Are you a fan of the traditional 8-point star or feeling that friendship star calling you? Let us know! Take the poll right here: bit.ly/WhichStarPoll_fs
The Friendship Star makes a lovely contrast. The poll didn't work for me. Thoroughly enjoyed this video Natalie and Liz. Thanks for taking the time to make this content for your viewers.
My husband's aunt had a quilt her grandmother made that was so loved it was falling apart. She took the salvageable blocks and had them framed. Then at a family reunion we were all told to take one if we wanted. Appropriately the block was Grandmother's Fan. I never knew Grandma Bessie, but when I opened the back of the frame to touch that fabric I felt the love she put into it. Now I pray for the person whe gets the quilts I make and I give it a good strong hug before I turn it over. I hope they will feel the love I put into the quilt.
I inherited a bunch of blocks that my great grandmother made in the 30s. They were threadbare and made out of old clothes or maybe flower sack material you could see light through them when I say threadbare that’s what I mean. I squared them after I put a lightweight fusible on the backs to stabilize them because they were hand pieced and I didn’t want them to come apart then I squared them and put them in a wall hanging for my father so he could look at it and see his grandmother and me in the quilt
I did something very similar with blocks i inherited from my late grandmother for my dad. I named my project, decades apart and put my name and grandma's on the label. 😊
@@angelavorhees5946 I put a label on too, he read it and was taken aback and touched because he didn’t realize at first that I had the blocks. It touched him I think and that was every quilters dream 😍
@@sarahtilly1293 yes it is every quilters dream i agree and my dad was touched also. It brought a tear to his eye becuase he remembered one of the fabrics from a shirt grandma had made him as a boy. It means a lot to him and i was glad i could make it for him and use those blocks so long after they were originally made.
My cousin is sending me some quilt blocks made by our great-great-grandmother to put together and preserve as a family history quilt. I am 67 years old - do the math and that makes these blocks very old. I'm a new quilter so this video was so very helpful. Thank you, Natalie!
I love Natalies presentations in this series. She is calm, practical and thoughtful. Congrats again to Missouri Star quilt company. You keep me company. Marg from Australia.
I lost my mom 7 years ago. I got into sewing after inheriting her stuff including ufo and blocks. I feel in love with sewing as a result of wanting to get good enough to finish her ufo and do something with the blocks. Very special. Thanks for this episode
I inherited a set of Sun Bonnett Sues from my husband's great-grandmother back in 1995. They were all done on sugar sacks from a sugar factory in Colorado Springs and "vintage" fabrics. The Sues were hand-stitched and for some reason I decided NO machine was touching those!! 20+ years it took me to finish it the Sues *were* all hand-stitched, but I did put it all together with a machine (I came to my senses)
So, lately I have been making a matching organizer with the leftover blocks/fabric that I have. I make the blocks into little pockets on a larger piece of fabric that I machine quilt. Then it can slide in between the mattress and either the box spring or the frame.l and just have the pockets hang out . I made one for each side of my own bed. I have all sorts of goodness in these pockets. TV remote, chargers, a tablet, a book that I’m reading. Whatever I want. I even have a larger pocket behind the quilt blocks that holds my laptop. They are so handy! I wish I could attach a picture. I just had a perfect idea! Misty should do a live on one of these 😱😊😎
I inherited my mother's stash, which included SOO MANY orphan blocks. Some of them with the patterns, some of them just a random blocks. Putting them together, while using her machines is like having a conversation with her. This is a great video. Thank you.
I love "orphan blocks" and my quilting sisters give me theirs and blocks they have inherited. I have made many beautiful quilts and throws for our seniors out of them. I have used your methods many times to get them usable. Well worth the time.
Thank you, Natalie, for these ideas about using extra blocks. I would like to see you demonstrate what to do with leftover blocks that are not the same pattern or in the same colors.
I took a very worn log cabin quilt and cut out the good pieces One long piece made a table runner. A large square from the middle made a table topper. A smaller piece made a bolster pillow and lots of single squares made pot holders. Fun way to keep and use vintage quilt.😍
Sometimes when I have leftover quilt blocks and bits I use them to make a matching but interesting backing. That way it uses the leftovers up and is less backing to purchase.
I have blocks from my maternal grandmother which are 90 yrs old ( my mother is 96!)- you’ve inspired me to incorporate them into a special lap quilt for my mother. Thank you for the tips and thought process, love the freedom it opened my eyes to see❣️😊
You can guess that the originator of these blocks was perhaps unhappy with how they turned out -- maybe knowing she'd lose her points, and likely simply abandoned her project. But how great is it that Jenny found them and Natalie has given them a new life. Not all perfect points, but who cares? So much more important to have something useful out of these orphan blocks! Super-fun complementary modern fabric, I think it really makes those "found" blocks sing. Well done, Natalie. Thanks for showing how to 'save' inherited blocks. ~Diana K.
