UFO alert: QuiltUberFest blocks

About three years ago, a bunch of quilters put together original designs for quilt blocks, and called it the UberQuiltFest. The quilt-along was, quite frankly, a flop. The fabrics weren't well-chosen, it didn't catch the enthusiasm of the zeitgeist modern quilters of the time, and I'm maybe a handful of people finished it.

I made about four blocks, printed out another three, and eventually finished those. But then I had seven blocks (a really unwieldy number for a quilt) and nothing to do with them.


Fast forward three years. I found the blocks, had a bunch of fabrics out, and decided I'd go for one more block (eight is a good number; there are many things that can be done with eight blocks) and then see if it spoke to me.

I actually rather liked this block - it came together well, the seams set beautifully, and I fussy-cut some Mendocino for the centre.


Once it was done, I laid them out.

I have eight blocks; I could divide the eight blocks up into two, and make two single quilts for kids. Sisters, perhaps, from a DV situation, or refugees. That would be my goal. I don't know how I'll get it quilted - that's something I may need to work out with someone local: perhaps one of the women at SCQuilters might agree to do it gratis? At any rate, it's a donation, intended for siblings, and I'd like to make more of them for other children and families seeking shelter from untenable situations.

I was hungry and you fed me,
I was thirsty and you gave me water,
I was homeless and you gave me shelter.
I don't talk about my faith much, which perhaps is a problem. Western Christianity focuses on comfort and blessing and being happy and contented, as though that's what we were made for. And we weren't. Christians are called to serve God, not just in the church but outside of it, to be the hands and heart of God among those who don't care for Him and maybe don't want to. That's a hard calling to follow and I've been challenged a lot to think about what it means in the last year.


This is one of the things that I'm going to start doing - and not just thinking about doing. It'll be slow - I have a lot of things on my plate - but it's something I can do and which I hope will make a difference in the lives of the families these quilts go to.

The plan for these two quilts is to fill the other blocks with nine-patches in various fabrics - mostly purples, with a few other colours to give it pop. Make two 3x4-block quilts (I've laid them out as 4x4 in the photo, I know), which means making another 16 blocks from 4.5" squares.

If I do one a night, that's done in three weeks. And that will be one more UFO out of my hair, which is an all-around YAY.

It occurs to me that I could do much the same thing with another set of blocks I have which are no longer speaking to me. I think I've had those ones since 2012, too.

TIME TO GET THE RETHINKAMOBILE MOVING, BATMAN!