Liberated UFO

A bit of a departure from my latest projects but the central piecework with a pile of fabric has been siting around for about 7 years.

I'm not sure what prompted me to dig it out?!  Sometimes I think projects reach their own Critical mass and send out some vibe.  It is mysterious!

 At any rate As I was browsing my UFO baskets trying to decide what projects to take on vacation My hand hovered over this rather large pile of fabrics and something clicked.

The thought passed through my brain....

I did not have to be stuck in / with my original vision for this group of fabrics.

I Could just make something else with them!

After all it had been 7 years waiting to be made up into the original idea and that had not happened?!                                                       So into the suit case it went.
      It's amazing how liberating giving up certain ideas can be!  It makes room for new ideas!!! 

It just took me a couple of mornings to sew this and I have a plan for the next border and then it will                                                                              be done!!  

                                                                      Liberate a UFO!

                                                                    Have a great week!

    Cheers, CW

 

A different set of Orphan Blocks

In contrast to my last post the next set of Orphan Blocks I tackled were these very pretty very well made collection.  I can hardly believe someone gave these blocks away?  Lucky me!!!

I think they must have been made by a sew-along group because most of the blocks had names pinned to them and they were very uniform and well made.  Most of the blocks were made in a very tight range of colors suggesting some specific communication amongst the sewers.

At any rate it was a pleasure to sew them together and didn't they make a pretty top?

I really like block patterns that make a secondary pattern when you put the blocks together! 

And the colors in these blocks really add some sparkle!

Wouldn't it be nice if all blocks fit together so nicely!

Well with all these tops getting finished (and all the other tops floating around my sewing room)  I'd better get cracking on the Long Arm to have some Real finishes!  

Have a great Weekend!

cheers, CW

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Origins of Orphan blocks aka I had to laugh!

Thanks to all the folks who left such kind and encouraging comments on my last post.  FYI  I don't get get notices in my email anymore so I have left my return comments in the comments area as well.

In my last post I mentioned that I received not only single blocks as "Thank You" blocks but some people gave me whole stacks of blocks. Enough to make a quilt top from one bundle!

Some looked like they were from Swaps  (they had names pinned to different blocks etc,) and some I recognized as former BOM blocks from my Guild. But when I came across the bundle of the blocks pictured here I had to laugh because these blocks were from a BOM that I was responsible for!

What kind of message was being sent here?  I don't remember who won the blocks we have 250 members in our guild and it was almost 4 years ago.

Did the giver remember that this block idea originate with me?  Or was it just a disconnect?  I suppose I could have been offended but the truth is, either way,  I sympathize with anyone who has ever tried to put together a collection of BOM blocks. My guild encourages beginners to participate.  But it does generate blocks that aren't perfect.

 

Whatever the reason I was glad for the opportunity to look back at my instructions in a different way and I enjoyed the challenge of putting this top together.

Here's the link to my instructions to this block:
http://cspoonquilt.blogspot.com/2015/11/pvqa-block-of-month-modern-kaleioscope.html

I tried as BOM coordinator to pick mostly beginner friendly blocks but sometimes I'd offer something for more experienced quilters.  In retrospect it may not have been a great choice.  Even tho' I thought it was an intermediate block I found it pretty challenging to get all the points in the right places when assembling the blocks.

This one's not to bad... But getting those eight points together is pretty tricky and if blocks aren't the right size points get loped off or off set or both! 

In the end I made 6 more blocks to get it to the size I wanted and two more blocks to replace two blocks that were way toooo small,  two more because the background fabrics way off and I rebuilt  about 4.   I'm not sure the variable background work out so well but all in all it will make a really nice donation quilt!

On ward to the next Orphan Block adventure!

Have a great weekend!

cheers, CW

The Glories of Orphan Blocks aka What a mess!!!

It is a tradition in my local Guild to make Thank You blocks at the end of our fiscal year (June) for those people on the Board who have had the most Challenging jobs; Pres. VP. BOM etc.   Since I was chief cook and Bottle washer for the Quilt Show this year my fellow Guild members were ready to make me Blocks of my choice,  but I decided to ask for Orphan Blocks instead.  I know that sounds a bit risky but I really enjoy putting these Orphans together to make Charitable quilts.  It's fun and challenging and really less work than trying to come up with projects of my own concoction.

