Good Stuff and More Orphans!

It looks like another winter storm might be headed to the East Coast. If this happens, that makes three weekends in a row of harsh winter weather conditions for that part of the country.

Although my area has been spared the worst of the bad weather, it has still been fairly wintery here in Syracuse, NY. And I know I could use a little dose of sunshine and positive energy. Not too long ago my business coach shared this video, and although it doesn't specifically have anything to do with quilting, it has everything to do with appreciating what is around us every day.

Enjoy!

On a slightly different note, my niece, Karen is making some progress on her first quilt. She's purchased the fabric and the tools, and I've offered some basic cutting tips. Soon we'll start sewing. Follow along if you wish.


Orphans . . . again!Last June I attended the North Country Quilt Guild show. Read more here for a reminder of my trip to Clayton, NY for the show.

I was particularly struck by a guild project they were managing that used Orphan Quilt Blocks - those quilt blocks that are completed, but never made it into a finished quilt for one reason or another. The guild project inspired me to challenge myself and the readers of this weekly newsletter to use orphan blocks over the course of the summer 2012.

I've recently received an update from the guild volunteers who organized the guild project, that I thought I'd share.

The guild worked their orphan challenge a little differently than I did. Instead of challenging each member to use orphan blocks in quilts made by individual members, the project organizers challenged guild members to donate orphan blocks to the guild. From the varied blocks collected, a small group of volunteers sorted the diverse blocks into coordinated groupings. Add a little sashing here, a focal print there, and toddler-sized lap quilts emerged from the donated blocks - 45(!) quilt tops, to be exact.

At a recent guild meeting, 43 of the 45 tops were 'adopted' by the membership who will finish them up. Once quilted and bound, the quilts go directly into the hands of children who really need a quilty hug within the local community.

Here are a few of the quilt tops. Aren't they amazing?

You know, I love the bird blocks in this one!

Pretty pink, green, yellow to cheer the spirit.

Color!

Blue is one of my favorite stash colors!

More pink, but paired with sage green this time.

Wowee!

Can you imagine? I bet your guild could do a project like this . . . do I hear the wheels turning?

Have a great week!

If You Like It, Put a Border on It!

After a nostalgic look back to summer, this week it's back to quilty business! 

A few weeks ago, I found a box on my shelf full of purple and white pinwheel blocks. Orphans. We got started on making a quilt. Now it's time to finish that puppy! Check blog posts here and here for the back-story.

The last time we looked, that purple pinwheel quilt had a completed center, but needed a border.

So, I chose three fabrics from my stash - a focus print featuring lilac blooms, an accent sage green solid that added interest and picked up the leafy green in the lilac print, and a little swipe of the cream--the same cream used in the pieced center, so the middle of the quilt wouldn't look so much like the center of a target.

Since I'm lazy, instead of adding each border one at a time, I decided to add the borders all at once, and miter the corners.

Find mitered borders intimidating? No worries. They are easy. Watch . . .

First, I like to lay out the quilt top, and then the borders, one at a time. With scissors (nothing fancy) I trim each border so the length is as long as the side of the quilt plus at least one border width extra at each end. Don't be stingy on the length of fabric! Mitered borders require a more fabric than traditional borders do.

With mitered borders, multiple borders can be sewn together first, then all three (in this case) are attached to the quilt center at once. If you have multiple borders, be sure to press seams on adjoining sides in opposite directions so they'll nest at the mitered seam.

Since my quilt is lap size, I folded it in half and then folded the sewn border in half. Lay the folded border on top of the quilt, so the folds align, and the border edge follows along one of the horizontal seams on the quilt, somewhere in the middle of the piecing. Using the quilt top as a guide, place a pin in the border fabric 1/4" to the inside of the quilt edge. Here I'm measuring two borders at once. Turn the quilt, and repeat to measure the top and bottom border lengths.

Open up the quilt, and pin the border in place at the quilt edge, using the pins to mark where to start and stop sewing. To secure it for sewing, I also place pins across the entire length of the border at about 2-3" intervals.

Sew all four borders onto the quilt, one at a time, leaving 1/4" at each edge unsewn, the back of the corner where the border seams come together should look something like this. You can see that I added a couple of backstitches at the end and beginning of the border seams.

Work one corner at a time. Fold the quilt center in half on the diagonal wrong sides together. You don't have to fold the whole quilt, only the corner where the borders come together is important. The bulk of the quilt can be crumpled up on the edge of the work surface while you are working on one of the corners. At the same time, align the edges of the floppy unsewn ends of the extra border fabric onto your work surface, nice and flat. 

