Sunday, September 13, 2015

Using Up Orphan Blocks



Donation Quilt
40 x 60
From six inch and four inch orphan blocks


The pinwheels are all leftover from a Patches and Pinwheels quilt I made several years ago.  Most of the other blocks have come from various swaps over the years and I just never found a use for them.


Those hearts and the rosebud block are also mine. 
To make the quilt I  paired blocks together into sets of four and made 12 inch blocks.  Then I added a yellow 2.5 inch border to brighten it up a bit.  I wanted it to be a little longer so I then added some of those 4 inch blocks from a pile of I-forget-what-you-call-them blocks (like a snowball but with only two corners).  The binding was in blue to match the backing and was machine stitched as requested by Quilts Beyond Borders. 


The backing was the other half of the sheet leftover from the last donation quilt.  And I quilted it on my DSM  in some spirals...uneven and lopsided and sometimes shaky spirals...but spirals nonetheless.  Now you know why I had quilt a lot of quilts. 



And today I'm going over to: 

16 comments:

gayle said...


What a happy quilt! It's going to keep some child endlessly entertained, picking out their "favorite-est" block. 8)
I'm eyeing orphan-block quilts closely these days, since my own stack of orphan blocks is growing steadily taller.

Cynthia Brunz Designs said...

I too am getting ready to tackle my suitcase of orphan blocks. I am sure there are a couple quilts worth of blocks. So your quilt is very inspiring. Thanks for sharing with Oh Scrap!

Linda @ kokaquilts said...

A lovely way to use up those blocks! Lots to look at here, and I love the yellow border!

LIttle Penguin Quilts said...

It's really amazing what you can do with orphan blocks! Such a pretty quilt and very inspiring!

Sue Kaiser said...

Brilliant! I love it and your spirals are better than mine.

Kaja said...

Great way to use up your orphans. I like looking at this and spotting all the different blocks. I also think the yellow border was a really good idea: it somehow holds everything together really nicely.

Ann said...

It's a cheerful quilt and a great way to give the orphans a good home. I've never seen snowglobe blocks before. Cute.

Dasha said...

Great use of the orphan blocks! You are making me think I should go and ferret mine out and do something with them.

Quiltdivajulie said...

Oh how wonderful. Scrappy variety like this cannot be "made" - it has to just happen. Love that the orphans have become a family!

Karen in Breezy Point said...

Fun way to use up those orphan blocks--something I should be thinking about too!

Rose Prairie Quilts and Farm said...

What a fun and great way to use those poor orphan blocks. Thanks for the inspiration

Alycia~Quiltygirl said...

Oh I love it!!!! ( so if I send you a box......)

It will surely be loved and cuddled with!

Marei said...

Love it! Every time I try to make an 'orphan quilt' or 'kitchen sink' it just doesn't look right. I think your yellow border is an idea that I'll try. It does, indeed, brighten the top up.

Carla A Few Of My Favorite Things said...

You get so much done and oh what talent. I would have never thought it was made from orphan blocks. You have a great eye for color and design!

Edith said...

What a great idea to use up those orphan blocks, I have a bunch of them in a basket, I’m going to pull them out. I really like how this looks. Congratulations on your September Finish.

Kirsten said...

A very fun and colourful quilt - such a great way to use up those blocks!
"Visiting as a member of the official 2015 Finish-Along cheerleading squad."