Today I am visiting an old old project that I have never properly shared before. Back in 2018 I took part in a 100 Blocks in 100 Days Challenge with Angie at Gnome Angel using the Tula Pink City Sampler. I completed all the blocks and I turned it into my Orange and Green 100 Blocks Quilt.
It was a real fun project to work on, at a time in my life my kids were very diddy, it was something I could work on to hone my patchwork skills. I learnt a lot. One of my favourite things I learnt was my love of the 6″ block. It’s actually 6.5″. That size fits in well with a tiny project.
Orange and Green 100 Blocks
I decided to split my blocks into 50’s to make 2 different quits for my kids. Orange and Green. I didn’t want another massive quilt for me. I wanted to put all the hard work into something that I could share with my two tiny people. So here are the 2:
For My son. He has the green one. His got made up first, he’s the oldest after all. For both quilts I used a staggered patchwork. I don’t normally work with such plain colour borders. It was a big deal for me to buy a lot of fabric in one colour and roll with it.
He adores it. I had pulled out all the “boy” colour blocks to add into his quilt and even with some hints of purple and pink I think it worked out really well. He lives under it nowadays.
Both are backed with fleece rather than cotton. I haven’t gone for quilting them, they are quite simply bagged and tagged! Don’t get me wrong, I love a quilt but sometimes in the interest of getting a patchwork top finished I just like this simple approach of sewing, turning and it and being finished.
The Girls Quilt is in Orange. She has all the pink and “girl” colour blocks. 2 very different quilts but also very similar. I had took a good 10 month break from making the Boy version to the Girl version. I think that this impacted my littles love of her quilt. She uses it but doesn’t have the same amount of love for it as the boy!
It’s fantastic to have these finished and out for show on the blog. I am very glad that I made the time to start making this back in 2018. At a time when my kids would’ve needed myself so much, I prioritised my creative time.
It can be challenging to carve out time for creativity, especially with the demands of young children, but I found that making time for patchwork, even in small increments, was a way to recharge and nourish my own well-being.
As a parent, it’s easy to get caught up in the busyness of daily life, but dedicating time to a craft you love, like patchwork, is more than just a hobby—it’s a form of self-care. It helped me stay grounded, provided a space to relax, and gave me a tangible sense of accomplishment, even on the most chaotic days.
Here are a few tips I found helpful when making time for quilting with little ones around:
- First, work in small, manageable chunks. Even 15 minutes here and there can add up over time.
- Second, don’t be afraid to involve your kids if they’re interested; it can be a great way to introduce them to creativity.
- Lastly, remember that it’s okay if your craft takes longer than you’d like—there’s no rush. The key is to find moments where you can unwind, express yourself, and find joy in the process.
Prioritising a little time for your creative pursuits will not only help you stay connected to yourself, but also set a wonderful example for your children about the importance of following passions.
If you’ve been inspired by my 100 Blocks, 100 Days quilt and creating your own patchwork projects, make sure you sign up to my newsletter to hear about all my latest makes, and sewing fun. I’ll even chuck in a few Make Time for yourself tips along the way…
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