I was at the thrift store shopping (I know that’s no surprise). While there I walked past the rack of clothes that still have tags on them. I rarely buy anything off the rack. Usually everything is either very small or very large. I saw a quilt on the rack. I pulled it off the hanger is was on and laid it out. Hmm. It looked pretty good. I can see a couple blocks that got twisted but I didn’t think that was a big deal. It was more of a conversation piece than anything.  
I noticed that the binding was even sewn onto it. Wow. I wonder why someone quit on it. I looked at the price tag $8. I decided that was a good price. I was willing to take it home and find a binder or bind it myself and pass it along as a charity quilt….
When I got the quilt home I laid it out…snapped a couple pictures…then flipped it over to take a picture of the back…Â Do you see what I see?
Yep. That’s why the maker passed the quilt on. I finally figured it out. The backing wasn’t big enough. I’m guessing they sewed the binding down, flipped it over and discovered this…
Well I am not very discouraged about this. It’s a minor set back. The binding will need to be seam ripped off, the border cut narrower all the way around and then the binding put back on. No biggie. If anyone wants to volunteer for this quilt and pass it along to charity that would be great….Here’s my email if you want to volunteer….rogjok@iowatelecom.net. If no one wants to tackle it, I’ll set it aside and grab it next time we’re going on a car ride. I’ll rip it out while Hubby drives.
Well being there was a quilt here I wondered if maybe there might be some quilting supplies. I made a beeline right to the craft section. There was a bag there. It said $10 on it. It was a zipper bag so I opened it just a bit ….Ya, I decided I’d go beyond my normal scrap bag budget and buy this for $10.
I am really wondering if this quilt was a Bonnie Hunter fan. Look…string blocks.
I sorted them all out. Hmmm. A few of different colors and sizes.
Then I dug a little deeper and found the thing that enticed me by the bag…THESE!!
Do you recognize what they are?
String Spider Web blocks!! I pulled them all out, sorted and counted. There are a total of 80 quarter square blocks. That would make 20 full blocks….that’s quite a few. All are in some state of needing attention. That’s fine with me. I have more time to trim and rip papers than I do to sew the blocks.
There were a couple kites that hadn’t been sewn in the package. That’s perfect in case I want to make more blocks. I’d have to try hard to match the red and if you’re tried to match reds before, you know that can be terrible.
There are enough as is to make a nice lap sized quilt. I think I’d sew the blocks together then put on a border and then a piano key border. That would make it an okay size for donating…..but then again, there is Bonnie Hunter’s new string quilt book coming out and look at the front cover. It’s a spider web quilt. Hmm…To do? To do?
In the meantime I’ll be trimming the blocks and getting them in shape. I have my whole life to decide what to do with them….or who knows, maybe I’ll pass them on to someone who will make it into a charity quilt.
Also in the bag were these…Disappearing 4 patch blocks.
This block was in the mix too.
Does anyone know of a good place that takes orphan blocks. I often get them in scrap bags and thought maybe I should start a box for them and once I get more, pass them on.
It was a fun bag to purchase. I am actually wondering if the person is a Bonnie Hunter fan. I know others have made and designed spider web blocks but the many other string blocks has me wondering too. Regardless, her passing it along made me happy and down the road might make another happy as what I do with them will likely charity related.
@quilty_mcquilterson collects orphan blocks, and quilt tops to make quilts for families in need in Costa Rica.
The guild that @islandtimequilting belongs to will take orphan blocks.
You can DM both ladies on Instagram.
Gladys Wahl does a ton of quilting for her community. She would be happy to take anything you want to send. gladyswahl@yahoo.com
She’s in Iowa.
Jo, a simple fix for that quilt with the short backing. Just cut the binding and an inch of border off. Then sew on a new binding and you are done. Since it is all quilted, no problem. Or, fold the entire binding to the back and it should cover the problem.
I have had this type of issue on one of my quilts. I took off just the part of the binding where the problem was, and added a patch to fill in the space of the backing. It’s actually a good place to put a quilt label!. Then put that binding back. On a busy quilt like that, it won’t be noticeable, or if you don’t want it to show, you can applique it on.
You could have your neighbor girl put boarders around those orphan blocks and make some pillow covers or dresser scarves or a craft bag….she might enjoy the challenge :)
Put all your orphan blocks together and make a sampler quilt. Ingenuity describes quilters
Put all your orphan blocks together and make a sampler quilt. Ingenuity describes quilters awesome thrift shopping.
Hi, Jo! I recognize the last block – it’s Jamie’s. You can see her post here https://babyboomerquiltingbee.blogspot.com/2018/04/hands2helphave-faith-pattern.html
And the pattern here
http://confessionsofafabricaddict.blogspot.com/2018/04/hands2help-guest-blogger-jamie-her-have.html
We take orphan blocks. We make tons of things for our huge local children’s hospital and make any orphan blocks we get into pretty bkankets, etc. I would love to have any! We r a small group of four yet last year alone we made 750 bkankets and 250 pillowcases and tons of other items.
Hi Jo! I have had a similar problem with short backing…my mother in law’s nursing home used Sharpie to write her name on the quilt I had made for her (they could have spelled it correctly, don’t you think?), even though I had seen an embroidered name label on it! When she passed, I had to cut that section out and replace it, just as what needs done here. I am up for the job of you still want to farm it out. I can get it to Jesse’s Place, a shelter for battered women with children, here in FL (a couple old hours from Gainesville). Thanks for you consideration!
SEWN a label, stupid phone!
For that too-small backing, I wouldn’t rip a thing out. I’d just lay a strip on, right sides together, stitch, flip, and then do the binding. The bit of stitching would show on the front, but in the border, and what does it matter anyway? You could also do a similar line of quilting in all four corners and they would look the same from the front.
Whoever gets that quilt will love it just as much. :)
There is a group of 5 of us who sew it the Goebel Adult Center in Thousand Oaks, CA. The only way we survive, is with donations.
If you haven’t found something else, we would be honored to finish it! Our chatities are numerous, kids my stuff, veterans (men and women) are only 2..
I could name at least 6 or 8 more.
I agree with MPV 61. Just lay a piece of fabric right sides together and Stitch it on. Fold it out and trim even with the side of the quilt and sew your binding on. When I make triangle labels for baby quilts and charity quilts I often sew the 2 raw edges into the binding and the folded edge gets sewn down by machine next to the fold.
You could also do a label on the quilt that covers the short-fall on the backing – the label could be long and narrow to fill the whole area that didn’t get covered with the backing. That way all you have to do is sew down the label inside the binding seam allowance and hand sew it down on the two sides that will not be covered with the binding. It will make a great boy quilt. Or maybe one of your child care boys would like to to nap with at your house???