Tuesday, November 10, 2015

Making an Orphan Block, Etc Quilt

Orphan Blocks, etc
40 x 60
It's just a top right now. 
After I piece some batting and piece a backing and get it quilted it will be donated. 

This is about as "improv" as I get. 

I had a box I had been throwing some fall themed orphans and scraps into. 


I had some 12 inch orphan blocks - one a Sunshine Online Quilt Guild lotto block win and the other three swapped blocks I didn't really care for. 

And a couple more 12 inch orphans and  some four inch 4 patches...


...and a few more orphan blocks of various sizes...

...and some 6 inch leaves I was going to use for a border on a fall themed quilt that's in my past but I didn't like these blocks or like a border so here they are...


...triangle blocks that are very wonky that I tried out for Block Lotto and rejected and some flower blocks I was going to swap but the centers were too large, if I remember correctly, a pinwheel leftover from a "Patches and Pinwheels" quilt I made long ago and a nice fall themed block with blue background I received in an anything goes swap long long ago and never used...


...and some swapped 6.5 inch pieces that I'm not fond of and some bits and pieces like waste triangles I sewed together long ago...

...and some brown scraps I received (long ago) from Carol E of Sunshine Online Quilt Guild to use in a donation quilt...


...and some mostly 2 inch pieces leftover from the making of my "Tree of Life" blocks...


...and some 2.5 inch long pieces of quilt backing leftovers.   Those are the ingredients. 


I kind of have a couple of basic "templates" for orphan block quilts that end up 40 x 60.  With this one I wanted to have three panels 12 x 48 with 2.5 inch strips joining the panels and top and bottom 6.5  x 40.5  inch top and bottom borders. 

I don't have a design wall. I don't really think I need one. I prop my 18 x 24 inch cutting mat against the wall and cover it with a piece of batting.  Or I throw things on the floor.   

Anyway, for my panels I start with the largest blocks and divide them into three piles and then add to those with the other bits and pieces. 


After I have a center panel made I add the 2.5 inch strips to each side of the center panel.  


Before I continue on with the other two panels I usually make the top and bottom borders. I try to make them out of the same type of pieces like the triangles here that I used for the bottom border and the four patches between strips I used for the top borders. 

And voila...like I showed to begin with...


 ...you have a donation quilt top in no time at all. 

Yes, that's about as "improv" as I get. 

And since this used a whole heck of a lot of scraps this is my post for 

11 comments:

Dasha said...

Great work Cathy. You are inspiring me to go dig in amongst my orphans to see what is there.

Julierose said...

Very improv--you set them together so well...love the maple leaves and flowers....hugs, Julierose

Quiltdivajulie said...

Having an underlying system makes for great results! Happy, scrappy, and colorfully fun. Good job!!

Cathy said...

It's always amazing to me how you can take such a random grouping of scraps (and yet, not really as you explained) and come up with a great donation quilt! A great design lesson, Cathy.

Cynthia Brunz Designs said...

Dealing with my orphan blocks is in my future. Thanks for sharing your process.

gayle said...

It's wonderful!
My orphan blocks are now muttering that they want to be a pretty quilt, too...

Laura said...


You have inspired me: next year I'm dealing with my orphans. Could probably make a king sized quilt by then.

audrey said...

What a great orphan quilt! I love the colors, that sparky blue with the warm fall colors and the bottom border is just icing! LOVE it!

Carla A Few Of My Favorite Things said...

Love it and you put that together so quickly!

Nicky said...

It's amazing what can be done with those orphans and all in a good cause! Brilliant ! Thanks for linking up to #scraptastictuesday

Kaja said...

What a great orphan quilt. You have imposed just enough structure to make it all hang together well, and I love the top and bottom borders. Really clever!