Orphan Block Full-Sized Quilt
I machine pieced this quilt on my Bernina 240.
I quilted this quilt on my Janome QMP-18 long arm.
(click on photos to enlarge)
✫FINISHED QUILT:✫
Front:
Piecing: This entire quilt top is made using "orphan" blocks and leftover fabrics from quilts I've previously made. As I look at every single block or piece of fabric, I instantly recall the particular quilt I created, and its recipient. It's my first quilt (of more than 75 I've made) that I'm keeping for myself!
Back:
The backing is three pieces of fabric leftover from prior quilt backs:
- a strip of mottled green batik fabric, from this Cobblestone Quilt
- a strip of a bold green wide cotton blender called “Clover”, from this Sampler Quilt
- a strip of leaf-covered green hombre fabric, from this Scrappy Houses Quilt and this String Quilt.
Stitching:
Pattern: I chose a lovely edge-to-edge pattern called "English Ivy", from Wasatch Quilting.
Thread: To continue with the "leftover" theme, on the front of the quilt I stitched each row in a different thread color that I've already used on previous quilts.
(My long arm loves Superior Threads' So Fine #50, so that's the brand and weight of thread I use for every quilt).
Row 2: Purple Iris #441
Row 3: Scarlet #413
Row 4: Daffodil #420
Row 6: Glacier #471
Row 7: Out of the Blue #433
Row 8: Fern #445
Label:
✫PROGRESS PHOTOS:✫
Construction-Front:
I have saved leftover "orphan" blocks from almost every previous quilt I've made. Some blocks are test blocks to practice for the actual quilt, some I just made too many for the size I was targeting. They've sat in a large storage bag in a drawer for years, and I decided it was time to combine some of them to make a quilt that I keep for myself.
I also save scraps left from every prior fabric project. Some are half or full yards from quilt backings, others are strips from piecing, etc. Any piece over 1.5" wide stays with me in my stash for future opportunities. So I pulled from my strip scraps to join together the many orphan blocks, and used larger scraps to piece the backing.
When I first began piecing this quilt top, I stopped at this point.
But when I decided it was going to be mine to keep, I went ahead and added several more inches in width and length, so I can really wrap up in it if I ever want to!
Label:
Before loading the quilt onto my longarm, I chose a light colored fabric strip and embroidered the label directly onto the quilt top, using my Brother PE700 embroidery machine.
Quilting:
Back and batting are loaded, top is floating, and a sandwich is ready to be basted.
The design of 8 rows of 10" tall "English Ivy" blocks are baselined in ProStitcher and quilting begins.
The 8 rows of edge-to-edge "English Ivy", from Wasatch Quilting stitch perfectly. This design includes several lines of backstitching. Each 10" tall row took over one hour to stitch out, and used a full bobbin of thread. Slow going, but well worth the end result!
Still loving my Janome QMP18 long arm! This is the 75th quilt I've made, and the 69th quilt to be quilted on my long arm since I purchased it in 2018.
Trimming:
Squaring up the quilt after taking it off the long arm, readying it to add the binding.
Binding:
First attaching the binding strips to the back of the quilt...
...then wrapping the binding around to the quilt front.
Washing:
I always machine wash a quilt after the binding is finished. I do this for 2 reasons:
- to create gorgeous scrunchiness and softness so the quilt can be used and loved!
✫QUILT SUMMARY:✫
I machine pieced this quilt on my Bernina 240.I quilted this quilt on my Janome QMP-18 long arm.
Finished size: 72" x 82"
Front piecing: Many various orphan blocks joined together with leftover scraps from previous projects.
Back: Pieced three fabrics leftover from prior quilt backs.
Binding: The binding is machine sewn, using 6 binding remnants from previous quilts.
Quilting: Edge-to-edge repeat of "English Ivy", from Wasatch Quilting. Front stitched with 6 different colors of Superior Threads' So Fine #50, and back stitched with "Fern" (So Fine 50 #445).
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