Orphan Block Challenge!

I told you about the Orphan Block Challenge, in my previous post.  Last Wednesday, we presented the finished projects at our quilt group.  I have to admit I was excited to see what someone had done with the cowboy boot block I had submitted.  It seemed like it would take forever until someone stood up with the project incorporating a cowboy boot block.  Then finally, Janell stood up and said she had been excited about the block she had gotten for the challenge.  She did not wait to work in it and got it done weeks ago.  Then she held up this fabulous tote-bag with my block on it!  She continued to explain that last fall she had won the 'challenge fabric' quilt block competition at the Customer Appreciation Fun Run, and that she had another of my blocks from that challenge!  She showed us the other side of the bag, and it had the cowboy boot block that I had submitted to Challenge Block Competition the previous year.  Wow! I got both my blocks back in the same fabulous project.  This is a quilted tote bag.

Thank you, Janell. I love, love, love this bag!

The fabric on the shaft of the boot, is  the
challenge fabric from the last challenge
fabric block competition.

I have always entered a block, or four, into the quilt show challenge block competition, but have never won.  I am definitely a winner this time!

This cowboy boot block pattern is in Fons and Porter August 2015 magazine.  I enlarged the pattern by 25%, so it could be used in a 12 1/2" block.

Orphan Block Challenge!

I had a wonderful time at the last Idaho PieceMakerS Meeting, in Kuna.  We all brought our Orphan Block projects and presented them to their owners, all finished in a surprise fashion.

I forgot to take a photo of the finished wall hanging.
Norma took a photo and sent it to me.

The really amazing part was what became of the two orphan blocks I submitted for completion by someone else. 

I made these two blocks at a quilting class in spring 2014. I learned paper piecing and enjoyed the experience, but I did not want to make anymore of these type of blocks for a quilt.  I prefer my own free-style method of making wonky house blocks.  So, these went into the paper bag for the Orphan Block Challenge.  It turns out Mary, picked my bag from the pile on the table and what she brought back, two months later, was a wonderful pleasing surprise to me!  Below are the front and back of the most fabulous tote bag!  The back has the trees block and it is a pocket. She, also, put a pocket on the inside. The bag is lined in navy blue.  Mary is an excellent seamstress and made me feel extra special with this wonderful finished project!

Thank you, Mary!