A Quilt Maker's Prerogative

Back in June I won the block of the month drawing at my local quilt guild. There were about 20 blocks. I made a couple more in the days after receiving the set, thinking I would make a couch quilt for myself. Well, time has passed and I've changed my mind.

The blocks are a version of the Seesaw pattern, 12 inches finished. Two of the original blocks were too small to use. The directions for the block offered both a paper pieced option and traditional piecing methods. I suspect a couple of the participants who used paper piecing had some difficulties. I don't blame them at all; my mind doesn't work that way either! I took one of those blocks apart, added a bit of fabric from my own stash, and created two 6" blocks for the Parts Department:

 

I'm not sure what I'm going to do with the other one that's too small. I may take it apart one day. For now it goes into the Parts Department.

So I played around with the rest of the blocks and as I was playing I remembered the effort to provide quilts for those who are receiving chemo treatments in our local hospital. I learned that it's often chilly in the room where the patients sometimes have to sit for hours. Radiation patients are also given quilts at the end of their treatment cycle as a sort of graduation present. These quilts need to be big enough to warm a body but not so big they are cumbersome or get in the way. My 20 Seesaw blocks set 4 x 5 would make a top 48" x 60," a perfect size for this purpose.

I purposefully kept the lightest blocks in the center and used the darker blocks around the perimeter.

Two blocks didn't make the cut. They just didn't seem to fit in.

Once I had the blocks arranged to my satisfaction it didn't take long to set the top. It was a bit startling actually, to be done so quickly! And I don't have to worry about coming up with batting or backing or even the binding. There are other dedicated quilt makers who will take up the project from this point. Woohoo!