Place a ruler on the border fabric (you will have two layers of border ends), so the edge of the ruler aligns with the end of the border seam, and the 45˚ line on the ruler aligns with the bottom edge of the border.  The multiple border seams will nest. Draw a line from the end of the border seam to the edge of the border

Sew on the drawn line, and cut 1/4" away from the seam. I used scissors because they were handy, you can use a ruler and rotary cutter. At this point, some folks like to take a peek to make sure the seam looks okay from the right side of the quilt. Better to check this before trimming. . . in case of any potential do-overs.

Press the mitered seam open (this is one of the rare instances where I prefer pressing the seam open) from the back. 

Pretty. Repeat the last four steps with the remaining corners. Then. . .

Sandwich . . .

Quilt . . .

and bind.

bout 75 orphan purple and white pinwheel blocks disappeared into this quilt. Another 75 or so remain in that shoebox I discovered a few weeks ago. Time to make another quilt!

Happy Stitching!
Joan

Stack 'O' Pin Cushions

Four-Patch Stack

A few weeks ago, I showed you a pile of fifty or more 3-1/2" four-patch blocks that have been collecting dust in my stash.

These blocks have been bugging me for a long time. Pretty little squares in bright colors. Several clumps of duplicate blocks, some pairs of duplicates, and several one-of-a-kind four-patches. Not enough of any one color combination to make anything. . . . or so I thought. I used the GREAT Summer Orphan Block Challenge as an excuse to make these four-patches into something.

I showed you how I took four matching four-patch blocks, or almost matching blocks, did a little cutting, added some embroidery and beading, and sewed them into cute pin cushions.

Pin Cushion Stack

These were so much fun to make, that I kept going! A hot afternoon, and a spare hour in a soft chair on the porch one day. An evening in front of the TV on another day. Little by litte, step by step, and now the stack of blocks has become a stack of pin cushions!

While all this pin-cushion making was going on, two additions to our avian family joined us. Doodle (in front) is a sun conure, and Woodstock is a jenday conure.

Woodstock (in back) and Doodle (in front)

So, why bring this up in the middle of a discussion about pin cushions? With the new birds, we started using crushed walnut shell litter on the bottom of their play pen. The crushed walnut shells also make a great stuffing for pin cushions.

So some of my pin cushions in the stack are stuffed with batting scraps, and some are stuffed with the walnut shell litter. Everything in the construction is the same, just fill the pin cushion with the litter using a small funnel. The walnut shells are available in most pet stores, and make the pin cushion a little more weighty, so pins release nicely as they are removed from the pin cushion. Just thought you'd like to know.

So far, I've made 15 pin cushions from orphan four-patch blocks. I've already given a couple away. At four four-patches each, that's a total of 60 'orphans' that aren't 'orphans' anymore! That's a great feeling!

I still have a few more pin cushions I'd like to make. I'm a big proponent of having a different pin cushion for each on-going project I'm working on. But 15 seems a bit much. So, I'll be using them throughout the year at teaching events or as door prizes.

ALSO, I'm throwing one pin cushion into the Grand Prize Package for the GREAT Summer Orphan Block Challenge!

I've kept a handful of blue and white four-patches aside for something a little different. But I think maybe it's time for me to switch gears. Don't you agree?

So, here's my next target.

"On deck"

These tan and blue (did I say I love working with blue) 12" blocks have been hanging around for some time now--at least a couple of years. They are classic quilt blocks that were part of a series of block patterns by Kaye England. I enjoyed making the blocks using specialty rulers she designed, but I fell out of love with the fabric I was using. Or something else came up. Or, I don't know. How do these things ever happen? One day, you are excited about a project, the next you're not, but the orphan blocks are left, and they wait their turn.

Well, it's their turn. These blocks are 'on deck' for the next Orphan project coming from my sewing room. Stay tuned and let's see what they become.

Happy Stitching!
Joan

Fifteen Orphans Find Their Place

So, there they were. Fifteen red-and-green 3-1/2" four-patches. They came from that stack of four-patch blocks I found in my stash a couple of weeks ago.

I knew they wanted to be something, but what?

So, I started playing.

Arranging. Adding a cute birdy Christmas print from my stash. And arranging again.

Holiday Place Mats or Table Toppers. Yes!

Pretty soon, six blocks were arranged into two on-point rows of three blocks. I can see it! Add a center, then . . . the setting triangles . . . dun-dun-dun. Cut squares, then cut them diagonally. What size? Math. Ugh-h-h!

