while i'm on this never-ending journey to try to clean and organize my sewing studio.. i've been stumbling on a lot of orphan blocks.. you know those blocks where you test out a pattern.. or.. make a few and decide you don't want an entire quilt out of them.. or.. your test pattern turned out to small or.. to large... of course they are all various sizes and fabrics.. Christmas.. 30's.. asians.. and.. some CQ blocks too..
i also have a bunch of the guilds orphan blocks that didn't make it into charity quilts yet..
what do you do with your orphan blocks??.. give me some ideas of what to do.. please
"it's not the human walk.. it's the human race, if you ain't livin on the edge .. you're takin to much space..." Nickelback.. Dark Horse.. This Afternoon..
Posts: 3367 | Location: FL | Registered: Jun 14, 2006
They usually fit well on the front & back of a tote bag.
Make some grocery bags that will make you smile every time you use them. Who knows -- might even find another quilter lurking at the store while you're using them.
Table runner -- only takes a few blocks. Table toppers & wall hangings, too.
Chop them up, re-sew them, & invent a new "disappearing" block!
Ask a church if they have a bag project of some sort. I know some who have put together health kits or school kits & need bags to put them in. Some churches have quilting groups who could finish them for you.
Ask the local Girls' Club if they have quilting/sewing activities & donate them there.
ETA -- Forgot about walker bags. My guild takes orphan blocks for those.This message has been edited. Last edited by: StarrySky,
Posts: 4457 | Location: About 28,000 Light Years From Galactic Center | Registered: Jul 23, 2004
starry...could you refer me to the pattern your guild uses for the orphan block walker bag??.. this might be a project i can have our guild do with the guild orphan blocks..
for my own.. i can see some of them being used for the tote bags and table runners/toppers.. thank you..
anyone else have some cool projects that only take a block or a few blocks??.
"it's not the human walk.. it's the human race, if you ain't livin on the edge .. you're takin to much space..." Nickelback.. Dark Horse.. This Afternoon..
Posts: 3367 | Location: FL | Registered: Jun 14, 2006
Shey, I'm sorry -- I don't have a pattern. There's a committee in our guild who has made these, and I have no idea what they've used for a pattern. All I know is that the call was put out for orphan block donations.
Nicki (nlk) just posted last night that she completed a walker bag. Maybe you could PM her for where she got the pattern?
There are probably patterns online, too. I'm sorry I don't have a good one to refer you to.
Posts: 4457 | Location: About 28,000 Light Years From Galactic Center | Registered: Jul 23, 2004
How 'bout gathering them together into a quilt? That's what I have been doing with my orphans. Saving them to make a quilt of many colors, patterns and sizes.
I also joined in the doll quilt program here. That's another place to use them. The quilts aren't very large so wouldn't take a lot of time or work.
If you want to use them in a quilt, sew strips around them to make them all the same size. You could frame each one in a different bright color to use for a kid's quilt. Might want to make them wonky like Kim did with her hearts. http://boards.hgtv.com/eve/for...493956767#6493956767 Or use two coordinating colors and alternate them when you join the blocks.
I put them together for quilts to donate to a women/children Safe House. These folks often come to the shelter with nothing and when they get something bright and pretty tocall their own it sure helps to make them feel better. I also make pillows for the kids to hug when they watch tv or go to sleep at night.
I have made a few mug rugs with mine and given them as gifts... Some go in to the quilts for the children in the Masonic Home here in Oxford...
Marie takes a few of them and turns them in to table runners or place mats for the Seniors at her church. They take them on bus tours to plays and dinner theatres and she tries to have a door prize on the bus each time.
If they come out the right size I save them till someone calls for blocks or I send them to QWL to use. If they are the wrong size and can't be fixed I just pitch them out.
Just visited a thread by motqltr and she reminded me that you can make scissors cases from orphan blocks. Saw that done somewhere. Those would make nice gifts for your sewing friends.
But reading others ideas, there is alot of places these poor little (some big!) blks would be useful! But backings is where I am planning on using mine.
Posts: 2162 | Location: Somewhere where it snows..... | Registered: Mar 13, 2005
thank you all the great ideas... most of what i have belong to the guild.. so i was thinking of having the ladies make them into items that we can sell at our fundraiser..
maybe that will be a mini challenge i'll do for the guild.. bring in all the orphan blocks pass them out and challenge them to make them into something useful to sell at the fundraiser...
but... i'd like to give them a list of possible ideas to do that too... so.. if you have any more... pass them along... and..
"it's not the human walk.. it's the human race, if you ain't livin on the edge .. you're takin to much space..." Nickelback.. Dark Horse.. This Afternoon..
Posts: 3367 | Location: FL | Registered: Jun 14, 2006
Lots of great ideas. I make donation quilts or, in the past, I have appliqued them on the side of those grocery store reusable "green" bags (to cover up their store logo) and use as gift bags. Much cheaper, durable and "greener" than paper gift bags.This message has been edited. Last edited by: Quiltinana2,
Posts: 249 | Location: Middle of the Mitten | Registered: Apr 30, 2012
I made a makeup bag for my purse out of a small orphan...added lining and a zipper.
The only other thought I came up with and it may be above - Line small blocks and make a pocket on a tote bag or purse. Or with larger blocks - use it for one side of a tote bag or two of them sewn together, edged or lined to make a tote bag.
