which helped determine the background fabric.

I looted my stash for some beautiful linen that I was hoarding - a pale pink, a creamy white, and a deeper pink that actually started life as an IKEA curtain!

All of them are quilted in a grid style, fitted out on the back with an envelope closure (all in the creamy white linen), and bound wth a beautiful tan, cream and white Modernist print.  They are so pretty together!  Soft and feminine, they'll be perfect in a little girl's room or in a "lady cave"!

Now, if you've been watching my progress with pillow covers and are starting to get the bug to make some of your own, I'm hoping to post a tutorial this coming week with the simple how-to's so you can join in the fun!

Can I get a whoop whoop??

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And now it's your turn!

What's got you whooping it up this week?

What's making you do a little happy dance?

Share!  We want to dance right along with you -

And it's always more fun to dance with friends!

The party will stay open until Sunday midnight -

Hope to see you there!

Hugs!

Sarah

Hands2Help - Meet Carole, and Time to Check In!

Hi, all!

Welcome back to another week of Hands2Help festivities!  In addition to our guest blogger, there is a link-up party at the end of this post where you can link up and share your progress - even if all you have to share is a fabric pull or a pattern you've chosen!  Join in the fun and cheer on your fellow H2Hers!

And now I want to introduce today's guest blogger - Carole, who blogs at From My Carolina Home!  I love her blog, not only for the great quilt-y stuff she shares, but also because she posts pictures of her beautiful home state, which is also my original home state.  I may be a beach person but the Carolina mountains have a special place in my heart!  So without further ado, here's Carole's post!!

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Thank you, Sarah!  I am delighted to be a guest blogger for your readers today.   I'm Carole, and my blog is From My Carolina Home.  I blog mostly about quilting and sewing, but there are a generous number of other subjects too, like recipes to wool applique, and mountain living to gardening.  Today I want to share a technique for using your orphan blocks.  I am currently doing the Be My Neighbor quilt, and the first block was a lovely house with a tree. I pulled stash scraps and made the block in my traditional way, then decided to go a different direction for the colors. So, now I have this orphan block. It is 18-1/2 inches square, a good size to be the center of a quilt.

I also had this really cute fabric that I originally thought could be a backing.  The red color in it went great with the house, so it became the border fabric as I needed the quilt to be bigger.

So, using the cute apple farm fabric as my color inspiration, I pulled red and turquoise fabrics from stash for squares. I cut the squares 6-1/2 inches to perfectly fit the house and placed them around the edge in a pleasing pattern.

Next I added two bars of fabric at the top and bottom, one red background and one lighter with a red alphabet print, to make the quilt longer.  Both bars are 5 inches wide. The entire quilt was then bordered with the cute apple farm print about 6-1/2 inches wide.

Quilted and bound in red, it is ready to send for the Hands2Help event.  I'll be showing more details on the quilting of this quilt on my blog tomorrow.

If you have any orphan blocks, just look for some coordinating fabric and you can have a fast and easy quilt. This quilt didn't have a plan really, I just kept building on what was there. If your orphan block is 12-1/2 inches, cut your squares 4-1/2 inches to put three on each side, or smaller for more squares. This could eat up some charm squares too, if you enlarge a 12-1/2-inch center with sashing to make the it 14-inches.  Then three 5-inch charm squares will fit on each side (minus 1 inch for seam allowances - 1/4-inch x 4), with one more in each corner.  Keep adding borders until the quilt is the size you need.  The only limit is your imagination! This one finished at 42 x 61 and will go to Quilty Hugs for Happy Chemo as she is accepting just about any size.

Charity quilting is so important, letting those going through a rough patch know that someone does care is priceless.  Thank you, Sarah, for putting together this wonderful way to help someone smile and have a quilty hug.

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That is such a fun quilt, and what a great way to use an orphan block!  We are blessed with an abundance of orphan blocks in our quilt ministry, donated by quilters who created them and either decided they didn't want to make enough for a whole quilt, or had some left over from a project.  We've made groups of them into large quilts...

...but I've not seen a tutorial before for using one large block and building a whole quilt around it!  This is so cute, and a great way to make quick children's quilts. Thanks for sharing, Carole!

Now it's your turn to share!  Link up below and share your progress on your H2H quilt(s) - but be sure to remember that you'll also want to link up in the final linky starting on May 21st!  That's the one that we'll draw for prizes from.  

Hugs!

Sarah