You show such love, care and respect for those blocks that took so much precision and effort to get done. I’m sure that person would be thrilled that her blocks are in your tender, loving hands.
We have huge embroidered squares our older sewing ladies have done. Beautiful work. Takes 12 to make a quilt, but have some sets of only 6. I finally sashed 6 together to make lap size quilts. Planning to donate to a nursing home. I found some orphan blocks and saw Jenny's chicken pin cushion tutorial. So made some of those. I still have a few star blocks from very old material. I like the alternating block style you showed first. Trouble is matching those older colors!!
This is the most useful video I have found. I inherited a lot of depression feed sack quilt blocks from my Great Grandmother that I wanted to do something with for my relatives so we all have some. I was considering framing them but I think pillows or stockings depending on the recipient would be perfect.
I use leftover blocks to make an “after quilt” around the label on the back of the quilt. It uses up blocks and leftover HSTs, and adds to the story of the quilt. Would love to see how you repair older quilts. We all have one that we’re afraid to work on!
Eight point star. 25 years ago I bought some quilt blocks that were like what you started with. I found an older pieces of curtains that was small stripe. Like men’s shirts. I attached the blocks to the background with leaving the ragged edge.I used black thread to attach. I thought they looked cute. One bigger went in the center off the grouping. I have had them on the wall in my sewing room for 25 years.
I have a box full of dresden blocks from the 1940s. They are not consistent sizes, so you've given me some ideas for making them work. Thanks Natalie and Liz!
When my mother downsized into a retirement home, My sister got all her fabric. There were boxes of cut squares(?). After she had completed more than 20 of her unfinished quilts, she was going to throw them out. I saved them and have made 3 quilts to date. I have 2 more to complete with the last of those pieces. Of course I had to square up as best I could every single one of those squares. But those quilts are precious to me regardless.
OMG... Finally retired and found so many blocks from classes throughout the years. Now I can put away the guilt of unfinished quilts. Glad I see stayed within two color families-- red, white, & blue, and black & white. Thanks, Nat ❤💚💙💜
I like how the traditional star matches the blocks. I made a lap quilt out of a variety of different sized leftover squares and rectangles by putting black sashing between.
Natalie, This is an awesome tutorial. Thank you for the advice! Also, I love the peg board backdrop...could MSQC sometime tell us about how you constructed it and added the cross stitches? Have a great day!!
Thank you Natalie and Liz! Love this series Natalie! And especially loved this episode. As always thank you for sharing your wonderful talents, inspiration and insights. Love you sweet girl.
Natalie- Thank you for your clear and concise instructions. I get a sense that you are very knowledgeable of your subject matter and that you are confident as a teacher.
Wonderful ideas on how to make and old quilt come alive again. I was given a quilt when i was in High school 1969 by a neighbor, someone had given it to her when she was young and I still have it. It need some love and you have given me a lot of information that I hope that I can do something with my old quilt. Love the vidio.
I look forward to every one of your Final Stitch videos and love Liz’s involvement as well. You work well as a team and compliment each other because you both have varied input and everything is not always just wonderful in the sewing room.
Thanks for doing this tutorial. I have some old blocks from an aunt and my grandmother which’s I have been “afraid “ to use. You’ve given me some confidence to go ahead.😊
I like the 8 pt. Star. I had extra blocks after completing my daughters king quilt and I turned them into curtains for her bedroom and I also made two bolster pillows. Thank you Natalie. I love your videos!
Thank You, Natalie!!! I have some old blocks that my Granny had...her friends used to give her finished blocks to share the patterns, I've never had the heart to toss them and had no idea what to do with them. Now, I have lots of ideas!!!
Just a note about Missouri Star. They have excellent customer service and the people are very friendly and helpful. Currently shipments are a little slow because of covid, but they're working their butts off and trying to please their customers. They respond to inquiries or problems very quickly. I'm happy with this company (less so with Fedex).
I have made extra single blocks into candle mats to use under lamps or on a dresser. I use the extra blocks as practice pieces to work on free motion quilting.
Oh goodness! I loved this episode! So many memories of watching my Grandmother hand-piecing quilt tops. She is the one that sparked the interest to quilt! When she passed away, my Mother gave me her trunk full of goodies. There were several quilt tops that need to be quilted and one hexigon/diamond top that still has her needle in it! I cried when I saw that! All her quilts were hand pieced and quilted. In her trunk I found bundles of pieces wrapped in old newspaper that she hadn't got to sewing up yet. I haven't tried to sew any of the pieces - I think I'm afraid of messing up her idea. When it comes to sashing, I think she included that in her bundles. Whether any will need it, remains to be seen. I just need to get in there and try to make sense of what she was trying to put together.
