Progress on Lil' Orphan Scrappy

Quilt retreat was a huge success, and I am happy that I took that brave first step in starting Lil' Orphan Scrappy. I believe I bought the pattern in 2020. I put the quilt on my goals list for 2021, pulled a bunch of fabrics for it, and ultimately, did nothing with it. I believe the first mention of it on the blog is here, and the reference is woefully brief I regret to say.

Mostly undaunted by my inactivity on Lil' Orphan Scrappy, I put it on the 2022 goals list, and finally, I have found myself brave enough to start it. It was as if I'd psyched myself out of it by overthinking my fabric choices and fear of facing such a multi-block effort. This quilt has 70 stars which measure 6.5 inches. And those stars are then turned into economy blocks with surrounds of triangles.

I used this picture in a previous post, but it is the best one readily available which shows the pattern. Lynn Wilder of Sew'n Wild Oaks is the designer, and I have followed her blog of the same name for years. I watched her make the original Lil' Orphan Scrappy way back in the mid-twenty-teens - maybe 2015? - and absolutely loved the variety of her blocks and the use of the scrappy fabrics.

I determined that progress on Lil' Orphan Scrappy would be my main effort at our retreat this week. I now have 40 stars made, parts cut for many more, and would like to think that I could get the remaining 30 stars made in a week. 

Earlier I mentioned that I had been overthinking the fabrics to be used in this quilt. On my goals list for this year, in addition to wanting to make this pattern, I also wanted to use my supply of various William Morris fabrics somehow. I had an "ah-ha" moment several weeks back in which I thought to pair this pattern with these fabrics. 

I am quite glad for the decision. I am loving how these stars look. Here are a few select ones to get an idea of the variety this quilt will contain.

Making the stars is the current and ongoing task. After all 70 are constructed, I will then go back through my fabrics to select the fabrics for the outer triangles - those are to be a precise mix of light and dark fabrics with the end result having the darker triangles helping to form a border on the quilt. 

Happy Quilting, Friends!