Oh Scrap! : Orphan Blocks and Panels

Here at Many Hands and Many Hearts, we do get various panels and orphan blocks included in packages containing blocks for the block drives.  It is always fun to see what shows up.  We don't often get to use them but Janet decided to pull a bunch of RWB blocks and lay out her first orphan block quilt. Here is the top all put together.

I think she did a pretty good job.  Now she did not have to figure out how to sew all that middle section together.  I have to admit, that took me a LONG time to figure out.  But I did get it done and we hope to get it quilted up soon.  We don't have a lot of completed Veteran quilts so we are trying to fix that.  We still have a number of churn dash blocks from the last block drive, but I think there will be another RWB block drive in the near future. 

What block do you think it should be....

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It is now your turn to share what you are making with scraps.  Here are the details for linking up: 

• This linky party is for any scrappy project - It can be in-process or a finished piece.
• You can link up your blog post (not your homepage please) or Instagram photo from the past week that features your use of scraps.
• If you are linking to a blog post, I ask that you link back to my blog somewhere in your post. So if you are writing about scraps, just get into the habit of including a link as there will be a linky party available every week!
• If you are using Instagram, please use the hashtag #ohscrap.
• This is a party so remember to socialize and comment on the posts of others.
• Following my blog is not necessary but it sure would be great if you do! 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Connecting Threads is having a Finishing Sale.

Time to finish some projects!

 

Oh Scrap! : A Scrappy Finish

I was able to get the scrappy rail fence quilt onto my longarm frame this week and it is now completed.  Hurray!

The quilt top was made from a bunch of scraps leftover from backings and bindings.  I pulled anything that was blue, green and yellow.  I really made a nice dent in the scraps!

The back was also sewn from a bunch of leftovers. The blue fabric were chunks left over from previous backings.  A few people donated this extra wide backing print.  That means I had lots of bits to play with!

The lovely floral in the center was unlabeled.  It might have come from my stash.  I know I pulled a bunch of one-yard cuts I knew I would never use when Many Hands and Many Hearts first started out.  I bought some of this fabric over 12 years ago.

I pulled more bits to make another scrap quilt.  I haven't started cutting yet.  I got distracted by a panel I came across - which I hope will become a quilt top this week.  We shall see how far I get!

Hope all of you are safe from the fires and the winter weather!

It is scary out there!

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It is now your turn to share what you are making with scraps.  Here are the details for linking up: 

• This linky party is for any scrappy project - It can be in-process or a finished piece.
• You can link up your blog post (not your homepage please) or Instagram photo from the past week that features your use of scraps.
• If you are linking to a blog post, I ask that you link back to my blog somewhere in your post. So if you are writing about scraps, just get into the habit of including a link as there will be a linky party available every week!
• If you are using Instagram, please use the hashtag #ohscrap.
• This is a party so remember to socialize and comment on the posts of others.
• Following my blog is not necessary but it sure would be great if you do! 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

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Starting Out with a Bang!

The year has barely started and I already have a lot of quilts to share.

Happy Block quilts are still trickling through.  This fun one is all about the things you see in the ocean.  My friend Jeanne sewed up the blocks and the backing for me.  The back used up a lot of bits and pieces donated by Lynnette and Dorothy. The print with the kids snorkeling is adorable!  According to my count, this is the 98th quilt made from that drive.  We are getting close to my 100 quilt goal.

Here is another Jewel Box quilt - these blocks were put together by a local quilt group.  They sewed their blocks into four patches before they sent me the blocks.  I decided to just sew them all into one fun quilt.  I used the rest of the black and white Nann sent in and a blue print that might have come out of my stash for the back.  This quilt is the 12th quilt to be made from this block drive.  We still have a lot of blocks to sew up!

Kristin sent in the bright floral and yellow scrappy top.  We decided to use this fun yellow flannel print that Mari sent in for the backing.  It wasn't quite big enough, so I used a bit of solid yellow I had.  I sent it off to local quilter Laural and I love the design she quilted on it.  Her quilting really shows in the solid yellow strip.

