Two years ago (I was shocked to realise it has been that long), I decided to start a new quilt from scraps. I had planned to make at least one block each month as part of my Bee, Myself and I project: a solo bee for which I would make a quilt block each month until I had a quilt top. Sadly, after I made the first two blocks, I fell out of love with the idea of the scrap quilt, even though I did finish a different quilt top in monthly increments in 2016.
During my January tidy of my sewing room, I rediscovered those first two scrappy blocks and thought perhaps I could repurpose them into humidicrib quilts.
I unpicked strips from both sides of each block and added more pieces until they came up to size. Well … they almost came up to size.
The important step that I missed was measuring the blocks before I started. Somehow, I had it stuck in my head that they were 16-inch blocks. They are actually 15-inch blocks, so instead of making two 16-by-24-inch quilts, I made two 15-by-23-inch quilt tops. Uh oh! I checked with a very knowledgeable former community quilts coordinator, and she reassured me that their being a whisker undersized will not prevent them from finding a good home. Phew!
Reassured, I quilted them with stipples or loops and sewed on some binding. Thankfully, in the intervening two years I had not used up all the fabrics, and I had enough grey and teal to cut binding strips. I even had enough grey to cut my binding on the bias!
I quilted this one in loops.
I quilted this one in an all-over stipple.
When the binding is included, they are 15½ by 23½ inches, so not too far off the ideal size.
Now, I can proudly tick these off my UFO list. The blocks were not finished according to my original block-a-month plan, but they are finished.
I need to pick up the projects that fell off my radar in the chaos of 2017, but my free time will be limited this year, so I think it will be more important than ever to allow myself to make things in small increments each month. I really should get back on track with my solo bee.
Anyone is welcome to join in and set their own solitary sewing bee goals. The details and a button are here.
Granny Mauds Girl 
What a great way to repurpose the blocks, and I’d say that they are so close to the desired size that no one will be the wiser.
Gorgeous! I’m sure none of the baby recipients will be infant Quilt Police officers, and you won’t get any complaints from the mothers, either!
I’ll still be posting my Bee, Myself and I work at the end of the month because it suits me and doesn’t conflict with other work, but I don’t suppose that matters to you? If you’d like to have us all lined up, can you let me know?
Well done you! Im Always a solo bee…
It is always so nice to pull out a UFO and finish it off. Frees me up to think of new ideas. These quilts will add color and warmth (physical and emotional) to the neonatal units. One of the best repurposes of orphan blocks I have ever seen.💐
Those are great quilts. Well done. We need to start re-purposing orphan blocks for great charity projects like this. I wish we all had lots of free time just for sewing.
Congrats on getting them done. I love the re-purposing – my blocks tend to sit in a plastic 12″ tub and I pull them out once or twice a year! Great way to put them to use.
repurposing is the best!! Erases the guilt and gives a little surge of elation for the finish!!
Nice way to wrap up and move on. You are right that those little ones being kept warm will not complain a bit about a 1/4 ” difference. Our guild has several groups that we support with cot quilts and nursery items, and they are thankful for any contribution they get. I like your Solo Quilt Bee. Sometimes I just need to sew for ME. Usually that is when I dig out the string box and the papers and produce copious amounts of string blocks. (Is January in the Quilter’s DNA for Clean UP month??)
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