Orphan Blocks at Home

Waaay back in July I asked for Star blocks for the Covered in Love block drive.  I received lots of lovely blocks that eventually made four great quilts.  After making the others 8 star blocks were leftover for the orphan drawer. Last week they finally made it into tops! 

I used my Accuquilt to cut 4.5" strips and 2.5" strips from scraps. The 2.5" strips I used to sash the stars and the 4.5" strips I assembled jelly-roll-race style.  I inserted the stars into the scrappy strips and before long I had 2 scrappy, cuddly quilts.

I did a VERY large stipple on these. I've been doing so many quilts recently with lots of scraps, I forgot how smooth it feels to quilt a top that doesn't have a million seams.

On the day I made backings for these two quilts I made several others as well. I calculated that I went though almost 20 yards of fabric, all donated, making backs! Thank you to everyone (Nancy K., Amanda, Gail, Kathy, and others) who have donated yardage for backing.  I don't need to tell you that even on sale the cost for yardage can add up fast.  Also special thanks to Mina who sent me 2 rolls of prepped binding!  I used the black one on these quilts and still have some left :)

These two quilts will be added to Covered in Love's stash to be given to families mourning the loss of a loved one in the hospital.  Thanks to everyone who contributes to CiL! If you want to join in the Jan/Feb block drive is here.

This week was the first Sew Some Love Linkup and several quilters showed off projects for charity! Please come back here on Wednesday to join the linky and see what others have going on. Any projects sewn for any charity cause is welcome!

Linking to Finish it Friday Can I Get a Whoop Whoop, and Oh Scrap!

Listening to this week... sometimes you just want the comfort of your all-time favorite

Sew Some Love Linkup

Welcome to the first Sew Some Love linkup!  Please link-up any post about a project you're sewing for charity.

Covered in Love has been so blessed by donations from quilters, I want you all to see what each other have going on!  For purposes of the linky, I'm going to define "charity" really generally.  If you're sewing a quilt for you co-worker's mom with cancer or your friend's uncle who lost his home, that totally counts!  Anything you're sewing out of the goodness of your heart for someone outside you immediate circle of family and friends.  If this goes well we'll do it every Wednesday.

This week I'm working on some of the orphan blocks from July's Covered in Love drive.  I used my Accuquilt to cut 4.5" strips from scraps and put together 2 tops jelly-roll-race style.  As you can see, Quilt Inspector Rory is hard at work.

An InLinkz Link-up

Some Quilt Charities:
Covered in Love - quilts for mourning families
Margaret's Hope Chest - several programs for children and adults
My Very Own Blanket - quilts for children in foster care
Project Linus - quilts for children in the hospital
Quilts for Kids - quilts for abused and ill children
Quilts of Valor - quilts for veterans
Threading Hope - children and families in poverty and war torn countries
Victoria's Quilts - quilts for cancer patients
Wrap Them in Love - quilts for children

If you know of any that need added to the list let me know!

Up with the birds... and the cats

Some days I go to bed expecting to go to work, only to wake up to a phone call that there are more nurses on the schedule than we have patients for so I have an unexpected day off. Usually I can go back to sleep, but sometimes once I'm up I'm up and I may as well use my time well.

These photos were taken on one such day, when I was up with the birds bright an early.  I almost never get up in time for the dawn light and usually have to wait until late afternoon to take quilt pictures.

This is the last of the straightforward star quilts from July's Covered in Love block drive.  There were ten or so blocks leftover that will be incorporated into a later quilts.

a fun Christmas surprise block courtesy of Louise

I didn't get any good pictures of the backing of this one, but I used a donated piece of textured flannel that made it thick, warm, and super cuddly.  The cats of course were glad to have someone up with them.  Spot the cat in the picture below...

Rory, taking advantage of an empty trash can.  Crazy cat.

This stars quilt along with its two brothers will go into Covered in Love's stash to gift to patients at the hospital.  Thank you to all the quilters who participated in this block drive, and in all our block drives!

There is a new block drive going on now if you want to sew along, please do!  Details on the block drive page.

Linking to Crazy Mom Quilts Finish it Friday.

Red, White, and Stars

Some of July's block drive star quilts are finally ready to make their debut!   You all did a fantastic job of sending in patriotic stars to make comfort quilts for Covered in Love.

Here's the second one, although it looks quite similar to the one above.  Each of these quilts measures a generous 60"x72".

