Friends and Orphans

Been surfin' the quilter's blogs and have been inspired by all the discussions around orphan blocks and orphan train quilts. What I'm about to show you has been hanging on this sheet in my studio for over a year I bet. It's the best photo I could get; my sewing and cutting tables are in the way and there's no way to get them out of the way! The wall I use for a design wall is not big enough to accomodate this sheet. It's rare for me to work on a bed-size project anymore.

These are friendship blocks I received from members of my local quilt guild a couple of years ago. Technically they are not orphan blocks (in my mind anyway) because they were requested and planned for a specific quilt. But I had always intended to put them together much the same way the orphan train quilts are going together. The problem is getting started! I've had internal debates about whether to frame up any or all of the blocks, whether to use one or more fabrics/prints around or between the blocks, what kinds of compensating units to make to go between blocks, etc. etc. etc. I'm really not any closer to knowing the answers to some of those questions but I do have a fabric picked out to use between any blocks I feel the need to separate. Unfortunately I didn't think to take a picture of it! It's white, with dots of various shades of pink scattered on it. The various shades of pink was essential as there are many different pinks in the blocks!

I certainly don't need to be working on this project right at this moment in time but I am getting tired of having that sheet hanging in front of the closet and having to squeeze around the open bi-fold doors to get out of the room. (I removed the ironing board that normally sits at the end of the table in order to get this shot.) I have a dim memory of those doors being closed when I first put the sheet up. Maybe I need to enlist some help to hold the sheet out of the way to get those closed again. At least the posts about orphan block quilts has stirred up some interest in working on it again! And then there's that whole drawer full of REAL orphan blocks...