The Genesis of the Gold-Dolinger Project

Reducing the 16-patch to a 9-patch

In the beginning, there were 50 16-patch blocks rescued from Goodwill by Jane Gold. These vintage blocks ended up with me. The blocks include upholstery fabrics, what looks like what was once a sheet and assorted scraps of, I’m not sure what.

I hate to waste anything. I know the woman who assembled these blocks is (was) frugal. There are six different threads used in one of her 16-patch blocks. She improvised where there was not enough matching fabric for 16 blocks.

If anyone can help with the dilemma of “What to do with this rare find?” it is Aby Dolinger.  After a couple of emails and looking back at her blog post on “Connie’s Quilt Tops”   (You can read more here http://abyquilts.wordpress.com/?s=connie) I decided to try the Scrappy Nine Patch.  I’ll use the extra seven blocks removed from the 16-patch as a border.  Or maybe as part of the backing.

I’ll post my progress on what is now affectionately titled The Gold-Dolinger Project.

Spring Migration QAL With Aby Dolinger

My top is complete!  This is a fun pattern to make.  I enjoyed working on one step each week.

Step 6 is quilting, binding and backing.  I’ll select a backing and binding fabric, make my binding and send my top off for quilting.

If you would like to make your own Spring Migration, a free pattern is available at Abyquilts.wordpress.com.  (HTTPS://abyquilts.wordpress.com/patterns/)

Animals Need Quilts Too

More small kennel quilts

I dropped off donations, which included 19 small kennel quilts, to Walter Crowe Animal Shelter today.  Shelter personnel are so appreciative.  The shelter will relocate this summer and I’m anxious to see the new facility.

“The Quilt Pattern Magazine Small Kennel Quilt Team is a volunteer organization that is available when disasters strike. It is a way to join a larger effort to help our animal friends in times of need by doing what we love.”

Thank you to my quilting friends who donated all the batting used in these 19 quilts.  Those small scraps are the perfect size for these little quilts.

Blue Blocks Left Behind

These blue blocks were left behind last weekend after our guild charity sew day, Sewlicious.  I picked them up with plans to sew them together in time to turn in at the next meeting.  I quickly realized that the blocks varied in finished size by as much as 1/2″.  The smaller blocks were unstitched and the strips are all sewn back together to finish at 8 1/2″.  Now to get these stitched in to four-patches and rows.

Disappearing Nine Patch

Ta-Da!  The Disappearing Nine Patch is finished and ready to turn in at the next guild meeting.  Even though this charity quilt came to me as a kit, the pattern offers many options for personalization.  Once the 9 patch is cut into four subunits, you have two options to reassemble the blocks.  When your blocks are assembled, you have two layout choices.  I enjoyed the opportunity of adding my personal touch to this charity quilt kit.

Now I need to get back to my Spring Quilt-A-Long with Aby Dolinger.

The Featherweight is Humming

Now that Sewlicious is history and most of the furniture is back in place, I can get back to sewing.  One of the charity kits I started working on during Sewlicious is a Disappearing Nine Patch.  Another guild member selected the fabrics.  The batik with pink and turquoise trees works great with the turquoise and pink coordinating fabrics.  This pattern, designed by Beth Karr, is fun, easy and is going together quickly.

I Pulled a Pineapple Out of the Trash

If you have ever “cleaned” the home of anyone who lived through The Depression, there is no doubt you filled a trash bag or two with twist ties, bakery string and aluminum foil.  Stuffing trash bags and shaking your head.

Do you remember back to your childhood when you could return a soda bottle to the local market for a 3 cent refund?  And then spend that 3 cents on three pieces of penny candy that you shared with your two best friends?

Maybe it is nostalgia that has me saving fabric scraps and repurposing them in to quilts.  Some of you may recognize the scraps in this pineapple quilt.  Many of these 1 1/2″ strips were claimed from my gifted ‘bag of fabric’ headed for the trash.

The center block of a pineapple quilt is normally cut at 2 1/2″.  My block starts with a 4 1/2″ center to include a larger picture of the cat fabric.

After finishing the sashing, border and quilting, this quilt will be given to the Walter Crowe Animal Shelter to help raise funds for the new facility they will move in to this Summer.

Don’t Throw That Out!

A few weeks ago, I was the lucky recipient of a trash bag filled with fabric scraps.  If you are not a quilter, this is the equivalent of winning the lottery.   One top made from this trash bag of scraps is Mosaic Quilt (free pattern at studioefabrics.com – look under Essentials 9 collection).  Most of these fabrics are from a collection, how lucky is that?, so they work together well.  Some of the sashing fabric is from my trash bag; I did have to add some.  The quilt pattern finishes at 52″ X 52″ so I will add an additional border to enlarge it.

How lucky to run in to the donor of these scraps while shopping for border fabric at Pieces and Patches.   I think she secretly wanted her “trash” back!  This was intended as a charity quilt from the beginning and this coincidence presented an opportunity to ask where she wanted the quilt donated.  We both agreed that ‘Trash Bag Mosaic Quilt With Added Border’ will be earmarked for WJB Dorn VA Hospital.