Oh Scrap! : Orphan Blocks...Again!

 As I was straightening up my sewing table, I came across some sewn bits I needed to put in my orphan block storage.  My single suitcase of leftovers has turned into so much more!

On the left is my little suitcase that has always contained my extra blocks.  When that became full, I started throwing them in another box.  Now that one is overflowing!

So I decided to do a quick sort and pull out some bits to play with.  I am sewing on another project so I have been sewing on this at the same time.  I started with an extra 12" RSC block I had for the center and then decided to go with a low volume (mostly gray) versus green theme.  The only part that is all sewn at this point is the center medallion.  It is kind of crazy looking but I am enjoying the process.  So far, everything has come out of my orphan stash except a tiny bit of gray I had in a scrap bin.  

It doesn't have to be perfect - I am just delighted to be using these leftovers.

And speaking of orphan blocks - I was asked to host the Quilty Orphan Adoption again this fall.  So I have the link up scheduled for September 17th thru the 19th.  If you want to put some orphan projects, blocks or really any quilty item up for adoption, you can join in.  I will post more information in a few weeks.  You can also read more about last Spring's event here.

Who knows, maybe I will have a finished orphan block quilt top I will be ready to pass on :)

Now it is time to share what you are making with your scraps!

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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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Flag Blocks

Today marks the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th amendment - where some women won the right to vote.

 I am still slowly working on my "Vote" quilt.  For weeks I have been thinking about adding some flag blocks to the mix.  But truthfully, with the country so divided, I haven't felt all that patriotic and have been hesitant on making them.

Then I came across the pattern for the Wave Your Flag Tablerunner pattern at the Fat Quarter Shop.  I was drawn to this block - not because of the "pride" it portrayed but because of the division the design represented to me.

A country with two very different views; seemingly unrecognizable by the other.

So I added these two blocks to the previous blocks I have completed.  The election is coming up quickly so I hope all of you have a plan in place for voting.  Either in person or by mail-in ballot, I hope you are planning on casting a ballot.

The state I live in, voting can be handled entirely through the mail.  But I do not send my ballot back through the mail.  I have already identified the locations of direct ballot receptacles in my area so that I can deliver mine directly.  

With a country so divided, I hope voters can put aside their party and vote for the candidates to take the country closer in the direction of unity.  Stress and hatred are not healthy for any of us!

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Oh Scrap! : Something New

 A few weeks back, I shared that a friend of mine gifted me two large bags of scraps.  I tried to get them quickly sorted and put away so I could focus on other things.  But I did get sucked in by a couple scrap piles and started some new quilts.

One of the scraps I started to play with was this colorful fabric with some flavors written on it.  There were a number of larger scrap pieces - I am thinking they were leftover from some bag making.

I decided it needed to be made into these fun ice cream cone blocks.  

Or maybe they are snow cones.

I will be using the same gray dotted fabric from my stash for all of the blocks.  The ice cream scoops will all come from my scrap bins.

And this is why I just can't throw any unloved scraps away.  This (blech) brown fabric makes the perfect chocolate chip cone!

I made up the block using my Tri-Recs Tool.  The cone is 6.5" wide.  Then I added a 4.5" x 6.5" rectangle with two flip corners for the scoop.

I will probably have to add some background fabric to the sides of the blocks but until I decided where I am going with these, I will wait.

oh...and I see in the photos my rotary blade isn't closed.  Bad Cynthia!

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

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 thru Email          Follow Me on Feedly

Ratification Stars

Recently, I watched the 4 hour American Experience documentary "The Vote".  I realized I had forgotten so much about the struggle women endured for generations to obtain my right to vote.  I highly recommend the show.    Here is what is said about the show:

One hundred years after the passage of the 19th Amendment, The Vote tells the dramatic culmination story of the hard-fought campaign waged by American women for the right to vote — a transformative cultural and political movement that resulted in the largest expansion of voting rights in U.S. history.

In its final decade, from 1909 to 1920, movement leaders wrestled with contentious questions about the most effective methods for affecting social change. They debated the use of militant, even violent tactics, as well as hunger strikes and relentless public protests. The battle for the vote also upended previously accepted ideas about the proper role of women in American society and challenged the definitions of citizenship and democracy.

Exploring how and why millions of 20th-century Americans mobilized for — and against — women’s suffrage, The Vote brings to life the unsung leaders of the movement and the deep controversies over gender roles and race that divided Americans then — and continue to dominate political discourse today.

I could relate to the suffragists sewing stars on their Ratification Banners as each state ratified the amendment.  Above is a photo of Alice Paul hanging her completed banner after the 36th state (Tennessee) made the amendment the law of the land.

I decided to add some ratification stars in purple and gold to my "Vote" quilt to honor those three generations of women who fought for my vote.

I decided not to applique my stars - instead I used ThreadBareCreations' Christmas Star pattern.

You can download it for free and it comes in lots of sizes.  I made mine 4".

I think maybe I will put them between my big letters as shown above.

So far, here are all the blocks I have completed to date.

If you want to read any additional information on any of the blocks above, you can do a search of my blog for "vote".

The 19th amendment was the culmination of more than 70 years of struggle by woman suffragists.  It is important that today's women honor that fight by voting.

Please make sure you are registered to vote - above are the deadlines by state to request a vote-by-mail ballot for the November election.  

Please take any necessary measures as soon as possible!

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Be Counted

Just popping in today to share my latest block finish.

I made this block to remind everyone in the US to be sure and complete their 2020 census.  The census can be filled out by mail, online or by phone.  It just takes a few moments to complete and it helps put money into your community. 

