Quilt for Mexico & Library Project update

Last Christmas,  Alison at Little Island Quilting wrote a blog post about her visit to a Children's home in Mexico City.  She put the request out for quilts or quilted blocks that could be donated to brighten up the bedrooms and give the kids something warm and comforting of their own.  Wanting to contribute I've been thinking about what I could make.  Cindy, at Fluffy Sheep Quilting, made a lovely charm quilt from Moda Bake shop and that got me thinking.  Bright coloured charms might be good.

One of the magazines I'd used for a Library project earlier, (use the books on our shelf and make something from them!) had a simple charm square pattern that I thought could work.   Flicking through Creative Quilting, I found this quilt designed by Sally Ablett. 

Given time is moving on so quickly and it's March already, I wanted to get a move on.  Alison will be making shipments throughout the year but as last weekend, for Paddy's day, we had Monday off, I took Tuesday off  as well with the hopes of spending the whole day sewing (there was a little bit of cleaning, but only a little bit!)  When I made my first quilt from charm squares, I had a bundle of gingham that I had never done anything with and cut it up into 5" squares.  I had started blocks for a bed quilt but well, sewing the same 4 things together with sashing got a bit boring so I put them away in a plastic box thinking I'd pick it back up again.  That was just over a year and a half ago! 

So I picked a few out and attacked them with the seam ripper until I had 42 squares.  I really like the pattern arrangement and filled the spaces with jelly roll strips and squares of Moda Bella white.

White might not have been the best colour to choose for kids but it is bright and cheery.  There is a skinny border so I cut up strips of Kona Azure.  I really like this blue, this is the last of it from my stash.

I love how it frames the 5" white border and just gives the quilt a bit of personality!

For the last border, I ran out of White so I used a snow coloured cotton I had from Ikea.  I'm happy with it with the Azure strip separating the two (really hoping it stands up to repeated washing).  I'm thinking of Kona Peacock for binding!

Alison is based in the Netherlands, and is accepting quilts and quilted blocks.  If anyone outside of Europe wants to contribute and donate a quilted block, she is putting them together using Ann Peterson's quilt blocks as you go method.  Alison explains the process and some of the beautiful quilts assembled on her blog and Ann has given her permission to share this technique.  Do check it out, the quilts look lovely and colourful and she has a really good way of explaining how to assemble the blocks.  (I love Ann Peterson!  Her Craftsy classes are brilliant and she has the best spray basting tutorial on her blog here.)

So now I have to figure out what to use for backing but for the meantime if you have a single solitary spare charm pack and are wondering what to do with it, this kind of quilt top may be an option.  It measures 64.5" square.  (Cindy could this be a project for your Noteworthy?)  

Linking up to Whoop Whoop Fridays,  TGIFF, 

and a little bit late to