So here they are in all their Eclectic glory!  I know, What a mess! 

But there is a method in my madness!  Just like any task in organizing:  start by separating things by their similarities and differences.

For example: All the Blue and Gold blocks.

All the 6" stars, there are about 15 of them!

And My favorite, Yucky Brown blocks.  I got a Whole lot of those! 

Some people gave me whole stacks of blocks.  Some enough to make decent sized top!  Were they left overs from a project, or BOM blocks that didn't make the 'cut'?  Who knows?

But it all looks like fun to me!

As daunting as this seems  it almost all ended up fitting in this bag!

I know some of these blocks have probably been hanging around for a long time.  Some are not quite the 'right' size or even well constructed (learner blocks?)   I made it easy on people.  They could raid their stashes blocks they didn't want anymore and I got a whole mish mash of blocks.  But I see loads or opportunity here.  It's a Win-Win!

I'll keep you posted on my progress.

Have a great Weekend!

cheers, CW

What size should a baby quilt be?

We had a conversation about size for Baby quilts at the All Stars charitable small quilt group recently.  They said 38" square was the smallest size for a baby quilt.  But I made this quilt from some orphan blocks awhile back and it's only 36" square,  I think that's an OK size for a new baby.  I was looking at some of my g-kids baby quilts and I don't think they are any bigger and the girls still drag them around and use them to snuggle all the time.

The center is made of 4 foundation pieced blocks with machine zig zag stitch to hold the scraps down.  I thought they were quite charming.

As usual I used flannel on the back to make it extra cozy. 

I hope you all have a wonderful 4th of July!

cheers, CW

Dolls

I have always admired all the the work of the Doll makers in our guild but have never been drawn to make one myself.  But recently I taught and informal class for a very charitable group which is a part our my local guild and as a thank you gift one of the participants gave me this charming doll!

What a sweet little face!  But as the maker of the doll demonstrated to me the doll has two faces.  When she's feeling cheerful this is he face.

I when she's feeling a little devilish she turns her around!

I said i knew just where I would put her on display in my sewing room.  The menu poster has been in my sewing room for years.  and now she sometimes has company.

I felt so appreciated to be presented with such a sweet creation!!

More on dolls later.  I just arrived in Burlington, Vermont  today going to the Quilt show tomorrow!!

cheers, CW

Some finishes!

May was a pretty productive sew month for me, but since I've been traveling I haven't had much  chance to post pix.

I always have tops waiting around to be quilted.  I decided I needed to work on that waiting list!.

This one is big 58" x 68"  that's the dimension that Hospice requests for the campers at Camp Erin.  A program for kids who have family members who've been touched by Cancer.

The flannel patches were a Flea Market find.  I Love those 'Pre-cuts'!

I backed this quilt with a plaid fleece.  thought it made a good match with the front.

This quilt is 36" x 48"  The size requested for the Wheel Chair Bound Vets.  The fabrics in this quilt were from the leftovers of a layer Cake from one of those Civil War lines.

The blocks of this last quilt were made by the students of a 5th grade class at Green Acres Elementary School.  I was the Science/ Garden teacher there for awhile many years ago  I still get requests from friends there to quilt the occasional quilt project.

Hand work like sewing is a challenge for most of these kids.  Most of them have no experience sewing, at all!

  My friend Jackie (also a former teacher at Green Acres)  helped supervise the kids and put the top together. Jackie said it was quite a trick getting everything to line up.

But it's really a charming quilt if you don't mind a few shaved off points!

I think the kids agreed to donate it to Jacob's Heart.

It was fun to quilt!

Lots of fun prints and color combinations!

I pieced the back together with this colorful sarong and the orange and aqua fabs.

That's the last of that orange fabric.  I got a bunch of it from the Flea Market and I've used it in 3 different kid's quilts recently.  I love all the colors in that sarong!

It's another sunny day here,  better go out and get some weeds pulled!

Happy Sunday!

cheers, CW