I was fortunate to happen upon some patriotic fabrics on sale at a local shop and scoop them up for backings.

One of the chaplains was just telling me recently about a quilt they gifted to a patient's brother. Knowing he'd been in the military they grabbed a more patriotic one (I think it must have been this one) and the family just couldn't get over it. The chaplain said, "you would have thought we'd given them a full military funeral right there in the hallway!"

As the Vietnam and Korea vets get older we see more and more of them in the hospital and I'm sure these quilts will be making their way to people who feel a special connection to the USA and what that red, white, and blue flag means to them.

There will be one more quilt to show from the July blocks, and another partial quilt of leftovers.  Plus, Rosemarie from California sent in a complete small top with pretty blue sashing which found its backing in the yardage Kathy from Indiana sent along.  This darling little quilt got a stipple and a label and will no doubt make someone feel very loved.

Remember, Covered in Love gifts quilts to the families of patients who pass away in the hospital. You can find out more here.  Our November block drive just started if you want to sew along! You can find more details on the main post.

Linking to Crazy Mom Quilts Finish it Friday.

I'm Back!

Yes, I'm back finally. Ten (12 hour) shifts in fourteen days -- remind me not to do that again!  School started back Monday and for now I'm back to me regular sporadic work schedule and plenty of sewing time.  I started out by spending all day yesterday camped in front of the TV, catching up on the DVR and putting together CiL tops.  I got the second Sun&Sea top together and three Patriotic Stars tops.  There were leftovers of both that, along with the lattice leftovers, will hopefully soon be combined into a few more tops.

Of course I had the dream team to help me arrange and sew blocks.  Rey is approaching 4 months old and continues to be the prettiest, sweetest, most purr-filled kitten around. She has not yet met a human-food she didn't like. When she gets big enough to jump on the counters we are going to be in trouble...

Rory has warmed up to Rey considerably but I wouldn't call them friends yet.  I think having then kitten around has been good for her, though, and helped to loosen her up.  They enjoy many spirited games of chase, and just when Rory thinks its safe to fall asleep Rey will come leaping off of some piece of furniture right into the middle of her.

A momentary cease-fire and mutual nap time, and a chance for me to use the "design floor" without them rearranging things.

In the mid afternoon the cats went up for a bit so the ferrets could get out.  The cats are a mild hindrance to arranging blocks and sewing... with the ferrets I might as well give it up until they're put back in their cage. (Believe it or not, the reason we have to separate the cats and ferrets is because the ferrets would attack the cats, not the other way around.  A full size cat is really bigger than they could handle, not that they realize that, but Rey is right in prime ferret-prey size range.  So until she gets full grown, never the two shall meet.)

I know the end of the month is when I normally announce the next CiL block drive, but we're actually going to be taking September off. I need a month to dig myself out from under all the blocks you guys have been faithfully sending in!  My summer travels put me a bit behind.  I will tell you that October's block is going to be a reprisal of last October's popular scrappy strings block, if you want to get a jump on them.

July Covered in Love Stars

Welcome to this month's Covered in Love block drive!  Every month I announce a block drive challenge so that quilters out in blog world can make blocks to help out CiL. Together you guys make several beautiful quilts every month to bring comfort to mourning families.

Mini lonestar

This month is a little different because I am not giving you a specific block tutorial. Instead, in honor of July 4th, I'd like 12.5" unfinished (12" finished) star blocks in patriotic red, white, and blue (think USA flag colors).  You can use 2 colors per block or all 3 and you can use any star pattern you like. You don't have to use white for the background, you can use the colors in any position. Solid or print fabrics are ok.

I've linked up several block patterns below. You can also make a block made up of several smaller stars, as long as the overall block measures 12.5".  If you're in doubt about the size, or you accidentally make an offsize star, err too small and add sashing to bring it up to size.

Delaware Quilts has LOTS of star patterns
Briawna collected some block links when my Bee did stars
Quilters' Cache also has LOTS of stars in this list
35 Star Quilt patterns
Wonky "Confetti Star" free on Craftsy
Paper pieced "Star Seams" free on Craftsy
...that's plenty from me, but there are lots more star blocks out there so don't limit yourself just to these.

Covered in Love gives quilts of comfort to the families of patients who pass away in the hospital.  If you would like to support us by making a block or ten, email me at CoveredinLoveTx@gmail.com or leave a comment below for a mailing address.