Always inspirational, adding borders and sashing to my charity shop found blocks this rainy afternoon. I'd already decided my blocks are going to become pockets on bags for Christmas shoe boxes.
Hello Nat. Good to see you working with Old blocks. I am very old but I have found some Sun Bonnet Sue blocks that my grand mother made. I wanted to use them for mt three great grand daughters all born summer of 2022. Two of them chose to frame theirs and I liked that idea. Then I found one of Overall Sam . I. Have one great great grandson so maybe his mom will choose to fram this one for his room. Enjoy your segments of quilting.
Love this! I like the full star in the center. I use my left over blocks on the back side of the quilt and sometimes will cut one up to make the label.
I inherited 6 point star flour sack quilt blocks from my great grandmother, ❤and you are the only place I could find a natural muslin to match so I could finish it.
Great job with the inherited blocks. It's hard to finish off someone else's project. They are usually not finished because of the problems you discover. They couldn't figure out how to fix it.
Excellent tutorial ! I have 2 quilt tops my great grandmother made and 1 quilt my great aunt made that is falling part I need to try to save. THe tops are in prettty dang good shape made “about” 1920-1960s . My Aunt’s was made about 1915-1925. This aunt I adored so I am trying to save it as much of it as I can. The silk in it , time has not been kind. THe batting on this one is an old blanket. Many pieces of clothing were used instead of fabric. SO afraid to handle it. BUt I need to try to save it. SO this tutorial helped. THank you
Natalie, I like watching you take a little more time to show details. I like a variety of star... I liked how the winter star looked. I like how MSQC has their star in the logo.
Natalie, you did such a great job with the renegade blocks. I found a stack of old flower basket blocks that I put together too. I even removed a basket, used it as a pattern to applique a new basket with a little brighter fabric. They were 30s fabrics and I had some on hand. It turned out great. I paid to have it hand quilted and she did a beautiful job.
I make inherited blocks into doll quilts & sometimes use on the back as a label. I did a block of the month I did ended up with a few smaller blocks so I added coping strips to make them all the same size. I enjoy Natalies videos!
Thank you Natalie, Liz and MSQC for a very helpful tutorial on orphan blocks. I have three I bought at a quilt show, this has helped me figure out how I want to finish them. Friendship star has my vote.
Thank you Natalie. I have blocks I made for a block of the month about 20 years ago that weren't sized the same when I finished. You inspired me to finish the quilt as the colors are still my favorite and the blocks are very detailed. So what if they aren't the same size, I will make them so!
Thank you Natalie. I now know how to add fabric extenion to a block that has been hangiing around for some years. Not sure what I will do with it, but ar least I can make it square.
You are so creative and inspirational. This video was so helpful. I love watching you actually create “on the fly”. I hope you do more impromptu creations with odds and ends.
I just recently went through all of my orphan blocks and made table toppers, table runners, hot pads, and dish mats. It was a fun project and put to good use a ton of leftover blocks.
Natalie, I love your show. I have two double wedding ring quilts that were made by great-grandmothers on both sides of the family. I had decided to cut them apart and make two baby blankets for my grandchildren for when they have children. Now, I’m thinking that a little pillow might be a better idea. That way I could find better pieces of the quilts. My mother-in-law, god love hurt, had no understanding of fabrics and storage. She kept my husband’s quilt in a box in the garage rafters of the garage, in Miami Florida! Thanks for all your tips and demonstrations.
For some time now, I have been doing mostly scrappy quilts, and they have mostly pieced backs. (Anybody want to buy them !!! :) Sew anyway, I have been trying to incorporate any leftover or orphan blocks into the backs to use them up ! Another thought for leftover blocks is to make tote bags with them ! (Sometimes those leftover blocks are leftover for a reason - wrong color combo, seams don't match, or just plain ugly !! You could use those as the lining for a tote bag and no one would be the wiser !! )
This is a great tutorial. I have some quilt blocks that I inherited from my mother. They are at least 20 years old. I've been thinking of turning them into small wall hangings for my sisters and me. The idea of putting colorful sashing or a star of some kind never occurred to me. I really liked the friendship star with the red and yellow batik blocks.
I think I have a partially finished quilt from my mom. I've left it in a box, useless to everyone, but I will pull it back out tonight and view it through new eyes!
Love your shoe Natalie after Jenny you are my next favourite. I love that you are respecting these lovely blocks. Love the there pattern play when you did the big blue and white quite. My husband wants me to make it as well - I think it was the Ohio square but not I hundred perfect saved video an took photo. You are so creative.
Friendship star, definitely. Also, other uses for orphan blocks is to make a table runner, or add them to the backing of a quilt to jazz up the back side.