Usually I don't mind quilters math. But they're orphan blocks! It's summer! I don't want to have to figure out sizes for side and corner setting triangles. And then, I wanted a little 'float'. And the math becomes more complex. It's enough to send you screaming from the sewing studio. It's summer, after all. I want it to be simple! I don't want to THINK!

Then it came to me. I reached for the Diagonal Set Triangle Ruler from Marti Michell. Triangles are cut from strips, not squares. No math required. Simple! All I need to know is the finished size of the block--3" in my case.

And so, this is what I did.

The ruler comes with great instructions. First, to make the side setting triangles and add a little float (the blocks don't touch the borders), I followed the lines on the ruler for the finished block size and added two extra measurement lines before I cut my strip. I used the ruler to determine the strip width. Then I lined up the bottom edge of the fabric with the 4" line on the ruler, and made my first cut along the diagonal.

So, there they were. Fifteen red-and-green 3-1/2" four-patches. I knew they wanted to be something, but what?

So, I started playing.

Arranging. Adding a cute birdy Christmas print from my stash. And arranging again.

Holiday Place Mats or Table Toppers. Yes!

Pretty soon, six blocks worked themselves into two on-point rows of three blocks, add a center, then . . . the setting triangles . . . dun-dun-dun. Cut squares, then cut them diagonally. What size? Math. Ugh-h-h!

Usually I don't mind quilters math. But they're orphan blocks! It's summer! I don't want to have to figure out sizes for side and corner setting triangles. And then, I wanted a little 'float'. And the math becomes more complex. It's enough to send you screaming from the sewing studio. It's summer, after all. I want it to be simple! I don't want to THINK!

Then it came to me. I reached for the Diagonal Set Triangle Ruler from Marti Michell. Triangles are cut from strips, not squares. No math required. Simple! All I need to know is the finished size of the block--3" in my case.

And so, this is what I did.

The ruler comes with great instructions. First, to make the side setting triangles and add a little float (the blocks don't touch the borders), I followed the lines on the ruler for the finished block size and added two extra measurement lines before I cut my strip. I used the ruler to determine the strip width. Then I lined up the bottom edge of the fabric with the 4" line on the ruler, and made my first cut along the diagonal.

I flipped the ruler, then lined up the bottom edge with the 4" line, and lined up the blunt top end of the ruler with the top of the strip and the first cut.

Flip the ruler to the left and cut again.

And there's the side setting triangle! No math! One more time, I aligned the ruler with the fabric corner and snipped off the bits so the shapes would fit perfectly when I started sewing.

Side Setting Triangle

Next, for the corner setting triangles, I needed to double the amount of extra lines I added for the 'float' to get the strip width. This time, I aligned the bottom edge of the fabric with the 5" line on the ruler . . . Cut . . .

Then cut again. (I flipped my fabric piece upside down to make the second cut.) Then snipped the corner of the triangular fabric.

Perfect! And the straight of grain is exactly where I want it for the setting triangles. Ready to sew.

Corner Setting Triangle

I laid out my blocks - six orphans for each of two place mats. Then sewed diagonal rows using the blocks, the center squares, and setting triangles.

Look at how the blunt corner is all matchy-matchy with the side edge. Love it! Did I say 'no math?'

Measured borders, then sewed them in place.

Once the borders were attached, I layered batting, backing (right side up), and place mat top (right side down). Sewed a 1/4" seam around the outside edge leaving an opening for turning. Trim batting and backing. And turn. I used a decorative machine stitch all the way around each place mat to make it pretty, closing the opening. Then added quilting.

Two place mats, each using six orphan four-patch blocks left three blocks to make into candle mats.

After attaching a small border to each side of the three remaining four-patch blocks, and before layering and sewing the cuties for turning, I added a little hand embroidery in contrasting Valdani pearl cotton for a little zip. 

I must say, this might be the earliest I've managed to do some holiday sewing!

Fifteen orphans found. Fifteen orphans adopted into a project. Success!

But the BEST part of this project?? The Diagonal Set Triangle Ruler from Marti Michell is the first item to go into the GREAT Summer Orphan Block Challenge prize pacakge to be awarded this fall! Thanks Marti!!

You can't win it, if you're not in it. Better get sewing!

Happy Stitching!

The GREAT Summer Orphan Block Challenge!

It's summer, and it's time for a challenge. Are you ready?

I'm kicking off a season-long challenge to encourage you to use orphan blocks located in your stash right now. I mentioned it in my blog last week, and now it's time to roll up your sleeves and dig in!

