U.B.E.'s
#33
I love orphan blocks. I always create some to try out a new technique or to have teaching samples. They never go to waste, as most of them wind up as tote bags. Please send me your unwanted orphans!!
#35
Junior Member
Join Date: May 2011
Location: sonoma county CA
Posts: 134
Some one in my first learn to quilt class had a suggestion (I don't think it was the instructor) that I've used over the years. If you are trying a block for size or technique or anything but color, use colors you really like or CHRISTMAS colors - you can never have too many Christmas quilts! I've sashed for sizing and placement, done set in triangles etc. Unfortunately, I don't have a lot of Christmas quilts -- but I've got a couple of tops in red, green, white, gold etc.
#36
Power Poster
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Northern California mountains
Posts: 12,538
mine go into scrappy quilts. Sometimes I chop them up first and put a segment into each of several blocks. some go into potholders. One of my favorite purses was from 2 very different orphan blocks.
#38
Super Member
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Florida
Posts: 1,135
Yep. That's what I'm doing with my QAYG quilt. You will see half of a star block, many halves of bento boxes, various 9 patches, some paper piecing practicing (I couldn't throw them away--horrors!) and some various leftover blocks (like the patriotic baskets). I decided to just add fabric around them to make them about 16" square and then trim them wonky. It's not particularly pretty, but it will be just as warm and while not PRETTY, it's "INTERESTING". It would have been esp. interesting if I had done interesting quilting. But I'm just getting to that....in my skills set.