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This is quilt #8 in the Second Chance Quilt series. Not only am I borrowing Wedding Dress Blue‘s term for this group of quilts but this time, also her design idea, Film at Five Quilt.

I began with this Jelly Roll Race quilt top from my quilt guild’s de-stash table. I wasn’t crazy about it, and I’m guessing I’m not the only one which is probably why it was there to begin with, but I thought it had potential.

My goal is to never use the words “it’s just for charity” and instead, do the best I can with what I have, no matter where I think the quilt may end up. This quilt was no exception.

I used Deanna’s Wedding Dress Blue Film at Five Quilt free pattern and tutorial to turn the top into the quilt below. This version required half as many blocks and a lot less work since I began with strips already sewn together. 🙂

The finished quilt measures 52″ x 68″ and I quilted it with a traditional clamshell design.

I began by de-constructing the top in sections of 5 strips. Then I cross cut them into 2 1/2′ sections. I chose to cut them by hand rather than struggle to line them up just right for the Go! cutter.

Then came the problem. When I pieced 5 strip sections together to form the block I realized that the seam allowances in the original top had been inconsistent. The resulting blocks measured anywhere from 10″ to 10 1/2″. I had no choice but to trim all the blocks to 10″ squares.

Of course that threw the sashing off. I love that detail in design so I had to make it work!

I used leftover pieces and added a 2 1/2″ square of background to make two pieced units. Normally, I’d have sewn the two pieced units together and then added the last print square. Instead, I opted to sew them in the order you see in the left photo above.

I used a 3/8″ seam allowance on both sides of that print square in the middle losing a total of 4/8″ in the sashing strips (2/8″ on each side). This resulted in the unfinished strips measuring 10″, exactly what I needed. You’ll see a slight difference in the dark blue middle square in the photo on the right. It’s not very noticeable in the 31 sashing units unless you know to look for it. (And, you probably didn’t notice until you scrolled back up to check it out, right?)

I’ve only made one Jelly Roll Race quilt myself. It was this one, for my brother’s birthday in 2020. I used a lot of Thimbleberries fabrics, but I gave it a bit more contemporary style by sewing the fabric strips together on the diagonal. I also cut them into half width-of-fabric pieces to mix up the prints a little more. I still had some fall next to each other in the adjacent row. I hate when that happens so it’s the reason I probably won’t use the race quilt method again.

My current project is a group of ten “Second Chance Quilts”. I first read the term coined on the Wedding Dress Blue blog. It’s always so much fun to see what Deanna begins with and then fall in love with her finished quilt.

I never really considered trying it until I found myself looking at quilt tops on a guild de-stash table. Eventually they’d have been donated to a craft resource center if they continued to be passed over. As soon as I saw them, I remembered Wedding Dress Blue and asked myself “why not?”. If I wasn’t willing to give them a second chance, who would? I took two that day and the other eight that were still available a week later.

I’ll show you the five I’ve already finished in a future post.

This is top #6.

It was a nice top but a bit small at 44″ x 53″.

My goal for adult lap quilts is 50″ x 70″. I’ve followed Mary’s blog for years, Making Scrap Quilts From Stash and noticed most of her quilts are in that range. (I’ve tested different size lap quilts myself and I can’t get comfortable laying on the couch with a quilt shorter than 70″.)

If you make an adult quilt any smaller, you really need to know in advance where it’s going., likely a place where a senior might use it while in a recliner or to someone who’s in a wheelchair.

I added a row of blocks to the top and bottom of the quilt and then borders. It finished at 52″ x 72″. It would have hit my target size exactly if I hadn’t added the narrow burgundy inner border that I decided it needed at the last minute.

Luckily, I had the perfect fabric for the border. I can’t remember when or why I bought it, and it’s been on a shelf waiting for the right quilt top. I’m glad one finally came along, and it’s now part of a finished quilt!

Figuring out how to make the quilt blocks was fairly simple. You begin with a pair of 6 1/2″ (unfinished) rail fence blocks. One is made with dark strips and the other with lights. Draw a diagonal line on the back of the light blocks. Next, with right sides of the dark and light blocks together, nest the seams and sew on each side of the line. When you cut them apart and press open, voila! You’ve created two blocks at the same time!

I’m really having fun with these second chance quilts! Although I’m in no hurry to see it end, I’m sure I’ll be ready to get back to my own projects before too long.

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This is how I found myself at a table looking at orphaned quilt tops… I apologize for the length of this story but I know one day I’ll want to come back to this post and remember how it all started. So, here goes…

A member and past president of the guild I belong to several years ago works at our local quilt shop. When I was there last month she told me how much the guild had changed, and in particular the Community Outreach program.

She told me just enough to rouse my curiosity before getting busy with a customer. As I was leaving, she said “you should come to the next meeting”. I did and was immediately inspired.

I met Vivian, the committee chairwoman and she told me about her mission with bins of quilt tops that had been in storage when she took over. I later learned that “a lot” meant 390. Yep, that’s a lot!
She’d also been working simultaneously to completely empty the storage unit because the high rental expense had been such a drain on the guild and was getting close to finishing it.

By the time Vivian stepped up to be the new chairwoman of the Outreach committee, it hadn’t been active in several years. With a vision, a lot of hard work, and a knack for inspiring quilters she brought it back to life!

Other members have since told me about her accomplishments. She figured out a way to get many of the quilts finished and donated by using both traditional and non-traditional ideas. It was obvious how much the respected her and the pride the felt. I can see why! Inspiring volunteers for a committee that had none, meeting the challenge of dealing with an overwhelming number of unfinished quilt tops and figuring out how to completely empty a storage unit too? I’m not sure if she’s a quilt whisperer or a miracle worker – maybe she’s both!

Several volunteers had worked with her to evaluate the many bins of quilt tops after they were sorted into categories for donation (adult, teen/preteen, child/baby). Together as a group, they decided which ones they would be able to keep and finish and which they had to let go. I can only imagine the amount of determination and perseverance it took to get this far. I knew that under the surface there had probably been many hard moments and doubts but it was obvious she had kept those to herself and never gave up.

There are still plenty of tops that need to be finished but they’ve made an unbelievable amount of progress. It’s rare to find a leader who not only possesses the ability to organize, problem solve, and implement a plan but also has the insight to inspire and involve others in the decision making process.

There will be challenges ahead as the Outreach program evolves and members work with their own stash and fabrics as they’re donated. But, where there’s a will, there’s a way” and this group definitely has the will. There is nothing more uplifting than witnessing faith in action.

I look forward to working with them to “make do” with what they have just as the generations of quilters before us did. And, like those woman many years ago, find joy in the process and the fellowship with other quilters.

Before I edited this post, I’d gone into great detail about the reasons that I’m no longer active in the other local guild. The frustrations and disappointments that had me questioning if I even still wanted to quilt. Little did I know.. it wouldn’t take long for me to stumble onto the answer to that question.

I removed all the incidents that I knew I no longer felt like I belonged at the other guild from this post because I’m looking forward, not behind me. I guess I needed to get it out of my system when I first wrote it.

I hope the other guild is able to eventually make a few changes because they’re all nice women. But, change is only possible when you want it enough to work for it and so far, no one does. They may not be ready for change, but I am.. and I did.

While I was editing the post, this popped up in my email… at the very moment I needed to read it.