Why? 

 - It'll be fun!
 - Finally find a home for orphan quilt blocks that are stuck in your stash.
 - Get lots of ideas over the course of the summer to motivate you.
 - Win a terrific PRIZE PACKAGE awarded as summer fades and the leaves start to turn.

Keep reading for some background, a few guidelines and rules as well as a new project I created from orphans in my stash to get your creative juices flowing.

---

The Back-Story

So, what are "Orphan Blocks?" You start a quilt with all the best intentions, you finish a few blocks, then lose interest in the project. With only a few blocks complete, the project falls off the to-do list. And all of the sudden you have blocks that really don't belong.

These four-patches, for example, were leftover 2" strips from samples I made years ago. At the time, I sewed two strips together, cross-cut them, then made four patches, and stowed them. Handfuls of them have fabrics that match, some are scrappy. None of them are doing anybody any good in their current form. I must have about fifty 3-1/2" four-patch blocks!

---

The GREAT Summer Orphan Block Challenge

Now what? I decided this would make a great summertime challenge. How can I convert some of my own orphans into something useful? Then I thought YOU'D like to play, too. And, what if I sweetened the pot with a wonderful gift package awarded at the end of the summer, as the leaves start to turn?

But first, some Guidelines -- some thoughts to get on the right track.

Guideline number 1. Start small. Start with one something. One block, One collection of four-patches, one . . . ?

Guideline number 2. Whatever becomes your inspiration or 'orphan' block must have at least one sewn seam. Examples: a half-square triangle unit, a four-patch, a completed block or a partially completed block. You can start with more than one of any of these, but whatever 'it' is has to have come out of your stash with at least one seam already sewn. Exception: if you really don't have any orphan blocks, make something from your scraps, a four-patch for example - the key is to start with something you already have. Adding new fabrics is allowed! Using stash or scraps, even better!

Guideline number 3. Make it fun! Start any time. This is a guilt-erasing, not guilt-creating challenge. Choose a favorite technique. Fun tools. Try something different. Even if you make one new thing from one abandoned quilt block, that's one more than you had before summer started!

Guideline number 4. Share. I'll post pictures of what's happening on my end. I'd love to share your projects, too! It has been said that one of the tricks to accomplishing goals is to share them. 

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An Incentive

I'm in the process of assembling a REALLY TERRIFIC prize package for the most innovative and pleasing use of orphan blocks to be awarded at the end of summer. Enroll in the weekly eZine or watch these blog posts as summer heats up to see what's in store for you to win! It's going to be phenomenal!

I have an independent mystery judge all lined up--she is an internationally known expert in the quilting field.

To be considered for the prize,
 - You must use at least one orphan block as defined above.
 - Submit two good quality, low-resolution digital photos and one SHORT (no more than 200 words) story about the project. The first picture needs to be a photo of the orphan block or blocks (stacked up, if necessary) ready to sew. The second picture is the finished project. Finished means quilted and bound if it's a quilt, ready to give or use if it's anything else.
 - Enter as often as you like, but only one submission per finished project will be counted.
Entries will be judged on creativity and industrious use of orphan blocks. Submit your project via email here.
Questions? Comments? Just ask.

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Some Motivation
Here's something to start your creative juices flowing.

This week, I started with my orphan four-patches (pictured above) and decided to make some pin cushions!

I picked out four matching or sorta-matching four-patch blocks. The four-patches were made from 2" squares, so they are all 3-1/2" square. Since I really love embroidery and beading, I decided to add a little handwork to one of the four blocks. The embroidered/beaded block will be the top of the pin cushion.


Then I cut two of the plain blocks up into four 1-1/2" x 3-1/2" rectangles.


I sewed one rectangle to each side of the embroidered four-patch block, starting and stopping about 1/4" away from each edge. Alternating darks and lights.


Then, I sewed the remaining uncut four-patch to the other long side of each trimmed rectangle, leaving one long seam partially unsewn for turning later. I made a total of four seams (including one partial seam), and starting and stopping 1/4" away from the edge each time.


I sewed the short rectangle sides too, each time starting and stopping 1/4" from the ends. Basically making a squatty fabric cube.


I turned the pin cushion right side out, then stuffed it with leftover wool batting scraps through the seam opening. You can also use fiberfil or crushed walnut shells. I like using the batting because I already have so many scrap pieces.


Once the pin cushion was stuffed nearly to its limit, I closed the opening by hand. Then sewed a tiny decorative button through the middle of the pin cushion, one on top and one on the bottom.

