Scrap-A-Palooza! Sewing a Quilt Top from Orphan Blocks

Are you ready to sew those Orphan Blocks into a quilt top?  Get ready for a picture heavy post!

In one of my last posts, we talked about organizing your orphan blocks so they can be sewn into a quilt top.  Now it is time for me to share the process of how my top came together.

I decided to start with this huge 18" block. 

In my mind, I wanted this quilt to be rectangular so I started with the starter block toward a corner.  I then started adding blocks with no final design in mind.  I just tried to balance colors.

I got to this point and hated it! It was fighting me and just not coming together.  So I pulled all the blocks off my wall and started again.  I realized my starter block really wanted center stage so I decided let the quilt blocks "speak" to me and put it right in the center of my quilt.

I started again throwing blocks up around the center block - this time creating a medallion quilt design.  When I got to this point, I liked the design but those red blocks just seemed a bit too strong. 

You can also see I was still trying to be a bit asymmetrical...

I finally landed on this very symmetrical design.  Everything on the wall at this point is an orphan block or leftover component from previous quilts.  A total of 42 pieces!

Now it is time to sew it together!

I really did not spend much more than a half hour setting up this second design.  I think once you get headed in a good direction, the design comes together pretty quickly. 

And remember, you can always adjust as you go!

For the first step, I needed to add a small frame to the purple and yellow stars to bring them up to the same size as those inner patchwork pieces.  I went with a black and white stripe for a bit of "pow". 


Once I had those finished, I could start sewing together the center portion.

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I added a small border to the center block in an orange print to bring it up to the size I needed to attach the next pieced borders.  I could then completely sew up the center part.

Did you notice the change to the blocks I had in the four outer corners?  Sometimes I find a block is the correct colors but it just isn't working.  I like to give these blocks a "facelift".

Here is what the original blocks looked like.
...some orphans do not need to be explained  :)

I simply sliced the block down the center both horizontally and vertically.  I then re-laid out the pieces and sewed it back up.  So. Much. Better.

I then started working on the outer section.  I found some of the same fabrics from the center block that were in the scrap bin or stash.  I used them to frame up the larger blocks to a uniform size.  On the corners, I decided to twist the blocks a bit to add a little character.

I realized at this point that I needed another orange border around the center section.  I did not like the black blocks up against the patchwork sections.  I also decided to use that same orange border print to add to the sides of the Half Square Rectangle areas on the side to give them a bit more width.

Then it was just a matter of finding a light background print from my older stash to frame in the rest of the outer section.  Remember, if you don't like doing all the quilt math, you can always cut pieces to a larger size and trim them down to fit.

So this is Orphan Block quilt top number one! 

It will hopefully get quilted up soon so I can share better pictures of the quilt.  I am really pleased with how it turned out.

It is about 60" square.

And did you catch that I called this quilt number one?  I am nowhere near being able to close my little orphan block suitcase so I have already started quilt top number two.  For this second one, I grabbed the brown stack of blocks.

So stay tuned.... that one is coming together quickly too.  

And I can tell you it looks nothing like the first one! 

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