Orphan block jam

So here we are again, In the throws of another orphan block storm session                                                                                                                         and the question of, what do I do with all these blocks?                                                                                                                                                        In some instances I just put em together and be done with them.                                                                                                                                         Like these scrappy squares, which came to me in 9x9 blocks.          

They aren't all going to be beautiful Like the brown brick wall quilt          in the last post,                                                                                           and they aren't all going to be difficult to figure out either,                                                                                                                                               Like This around the world quilt of half square triangles,                               which was just a pile of 4.5" HST's when it appeared in the pile.                                                                                                                                         I just sewed them together and added a border                                                                                                                                                                        No real thought just sew and be done.

                                                                                                                           Now these 12.5 inch have been moving around my design board                                                                                                                                        for a week and I still don't like it.                                                                                                                                                                                             It's OK,                                                                                                            I could do it                                                                                                                                                                                                                              But I don't LIKE it.                                                                                                                                                                                                                       So I decided to use more of the 6.5"strip blocks, of which I have about a bazillion,                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

to surround the 2- 17" Churn dash blocks at the bottom of the pile                  but I had to cut them down to 6"squares to make them fit,                          no loss we have 400,                                                                                        I am not even joking we will be seeing a lot of these babies!                                                                                                                                                And in order to look at what I was doing on the design board                        I had to move the 12.5" blocks over and                                                           Happy accident! The darker of the 12.5" blocks looked good alongside the Churn dash blocks with their strip borders, Woo!                                                                                                                                                                    I just need to make the border a little longer and add some, A(?) border between the 12.5" blocks and that one is done too!                  

Orphan Block Party

 Here is where I ended up with the first orphan in the pile

The piano keys helped to calm the chaos of the strip blocks

She is now 43x 63" and ready for quilting

on to our next candidate  the brown star "brick wall"

It came this way, with out the leaves

I found those later. I think I will make more 

and add another row to the bottom

< and maybe another of these to add to the Bottom

They don't all have to be any more complicated than that.

Then there will be two roughly 50x60 to quilt

But they do need backs

Here it is all done, I added more leaves 

and another row of 9 patch blocks

Time to garden.

The damask rose is blooming 

as is the clematis and the old yellow rose in the yard

This dragon quilt was donated whole with the

 flappy bits undone so I'll miter those

 somebody will love it

so this makes 6 donation quilts for the guild!

Going to an Orphan Block Party

I have this Growing Pile of orphan Blocks that I and my friends, 

Because a pile this big has help,

have contributed to over the last 3-4 months

I have made 3 quilts from this pile and it's not getting any smaller

so It's time for drastic measures

it's time to pick a block size and quilt everything in that section

Then see whats left over 

I did a gypsy quilt and I have more than plenty to do more but 

I want to eat down the pile first

Because I have a another trick up my sleeve 

to knock down the pile where,

I started with the biggest block in the pile 

I also had 6 Dresden plate blocks and these 9 patches 

that sort of matched, kinda sorta

I also have this Ginormous bag of 6.5" strip blocks

We will be seeing a lot of these babies

so now we have a 43" square I need to make it x60

so 10" of what?

I tried random blocks but they looked terrible, Hmmmm

whadoido?

AM I scattered and disorganized?

 I'm still trying to decide if i'm feeling scattered and disorganized because 

I AM scattered and disorganized or I have actually been busy.

I have quilted 9 customer quilts, 10 charity quilts, 

made 5 baby outfits for a friend
who's daughter had a baby, 

some outfits and a quilt for my grandson, a skirt for myself, 

I'm still working on the tumbling block CQ, 

a bunch of family stuff, 

going to scrap pack, going to Tuesday sew days, 

and doing my secretary of the guild thing.

Gardening, I built a bed by the studio out of retaining wall blocks

and dug in the Dhalia bulbs I got from my friend Margaret 

Finished the Parham owl Etui kit 

for the last 4 months.

I now need to gear up and sew some cloths and a quilt for my newest grand baby coming to us in September,  

It looks like the girls each need new cuddle quilts 

because these ones have just about had it

I still can't believe they take these poor decrepit things out in public!

Oiy, with a side of vey!

OK, now that I have written all that out even aggregated over 4 months

 it's been busy. 

