The 4:25 p.m. Pacific Northwest....

departing Chicago....heading west..come ride with us

Saturday, July 21, 2007

With Heart and Hands, A Quilting Journey: Riding Finn's Orphan Train: I'm Getting On Board!


(In Michele's own words:)
Ever since Finn published her new blog Riding the Orphan Train, I have been feeling like a left out straggler. I desperately wanted to join in the fun, and hop the train, but I could only find a few lost geese and some straggling blocks destined for potholder glory.

As the sign by my computer says 'Think Twice". I had to post-it note those infamous last words because once is never enough for me. No sooner do I write a comment on someone's blog and hit 'publish' do I then have a good suggestion or more to say. No sooner do I sign off the internet (with my dial-up modem, no less) head downstairs, do I then remember why I came upstairs and what it was that I needed to do on the computer, in the first place!

So, naturally, as soon as I began to bemoan my lack of 'orphans' for the making of an Orphan Train quilt, do I realize that I had totally forgotten about some odds and ends panel prints stashed in a box, buried under my sewing table in my tiny little sewing haven. Climbing under that table and getting those boxes open, takes a Houdini/contortionist, but somehow, I managed to break into and out of the box. I found some orphans looking for a good home and I get to play blocks with Finn after all!

In the hidden stash, some sets of panel blocks...the 'Americana' ones most likely from the 90's, and the 'little people ones' probably from the 70's. It didn't take Einstein to figure out how to cut them up into useable blocks for an Orphan Train quilt...especially when I tossed it the 6 orphan blocks snatched back from potential potholder glory and the 4 'mistake' pinwheel blocks where they twirled instead of whirled or worst of all...just plain stood still. I tossed in a few of my lost geese and a couple of strips from one of my patriotic heartstrings and I had a plan!

And of course, AFTER I take the picture, I have my second thoughts. I haven't placed them as they really need to be...leaving spacing for the fillers etc. and some of them need to move hither and yon to actually sew into rows. But..oh well...it's an orphan train...there are always stragglers and misfits and they all still fit in and belong together eventually ;)

So, Finn....sign me up and tell Miss Ebby to make room for one more...cuz I'm getting on board!
Whoo Hooo !

Posted by Quilting Journey at 4:06 AM

3 comments:

Barbara C said...

Your design is beautiful Michele. I'm also setting aside some pillow panels for my future orphan train quilt, so yours inspires me.

Elaine Adair said...

I'm not sure if this clever orphan quilt belongs to Michells or Finn, but it's very nice! Wish I could click and see it larger for details. Love how these orphans arrange themselves to the variety of settings.

Magpie Sue said...

Lookin' good Michele! It sure is fun to "play blocks" with Finn, isn't it?!

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