Ta-da! These were so much fun, that I made three of them! That means twelve orphan four-patch blocks have now become finished projects. Yay!

I might just have to make a few more!

Feels good! A little progress is better than no progress at all!

Now it's your turn.  Pull up an Adirondack chair, or choose a nice spot in the shade. Grab a needle and some thread, and get sewing!


Joan

A Summer Challenge!

On Sunday, I headed north to Clayton, New York, right on the St Lawrence Seaway. It was a perfect summer day and the North Country Quilt Guild of Watertown, New York had their quilt show at the Clayton Arena. It was a great show (as always) with beautiful quilts, many vendors, and the opportunity to chat with good friends.

Here's one of several antique quilts on display. This one dates to 1880-1900.
 
Our party of three - Gail, Marcia, and myself - stopped for a pretty awesome lunch at Bella's. Our outdoor table was ideally situated overlooking the Seaway and a small section of the 1,000 Islands in absolutely perfect weather.


At the show, I was drawn to a table set up along one side where a unique community service project was on display, featuring orphan blocks.

Once I got home, I couldn't stop thinking about the orphan block quilt project. You could say I was inspired to take the idea to my own stash of scrap fabrics and partially constructed blocks. 

It got me thinking that this might make a nice challenge for the summer - for myself, then I thought maybe YOU'd like to join in, too! Are you up for a little summer challenge? Keep reading!




So, what are "Orphan Blocks?" You start a quilt with all the best intentions, you finish a few blocks, then lose interest in the project. Or you are distracted. Life happens. With only a few blocks complete, the project falls off the to-do list. And all of the sudden you have blocks that really don't belong. Does this sound familiar?

The guild seems to have created a terrific solution to this common quilter's problem. Instead of lamenting over the cast-off blocks, the guild members decided to collect them. From anyone. No orphan is refused.

The blocks are sorted by color, theme or size. Several blocks that really didn't 'go' together, now 'go' together and become a cohesive quilt project.

Three sample quilts made from "Orphan" blocks

The more orphan blocks collected, the better the chance that blocks will find coordinates. A strip of color is added here and there to complete the quilt top. Members with long-arm quilting machines volunteer their services and the quilt is complete. Ready for community giving.

Isn't this a great idea? Everybody wins!

So, I got to thinking . . . What about my stash? I know I have orphan blocks floating around in there. Some of them leftovers from ScrapTherapy patterns, some of them ScrapTherapy projects that never made it past the drawing board. Some of them are just there, leftover from who-knows-what.

These four-patches, for example. There must be fifty of them! They were leftover 2" strips from samples I made years ago. At the time, I sewed two strips together, cross-cut them, then made four patches, and stowed them. Handfuls of them have fabrics that match, some are scrappy. None of them are doing anybody any good in their current form.

Now what? So I was thinking. This would make a good challenge for summertime. How can I convert some of these orphans into something useful, if not for me, then for someone as a gift or donation?

You wanna play? Summer starts in exactly one week. Would you like to join in? I'm not very big on rules, but maybe we should set up some guidelines. We'll 'start' officially on the first day of summer, and I'll post photos of my progress. Join in any time!

Guideline number 1. Start small. It's summer after all, and nobody wants to fling a king sized quilt around their sewing table. Start with one something. One block, One collection of four-patches, one . . . ?

Guideline number 2. Whatever becomes your inspiration or 'orphan' block must have at least one seam sewn. Examples: a half-square triangle unit, a four-patch, a completed block or a partially completed block. You can start with more than one of any of these, but whatever 'it' is has to have come out of your stash with at least one seam already sewn. Exception: if you really don't have any orphan blocks, make something from your scraps, a four-patch for example - the key is to start with something you already have. Adding new fabrics is allowed! Using stash or scraps, even better!

Guideline number 3. Make it fun! Start any time. Nobody needs stress in the summer. No one is supervising you. There will be no quiz at the end of the summer. If you don't make any progress one week or another, that's fine. This is a guilt-erasing, not guilt-creating challenge. Even if you make one new thing from one abandoned quilt block, that's one more than you had before summer started!
Guideline number 4. Share. Send pictures before you start sewing. And keep us posted on your progress. And I'll post pictures of what's happening on my end. It has been said that one of the tricks to accomplishing goals is to share them. 

Who knows where this will go? Think about it this way, if you turn one orphan block into something each week of the summer, just think how many projects you'll have by September!

Are you up for the challenge? 

Happy Stitching!
Joan