Friday Photo Filler

 I was supposed to fix up the posts last night, but instead I fell asleep! Have some pictures instead.

Patriotic Comfort

Hello, friends! Louise here once again to share some Covered in Love quilts made with your orphan blocks, scraps, and other donations. Today's batch feature red, white and blue and patriotic themed pieces. These are always popular with families and fun to make.

This first piece is a classic orphan block quilt, with a sneaky twist. Did you notice that the columns are slightly offset from each other, top to bottom? That's because the blocks are not all the same size. They are all close to 12.5" but some are 12", 11.75" etc. I grouped like sizes together and shifted the columns to fool the eye. Remember: if you have a block or two that don't fit your quilt, they might just be the perfect addition to a CiL orphan piece!

This fun quilt was donated as a group of very similar windmill blocks. I really like how it is hard to tell where one ends and another begins! 

The blocks were very well made and all the same size, so it was simple to sew them together and add a white border. Even the binding of patriotic dark blue fabrics was pre-sewn for me. Easy peasy!

The backing features some neat Texas flag fabric.

The last quilt of the day has a cool eagle panel as the center of a giant log cabin block. Someone donated strips of super soft plaid flannels in reds, blues, creams and golds. I put the darker red/blue pieces on two sides and the cream/golds on the other.

Eagles are such beautiful birds, aren't they? I love when Kat sends me donated panels like this.

Here's a closeup of that same patriotic binding: blue batik stars. Very appropriate to finish off this quilt.

Many thanks to everyone who sends in donations to Covered in Love. You help us do the important work of comforting families, and we couldn't do it without you!

 

Down Home Country

Hello, friends! Louise here again to share some recent finishes from donated blocks and tops. Today's quilts share a more muted color scheme. This one was pieced by Priscilla and showed up at my doorstep as a completed top. 

Aren't the colors soft and pretty? I love how she used several different florals as the borders, and the heart in the center. Thank you, Priscilla, for all the work you do for Covered in Love!

The second quilt is orphan blocks all around. I started with the large central orange block, and chose others in autumnal colors to surround it.

I really like these jungle-themed blocks. A cat-spotted friendship star! I decided it must have been autumn on the savannah, too, and included these beauties.

An autumnal top calls for an autumnal backing, too. Don't you love a good leafy print? Thank you to those who donate larger cuts of fabric as well as blocks!

Lastly, this quilt is much smaller and will be given to the NICU. The little panels with a trio of chickens are flocking together peacefully and are joined by a wide variety of orphan blocks in coordinating colors. 

Covered in Love is a 501(c)(3) charity that donates quilts to patients dying in the hospital, over 1600 so far! We appreciate all the ways you support Covered in Love, whether it is stitching up a block drive block, sending in quilting fabric and blocks, or just leaving a kind comment.

Bright and happy

Hello, friends! Louise here to share some quilts I finished up using your blocks. Put on your sunglasses, because today is all about the brights! For this first piece, I chose donated orphan blocks that each had at least a little bit of yellow.

Check out this fun rooster! He's machine embroidered, I'm guessing by someone with one of those super fancy sewing machines. I've always wanted to try that, but my Juki doesn't have the brains for such intricate maneuvers. 

This crumb block heart shape came to me unattached, so I used raw edge applique to stitch it down. The background is scraps left from one of Kat's quilts. If you haven't seen her Rainbow Bargello, check it out here. 

This quilt has a similar feel to the last one, with the same black sashing. What can I say? It works great with these vibrant blocks! Some of these started as 6" blocks and I combined them to make 12" ones to fit into the grid. 

This block is my favorite of the bunch. So cool and modern! You can see a bit of my swirly quilting up close here, too. I used a variegated gray thread; I'm never quite sure what will work when the contrast is so high on a top. 

Next is a very simple layout: plain black alternating with a wide variety of 6" blocks. You could play checkers on this one! 

If you look really closely, you'll see that I quilted the black squares using black thread and the bright blocks in a lighter neutral. It was a lot more work than the previous quilt's variegated swirls, but sometimes it's nice to try something new.

Last but not least is this dynamic stair-step quilt. Priscilla made these blocks and I laid them out. Most of the fabrics are solids, with a few blenders. Instead of black as the neutral, this piece has bits of gray to let the bright colors shine. Super fun to work with these blocks, a new-to-me design. 

Thank you to everyone who donated blocks to Covered in Love!