McGill has sent in other quilts tops made with lovely woven plaids.  She must have a nice big stash of them.  I love this simple square in a square.  We don't have a lot of woven fabric so I had to patch up quite a few chunks to make a backing for it. A few pieces were sent in from Nann and Beth sent in some too.  I also sent this one out to Laura to quilt.  She even sews the bindings on for me!

Here is a fun quilt made from the zipper blocks.  Diann sent this quilt in all finished - all I had to do was sew on the label!  I think this was one of her RSC (rainbow scrap challenge) projects.

This lovely patchwork quilt top was sent in by Becky.  I love all the pretty fabrics in this quilt.  We decided to use this off-white print on the back.  It is hard to see but there are soft green fleur d lis on it.  In fact, Becky may have even sent in the fabric.  We have had this quilt top for quite some time.

I sent this off to local quilter Terry for quilting.  She did a lovely job on it!

Now that the holidays are over, the elves are getting back to work sewing and quilting.  My goal for the next few weeks is to seek out some more elves to help with quilting.  We have a LOT of quilt tops to work through.  Wish me luck!

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Linking Up:

  

My Quilt Infatuation (Needle & Thread)

Confessions of a Fabric Addict (Can I get a Whoop! Whoop!)

From Bolt to Beauty (Brag about your Beauties)

Alycia Quilts (Finished or not Friday)

Oh Scrap! : Quilt Top

Boy, once I get focused on something, it doesn't take me long to get it finished.

I posted a few blocks last Sunday, and now it is already a quilt top.  I used a bunch of backing scraps for all the fabric.  That is why long and narrow pieces worked so well.  I am really happy with how it turned out.  I should finish piecing the backing today and hopefully get it quilted up this week.  I am so pleased with how many scraps I was able to use up.  The blocks are 8" so this will be a nice size for Many Hands and Many Hearts.

Now I need to identify another scrappy idea to use up more scraps.  I still have a lot of blue chunks so maybe I will just do something monochromatic with simple squares.  

That will be a task for another day....

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It is now your turn to share what you are making with scraps.  Here are the details for linking up: 

• This linky party is for any scrappy project - It can be in-process or a finished piece.
• You can link up your blog post (not your homepage please) or Instagram photo from the past week that features your use of scraps.
• If you are linking to a blog post, I ask that you link back to my blog somewhere in your post. So if you are writing about scraps, just get into the habit of including a link as there will be a linky party available every week!
• If you are using Instagram, please use the hashtag #ohscrap.
• This is a party so remember to socialize and comment on the posts of others.
• Following my blog is not necessary but it sure would be great if you do! 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

      Follow Me on Bloglovin'                 Follow Me on Feedly

Good Bye 2024!

 It is time to say goodbye to 2024.  It was a crazy, unexpected year for me and I think I am ready for it to end.  I am really looking forward to 2025.  Many Hands and Many Hearts should be an official 501c3 in a couple months and I know that is going to be fun to see.  I love my board members and all of them are enthusiastic and ready to see MHMH grow.

Here are a few more random finishes to close out the year.  Janet played with some lime and turquoise blocks.  Nann sent in this white and black print.  Up close you don't really see the repeating pattern but it sure shows from a distance.  

If you are curious, this is the 11th quilt made from this Jewel Box block drive.

What a fun little scrap quilt Denice made.  I think it is based on the potato chip block.  Denice also sent in the fabric for the backing.  She might not have planned this backing for this top, but it fit so we went with it.

This fun little rail fence quilt top was sent in by Kristin.  The top is made from 30"s prints.  We didn't have any of those prints in our backing stash so we went with a fun flannel fabric.  The little bunnies are super cute.

I have always loved this scrap quilt designs.  I think it is called birch trees. I tried to track down a link to the pattern but I don't think it is available anymore.  Elana made this quilt top.  I love all those green shades for the background.  Thanks to Elizabeth, we had this awesome turquoise backing.

We have our first delivery of 2025 due the first full week of January.  We needed just one more veteran quilt to fulfil the order.  Janet pulled some churn dash blocks out of our stash and came up with this fun design.  Stephanie sent in the bright backing print for the back.  This is the 13th quilt we have made from the Churn Dash block drive.

Here are some year-end numbers for you....

We delivered 265 quilts last year.  