All the better to be busy so we don't dwell on the desecration of our democracy*sigh*

Memories of Grama Ida

Quite literally this is one of her favorite stories to tell

I am 2.5 here, lower right

of me when I was a little;

One fine birthday when I turned 3 or 4, because only a 3 or 4 year old could get away with this. I received as a present a pair of shiny red rain boots, hat and clear plastic bubble umbrella.

I remember the umbrella as I had it for a good long while after that, but the boots and hat not so much.

Anyway, some adult told me in no uncertain terms, I was not to play with my gift, it was only for rain.

So with much pouting and childish outrage, and many questions of "why not!" and "what good is a present if you can’t play with it!", "it is mine after all!" They were put away in the sun room for a later time when the might be needed. For rain.

Needless to say when grama Ida was woken up at the crack of dawn, by one of the cousins Tom, who informed her that I had gone out to play in the rain. She didn’t even open her eyes.

“That’s nice” she said. But Tom wan’t finished “she’s taken her umbrella down the block” now this was LaCrosse Wisconsin in the 60’s, so safe as houses for these shenannagins.

“she’s wearing her hat”, said Tom “Mph” responded Grama, pulling the coverlet up a little more, no doubt hoping he was done tattling. “She’s wearing her boots too”,

“Yes Tom. it’s raining so I expect she is excited to show them off, now go play” Grama was getting a little tetchy by this time and wanted Tom to go away and let her sleep in a little longer.

All the cousins were visiting, for mother's day, staying in the house and as there were about 10 of us between the ages of 3 and 5, we made quite the raucous crowd when we were all together. I’m sure bedtime was just bonkers.

There was just one more little bit of information Tom had to impart, and he was hanging onto it.

For impact.

“Shes’ down the block, wearing her boots and hat and her umbrella” with a deep sigh, knowing there was no getting back to sleep, she rolled over and looked at my 5 year old cousin Tom “you said that” she said with growing frustration.

He looked up at Grama Ida with a big grin and said “and she's not wearing anything else”

Grama’s Eyes flew open in horror as she shot out of bed, not even stopping for her slippers, she grabbed a wrap on her way out the door, down the block and around the corner, where she found me happily jumping in large puddles in my shiny new red boots, hat and bubble umbrella and indeed nothing else.

My second side Quest

 I made a thing, a very fun thing

I ordered for myself 2 Jenny Adin-Christie Kits,

And immediately had to make the Parham Owl

the minute I received them.

I have been coveting this bad-boy since I first saw him during covid

and finally got the filthy lucre to get him!

(after some froo-fraw with usa customs which wanted $287 ransom fee, outrageous!)

The kit is marvelous easy to follow with big clear pictures of each step.

If you have been thinking of making one, go get one, I highly recommend.

Isn't he Handsome!

Side Quest

 I attend a bunch of groups run by my quilt guild and some of them get a lot of donations from
downsizing families of elderly quilters. So on 10 March we got a big donation of 4 lovely bins of fabric and parts at our Tuesday at the Grange sit and sew from a lady downsizing her mothers sewing room.

In them were all kinds of goodies and amongst the boxes were finished blocks of various sizes. When we finished sorting everything there was a pile about 8" high, I took those home to see what I could come up with.

I started to organize them from largest to smallest, trowing the 4- 16.5" blocks up on the design wall. hm. found 7- 15.5" blocks put them up there with 2- 13.5" blocks. foo, still not enough for a whole quilt or even enough to fudge it!                                                                         

After scrap pack, on the last Wednesday of the month I found or was given, another pile of finished blocks. I now had 45 or so 12.5" blocks, I made a 60x60 flimsy and had enough for a 48 x 60" flimsy, mmm, not quite big enough so I added 7- 8.5" blocks down the middle, I've plenty of those. That made that one 50 x 60", hey I have an Idea, Make a gypsy quilt!

I have always wanted to do one and this was the perfect opportunity, I have a tottering stack of finished blocks!

A quick rearrange of the design wall later and here we go!

a few 6.5" 4" 2" and 1.5" insert rows where needed and we have a whole quilt!

This is the finished result, I quilted them all with a loopy pattern, all they need now is binding and these can all go off to community service donations. Woo!

Not bad for a 3 week side quest.

Now back to the dungeon of the Tumbling blocks Quilt.   Which is having trouble fitting together *Sigh*😔            I wish I could just say "Play nice!" and they would.           Why I think it will work for quilts when it didn't work with children I don't know but one does have to try anyway doesn't one?