Orphan Block Adoption at September guild meeting

Yes, you know these blocks—the ones stuffed in the back of a drawer in the sewing room, or tucked in a box of fabric with the plan to make more, the sample block made as a test block, or blocks made in that class from 5... 10... 15 years ago?? Orphan quilt blocks. We all have them!

Bring your orphan quilt blocks and bits to the September guild meeting.

Come to the September 16 Choo Choo Quilters guild meeting and the program, "Orphan Block Adoption: A Call to Action," will provide ideas for embracing those orphans and making them a part of something bigger and more meaningful.

Pre-work
Your mission before the meeting:

• Go through your stash. Find those orphan blocks and bring them to the meeting.
• While you search for blocks, pick out any supplies, books, notions and other sewing/quilting items you no longer want. Bring those to the meeting for a Quilters Flea Market. (Proceeds will go to purchasing backing fabrics for our Chambliss community service quilts.)
• If you've made something from orphan blocks, bring it for Show and Tell.
• Don't forget your black-and-white August quilt blocks for a chance to win a prize!

No longer will you feel the weight of those lost, forgotten, or lonely orphan blocks. You can make them into something fab-u-lous to amaze your friends and silence the quilt police.

Fabric Baskets: perfect for holiday giving

The mystery project at the Choo Choo Quilters September meeting was a fabric basket. Three fabrics in quarter yard cuts (or 3 fat quarters) is all that is needed for this quick project. And, it's perfect for holiday gifts, hostess gifts, table centerpieces or other occasions. This one was filled with fat quarters, chocolate and other muchies that any quilter would enjoy.

Mystery project: a Fabric Basket.

If you have an orphan quilt block, it could be quickly made into a basket and filled with home-made cookies, jellies or other edibles. This example snuggled nicely around a plastic tupperware container, but with larger or smaller quilt blocks, these baskets can be adjusted to fit other containers if desired.

Fabric basket made from one quilt block. 

More Cuddle Quilts were turned in at the guild meeting. And judging from the evening's Show and Tell, guild members have been quite busy making and finishing personal quilts as well as community service projects. Here are highlights.

Dawn's first quilt is a big one. She incorporated the label into an extra quilt block.

A family find! Dawn uncovered this unique appliquéd quilt top that was
tucked away among her father's things. She plans to get it framed.

Left: Rhonda's I-spy cuddle quilt.
Right: Delores used lime green center squares to give a lot of punch to this barn raising setting.

Beverly's raffle quilt was made from Bear Paw blocks.

Kim showed her finished red, white and blue Little Twister quilt.
Veronica did the quilting and used feathers and small swirls in the border.

Janet's quilt is based on the Fibonacci sequence. 

Janet made the front of this bed-sized quilt based on the Fibonacci sequence. Searching for motifs for the free-motion quilting, she put on her headset and listened to her favorite tunes from her iPod. The song lyrics, along with abbreviations of the 50 states, numbers and various doodles found their way into the quilting. "Baby, we were born to run..."

Free-motion quilting... song lyrics. Why not??

At next month's guild meeting, we'll have the big Brown Bag Reveal of this year's Guild Challenge. Stay tuned!