 If you haven't yet, please go to 2020Census.gov and be counted.

There are no citizenship questions on the questionnaire.

I appreciate you taking the time!

And if you want to know more about how I made the lettering for this block, I coated the back of my fabric with a thin coat of Fabric Mod Podge.  Once it is dry, you can cut it into small pieces and top stitch it without it fraying.  This block measures approximately 12 x 14".

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Vote : Big and Small

I don't have a finished quilt to share with you this week but I did finish another of my "Vote" blocks.  This one uses the Spell It With Fabric letters from Moda.

(You can get the free pdf pattern here.)

The blocks finish at 10" tall.  I haven't attached them together yet because I am not sure exactly how I will use them in the quilt.  It might be fun to add some stars in between the letters.  But I have lots of time to think about that - I have many more blocks to do!

You can see the comparison to the smaller 4" blocks I wrote about earlier.

As I was working on the blocks, I thought a lot about the importance of voting in both the big and the small elections.  Sure, it is important to vote for our President, Senators and Representatives but I think the smaller elections are just as important.

Here are some positions you might see in your smaller elections along with some of their responsibilities...

A Mayor not only runs the day to day administration of a city, but they are also responsible for setting the tone of the culture of the city.  They help to recruit businesses and take a lead role in city legislation. They also usually appoints the chief of police to manage law enforcement. 

A Sheriff is typically an elected position that oversees a county and is responsible for seeing that the laws are enforced fairly.

District Attorneys decide when an arrest leads to a charge.  They are also the ones who negotiate plea bargains.  This position can either be elected or appointed depending on your area.

State Legislators are responsible for policies that set the tone of the culture of your state.  They define what constitutes the procedures for responding to crime, sentencing structures and funding government agencies that are responsible for dealing with offenders and victims.  

Your state legislator represents your area within the state.

There is great importance in these positions - they directly influence our day to day lives and the lives of our neighbors.  If you are not happy with how these positions are being run, use your vote and influence to try and make a positive change. 

Please vote in ALL of  elections!

A further step I am taking to ensure a positive change is to join my Neighborhood Association.  This group represents 26K people of my city's population.  Attending these meetings gives me access to my local officials and to hear their views and policies.  I want the place I live to be a welcoming, healthy and safe environment for all.

Making changes takes some effort - I am dedicated to seeing a better tomorrow!

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Oh Scrap! : Blocks and Orphan Adoption News

Before I get to the information on the next Quilty Orphan Adoption event, I think I will share the last of the green RSC blocks for March.

I have decided to start a new Rainbow Scrap Challenge quilt out of 2.5" squares.  I decided to finish up my Zig Zag quilt this month so I needed another block to work on in the future.  I wanted a design that did not use a lot of background so I decided to simply turn these squares into a colorful color block quilt. It will certainly be scrappy!

And then I made a cute peapod block for my garden quilt.  My plan was to use some springtime green but I didn't have any scrap chunks that were big enough to do what I wanted.  Well, I was not going to cut into any stash so I just made do with what I had.    I think it will be fine in the quilt.

So that is it for my March RSC blocks.  

Now I am ready (and trying to patiently wait) for a new color.

So let's talk about the Quilty Orphan Adoption event!

This is an event I have been hosting twice a year for 4 years now.  I started it because I had a whole bunch of orphan blocks and unwanted projects that I thought someone else might like.  Twice a year, there have been about 12 projects by all sorts of quilters offered for adoption.

I keep thinking that at some point we will reach a point where we will run out of forgotten or unwanted projects but it is not happening yet!

Below are some details.  And if you want to see some of the previous link ups, you can go here, here and here.

Orphan Adoption Event

March 21st, 2019

I will be hosting a linky party starting Thursday March 21st  (and closing on Saturday March 23rd.) where you are welcome to link up your own blog post sharing a project you wish to abandon or orphan blocks you wish to pass on.  You can offer as little or as much as you want.  It can be blocks, patterns, kits, fabric, anything that you hope someone else will use and you wish to get rid of the burden.

Here are some details:

1.  I am going to ask that any "orphan" linked up must be given away for free.  (If you are wanting to destash for money, there are other venues to do that on.)  I think it is fair that if you need to, you can ask that shipping costs be paid.  Just be sure and put that information clearly in your post.  And know that both parties enter into the deal at their own risk.  I hold no responsibility.

2. Have clear pictures and descriptions on what you are putting up for adoption.

3. Define the criteria for how you will decide who will adopt the item.  Is it a random number giveaway, do you only want it to go to charity, or is there some other criteria that needs to be met?

4.  Be sure and identify where you are located and where you are willing to ship to.

5. Define how long you are keeping the adoption open and when you expect to award the adoption.

I already have TWO items picked out that I will be putting up for adoption on Thursday.  

I know there will be someone who will give them some attention and finish them up.  And I will be so happy to cross them off my list and move on to a more inspiring project!

This spring event is also perfectly timed to pick up a project to finish for Sarah's (at Confessions of a Fabric Addict) Hands2Help Charity Quilt Drive.  I think there are four organizations this year and they cover almost every size of quilt.  If you haven't signed up for this event yet, you can do so here.

So that is all the news I have.  Now it is time for you to share your scrappy projects for the week.
I am looking forward to seeing what you have been up to!

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

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! 

An InLinkz Link-up

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Linking Up:

Love Laugh Quilt (Monday Making)

Cooking Up Quilts (Main Crush Mondays)

Em's ScrapBag (Moving it Forward)

Freemotion by the River (Linky Tuesday)

So Scrappy for RSC19