Not bad considering it was the first full year of operations.  And that was all done with the help of volunteers and with no non-profit status. Toward the end of the year, our output was about 1 quilt/per day.  I am hoping for some substantially bigger numbers next year!

We ended the year with 38 finished quilts ready for donation in our stash.  

We have consistently been ending each month with a surplus.  It is looking like we should be able to add another recipient organization to our list soon.

We received over 150 quilt tops and finished quilts last year.  

We still have a LOT of unfinished quilt tops in our stash.  My focus this year is to find more local longarm quilter to help get these done.  With a board of directors now, a lot of work has been lifted off my shoulders - freeing up some time to accomplish this.

Last year we received over 4200 blocks in our block drives.

For each block drive we usually have about 45 to 65 people contributing blocks.  It seems to really depend on the complexity of the block and who the quilts are going to.  Kid blocks are definitely the favorite and we did not have a block drive for kids last year (Our last block drive for kids generated a whopping 3800 blocks!  We are still working through some of them.  The current block drive is also for kids so I am hoping to start 2025 out with a bang!)

I think I will end here saying I SO appreciate all the love and support I have received.  I couldn't bring comfort to so many people without your help. 💞  Thank you so very much!

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Linking Up:

  

My Quilt Infatuation (Needle & Thread)

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Alycia Quilts (Finished or not Friday)

Oh Scrap! : Something New

One of the things I have quickly discovered, is that I really need to have at least one scrap quilt going all the time to use all the scraps made from the Many Hands and Many Hearts quilts.  Most of the scraps we end up with are the back trimmings and the odd small bits that get sent to us. Many of these I turn into binding but sometimes, they are just not good candidates for various reasons.  

While I was trying to clean up some scraps today, I saw a lot of green, blue and yellow scraps so I decided to start cutting those scraps into 2.5 x 8.5" strips.

I sewed up one block so you can see what I am doing with them.  Really simple block but I hope it will burn through some of these piles around here.

Happy Scrappy Sunday!

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It is now your turn to share what you are making with scraps.  Here are the details for linking up: 

• This linky party is for any scrappy project - It can be in-process or a finished piece.
• You can link up your blog post (not your homepage please) or Instagram photo from the past week that features your use of scraps.
• If you are linking to a blog post, I ask that you link back to my blog somewhere in your post. So if you are writing about scraps, just get into the habit of including a link as there will be a linky party available every week!
• If you are using Instagram, please use the hashtag #ohscrap.
• This is a party so remember to socialize and comment on the posts of others.
• Following my blog is not necessary but it sure would be great if you do! 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

             Follow Me on Bloglovin'                 Follow Me on Feedly

 

Oh Scrap! : Not my UFO

Occasionally, along with blocks, fabric or quilt tops, we get some unique items or orphan blocks.  In this case, we got some partially finished blocks.  I just set them aside,

However, I kept thinking about them and would stack some coordinating fabric on top of them.

There were eight hydrangea blocks - some were completely framed and some were not.  We did have a similar fabric in stock that I thought would work to finish framing out those blocks.

I dug through some scraps and found the dark purple fern fabric that was previously used on a back.  While in the scraps, I found a fun purple floral and another print that would work with the greens.

I just alternated the blocks and pretty quickly had a top.  It is not the loveliest quilt but I still think it works.  And it made some space in the scrap bin!

I do enjoy getting creative with these types of projects.  I just never know when the inspiration will strike.  I think sometimes I just need a project that uses my brain rather than the mindless sewing of blocks together - which is what I do a lot of nowadays.

I have many more projects like this...I wonder what will strike my fancy next!

*********************************************

It is now your turn to share what you are making with scraps.  Here are the details for linking up: 

• This linky party is for any scrappy project - It can be in-process or a finished piece.
• You can link up your blog post (not your homepage please) or Instagram photo from the past week that features your use of scraps.
• If you are linking to a blog post, I ask that you link back to my blog somewhere in your post. So if you are writing about scraps, just get into the habit of including a link as there will be a linky party available every week!
• If you are using Instagram, please use the hashtag #ohscrap.
• This is a party so remember to socialize and comment on the posts of others.
• Following my blog is not necessary but it sure would be great if you do! 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

  Follow Me on Bloglovin'                 Follow Me on Feedly