Three weeks ago I showed you some orphan blocks I quilted up for the block drive run by Little Island Quilting in the UK. They are creating scrappy quilts with 12,5 inch blocks from all over the world. The quilts are going to Mexico City for a home of former street children.
This week there was a first photo of one of the quilts that had arrived in Mexico City:
Isn’t great?
LOVE THIS!!!
Here are some examples of quilts made these last weeks:
( All three of the above pictures are from Little Island Quilting;s blog post Soy Amado # 7 (and # 6) of this week! I kind of hijacked them… hope that is OKAY!)
It is such a joy to see your own blocks now being part of a large international quilt to warm a child’s heart!
Working on the orphan blocks was such great fun , that I dug some deeper in my orphan blocks box…. and I found some more. A few months ago I tried to “go scrappy” but the fabrics were just not doing what I had envisioned. Okay, that sometimes happens I guess! I threw the project in a box and tried to forget about it! Out they came this week! 🙂
I put some borders around the nine patches and “piled” the FMQ on top.
the back:
(Great fabric! Found it in a thrift store for 50 cents! I can back 8 blocks with it!)
I used my old Pfaff for the FMQ as the Janome is at the repair shop. (I have heard that I can pick her up already! Quick, he?)
The smaller throat of the Pfaff was giving me some trouble so the FMQ is a little bit more jagged here and there than usual. Also the hopping foot can not be adjusted in hight. The thicker sandwich made it somewhat more difficult to freely move the fabric around therefore. I also could not use the slider as it would not properly stick to the table (mystery! It does not have any problems on the other table!). Looking at the results, I am happy with the results taking all of these things in account. I got to practise my FMQ even while my Janome was at the shop! And, most importantly, I could help the block drive out a bit (and get “rid” of some orphan blocks I was surely not going to use for anything else!)
As I am also participating in the McTavish Along organized by Amy’s Free Motion Adventures, I also did three blocks with that FMQ pattern. I see improvement compared with the baby quilt I did last week. Just need to make sure the lines are a bit more smooth. I hope the Janome will solve that problem with the wider throat space!
The main lines are now longer and I tried to add more perpendicular lines to create the feel of movement and layers!
Hey hey, do you have sad orphan blocks that would like to become a gorgeous scrappy quilt? Stitch them up and send them out of your house!
More info on where to send your blocks is available on Little Island Quilting’s blog! There are several quilters collecting the blocks before sending them to the UK. Go check it out!!!
Okay, six blocks DONE, six more to go! (maybe more….)
Also, If you have not entered yet in the GIVEAWAY for one of the pattern sets for Chugging Along, you just have a few more days to do so! Giveaway ends this Saturday the 15th of March!
Chugging Along – paper piecing pattern:
Hugs,
Esther
P.S. The SUN has come out to play here this week! We are so enjoying it!!!
P.P.S. I am linking up with all of these parties:
Amy Free Motion Quilting Aventures for the McTavish Along
Stitch by Stitch for Anything Goes Monday
Freemotion by the River for Linky Tuesday
Blossom Heart Quilts for Sew Cute Tuesday
Needle and Thread Thursday at My Quilt Infatuation
ipatchandquilt 
Great quilting. I have yet to try McTavishing–thanks for the nudge.
Hello!
Yes, please try it! It is fun to do, but you really have to concentrate with where you want the stitches to go and all of the backtracking. Good practise!
Esther
This is such a wonderful thing to do! I think the kids will love them ; ) gorgeous quilting
Hello Carla!
I am sure they will! 🙂
Thank you for dropping by!
Esther
Esther!!!! Your quilting is AWESOME!!!!!! Oh my goodness!!!! You have advanced in your quilting skills by so much!!! The McTavishing has the movement that is so typical of that stitching!!! You’ve “nailed” it!!!!! And not even done on your fave machine!!!! Wow!!!! Hugs…………..
Hi Doreen!
Your comments always warm my heart! Thank you for cheering me on my quilt journey!
Lots of hugs from a sunny Europe!
Esther
Oh Esther, you’re amazing! I love what you’re doing here! Nice work on the McTavish!
