My great-niece had a fire in her home a year or two ago. I had thought it was a small fire, but found out a few months ago that she had lost quite a few things. Loses included a rag rug that I had knitted for her, two quilts that I had made, and a quilt or two that my mother had made.
When I found out, I was in the process of finishing a quilt made of orphan blocks. You know, the ones that were left over from a project, the ones that were test runs, the ones that didn't come out just right. They had been living in a box in the corner of my sewing room. The orphanage.
Anyhow, I had started a quilt of these in a retreat some time back. But after deciding that it looked like a neighborhood, it needed a community garden. And although I had some fruit and veggie blocks in the orphanage, the garden needed more. So the partially completed top sat for a while.
In my never-ending quest to finish up projects, I made a few more blocks and added them to the community blocks. I decided that Lizz would appricitate a quilt with houses and stars and dogs and a bison and a community garden. So I bordered it and finished it off.
At Easter, I gave the quilt to her sister who was here for a visit. I also sent along a grandmother's flower garden quilt that my daughter had and wasn't that wild about. She has so many quilts and was happy to pass this one on to Lizz.
The rug, alas, will not be replaced. Knitting with strips of fabric is very hard on the wrists and I'm just not up to it anymore.
I love it when it all (well, almost all) works out.
My orphan quilt has a home.
My mother's quilt has a new home.
My daughter knows that Granny's quilt will be used and loved.
My great niece has quilts in her home again.
And I have space in my sewing room for more fabric!
