Leftover Blocks

In this month of Thanksgiving, where the idea of leftovers makes me drool a little bit, I thought of leftover quilt blocks. We've all got them. Mine are in a drawer. None of them go together. I know I should have artfully sewn them into the backs, but let's face it. By the time the top is done, I just want the back to be done too. I really admire those who make fantastic backs. And because there are those kind of quilters out there, I don't feel badly being the kind of quilter I am. There's a need for all of us.

The anal and organized side of me wishes I had made an extra block of each quilt I've ever made to put them all together each decade or so in some wild quilt tributing my creation. And then someone needs me, or is over needing someone else in the room, and I'm brought back to reality.

So since the cold weather is officially here (we weren't even done raking leaves!), that means gloves and mittens galore at our house, too. And if your kids are like mine, we're always relearning putting everything in its spot. However, ours don't really have a spot. Last winter everyone's, including mine, were in one big bag at the bottom of the hall closet. Not this year. I don't need one of my gloves on the cabbage patch's hand, and the other at the bottom of the toy bin downstairs . . . again. One of my friends hung one of those plastic over the door shoe racks inside her hall closet, and the kids use the pouches for their winter gear. Very good idea, but it doesn't work in our closet.


I had the left over blocks from Robin's quilt on my desk over the weekend still (some days the Slowskys live here), and my daughter began toting them around. Since I'm always looking for something fun to do with her, we made this little bag for her mittens and hat. She is the most organized two year old I've ever seen. She'll get mad if we make her go to bed while she's still cleaning up. So she not only loved the idea of using my sewing machine, but she loved creating more organization.

The bag turned out sloppy and quick, but that's kind of like her, so we're good. She hung it on the hooks in her room, and loves it. Now if I can only keep her from towing it all over the house . . .