Thank you, Susan! Your comments mean so much to me!
Have a great day,
Esther
Oh my! Your FMQ is gorgeous! Even on an older machine! I’m envious but now inspired, I think I’m going to make some ‘orphan’ blocks.
Goodmorning Rita!
Thank you! The Pfaff is from 1961. I think most machines like that can be used for FMQ, but once you get used to the better options with the newer machines, you get a bit spoiled, ha ha! I learned to FMQ on the Pfaff and did not know any better. Just one month later I was able to buy the Janome Horizon and have not looked back!
I am very happy to hear you got inspired to create some blocks too!
Bye bye,
Esther
Hello Esther:
How inspirational .. it is so much more meaningful to send something homemade and practical rather than money.
Keep up the great woork!
Annie
Exactly what I thought! Much more meaningful this way!
Lots of hugs and kisses
Esther
That is such a wonderful thing you are doing for the kids. Your FMQ is gorgeous!! You are not only a great pp designers but a fabulous quilter too!! Wow!!
-Soma
You are so kind Soma!
I love the variety while quilting! I could not imagine using just one technique! I hope you and your loved ones are well!!!
Esther
Your McTavishing looks great!! You are sooooo much farther along than I am!
Goodmorning Carole!
Ha ha, I just skipped the paper drawing phase, because I was impatient! Just one week ahead of you!
Hugs
Esther
I like your McTavishing. Good work.
Thank you so much Patti!!!
Esther
I love the quilting on those bordered nine-patch blocks! The effect is amazing. I should try that. I have a growing stack of scrappy 12.5″ squares made from my crumbs and scraps. I will not let them languish much longer. They need to become a quilt. Thank you for the inspiration!
Wow-eee Becca!
That would be wonderful!!! Those little kids in Mexico City need some more quilts. I read that they needed about 70 quilts in total. I am guessing they now have reached about 25 % of that!
Oh I I love how we can spread the news for drives like this using the internet! LOVE!!!
Esther
great quilting.
Thank you so much Micki!
Have great Wednesday!!!
Esther
Your quilting is really beautiful! Thanks for sharing.
Freemotion by the River Linky Party Tuesday
Thank you very much for coming over for a visit Connie! I love your Linky Party! Thanks for organizing it every week!!!
Esther
Such happy colorful quilts for the kids! And your McTavishing is getting really good! FYI, if you use the hopping foot again and it’s too low, you can wrap a rubber band around the spring part at the top to lift it a little. Thanks for linking up for McTavishing Monday!
Hello Amy,
Thank you so much for coming over for a visit!
🙂
I do not know if using the rubber band is possible as the hopping foot does not really go up and down but pivots downwards slightly. It starts horizontal and than points down two milimeters. The starting position is fixed by levers/hooks left and right of the foot…. ( complicated right? ) so the rubber band would not give me more room. It is the starting position that is too low actually. This foot came with the machine and is 53 years old! I will show pictures of this foot next week on my blog. I will contact you than so you can see it!
Esther
What a great idea for orphan blocks! I love the fmq on the orphan blocks. Your McTavishing is looking really good.
What a fun way to practice your quilting, and such a good cause! WTG on scoring that backing fabric – I love to find a good bargain, too.
your quilting is great…love the mctavishing…
Sorry about the delay in commenting Esther. Thanks so much for sharing your awesome FMQ, it’s truly inspirational and makes me want to try it out…. I always fall back on my walking foot as I haven’t mastered neatness in FMQ yet, but seeing this makes me want to practice! Thanks again….
Esther, what a treat to seeing your quilting this week. The McTavishing looks terrific and has great movement. I find this style of quilting very liberating.
as always, Esther- your quilting just amazes me! So much detail is such a small space! I think that scrappy blocks don’t always show their wow factor until they are all put together in a quilt. When I’ve worked on scrappy projects, sometimes I feel that way about certain blocks, but when they’re in the quilt, they look amazing!
Thanks for linking to Needle and Thread Thursday!
🙂 Kelly @ My Quilt Infatuation
very beautiful quilting !