Switch Plate Quilt and Rainbow Blocks

 Welcome to Treadlestitches!

I have a finish for Finished or Not Friday!  It's just a little one, a baby quilt to donate, that measures approximately 36 in. x 42 in.

It's made from 72 Switch Plate blocks, set 6 across and 12 down.  I am so inspired by all the quilters who blog and share what they're making.  When Cynthia from the Oh Scrap blog started making these little blocks, I could not resist dragging out my scraps and sewing some, too.  (Click HERE for her first post on it, back in April.)  From there, it just got out of hand.  (Are you making some, too?)

I love rectangular quilt blocks.  The pieces can be cut from two sizes of the strips in my "parts department".  In this case, they're cut from either 1.5 in. or 3.5 in. strips.

Mine are slightly different from Cynthia's.  I used a light fabric for the centers.  When I started it, I was just trying to use up the light 1.5 in. strips.

 (This photo is after washing, when the quilt got That Crinkly Look.)

My first grade Buddy and I arranged the blocks on the floor back in July.  That's when I got the weird idea to think of the design as card catalog drawers, instead of switch plates.  

Back in the 1970s when I was first working in libraries, the computer age was barely beginning.  The card catalog was the only way to find books, and we spent enormous amounts of time creating, updating, and filing cards.  I am VERY thankful those days are over, and we have much better access to materials in modern times.  Now, as a retired school librarian, I can let myself feel a little nostalgia for the old days.

If the blocks are pretending to be catalog drawers, of course they had to be set horizontally. The light strip is like a label for the drawer, telling what's inside.

We grouped the blocks by label, and then I arranged them alphabetically.  (No surprise, I'm a big believer in alphabetical order.)  We have alphabets, bears, bugs, butterflies, dots (4 different kinds), donuts, feathers, paw prints, roses, and squiggles.

It's a pretty silly idea, really, but it was fun.  I used up a lot of small scraps, and the quilt will be colorful and cozy for its new owner.

 The border is the last of my dark blue Dr. Seuss fabric. 

I had this cute print in my stash to use for the back.

In other news, I've been trying to figure out exactly what I'm going to do with my Rainbow Scrap Challenge blocks.  You might think I would have had time to make a plan, being as we all worked on these ALL YEAR LONG, but no, as usual I waited til the last color (green) was named.

I finally decided I need 3 more of each color of the Split Nine Patch blocks.  When you factor in 8 colors, that's 24 more blocks to make.  I sewed the extra green ones first, of course!

I also made red ones, 

and orange ones.  I tried to use at least a few fabrics that were different from the first group of blocks.  It was easier because I have had a great year of buying cute second hand fabric (more on that another time).

Meanwhile, these stacks of blocks keep piling up as I use them for leaders and enders.  (I put the green blocks on top in honor of the RSC color of the month.)  I'm not sure it's possible to ever catch up with my UFOs.  Shoot, I'm not even sure I want to!  I'm planning on quilting for a long time yet.

But it's a good idea to take snack breaks! My little guys are very fond of an after-school snack together.  

Can you tell they helped me decorate for fall?  Our Buddy is very excited about reptiles right now.  Lizards and snakes are everywhere.  Thank goodness they are just plastic.  Aren't they???

In spite of the crazy weather, including a tornado warning on Wednesday, we had a good week.  I hope you've had a good week, too.

Cheers for reading,

Sylvia@Treadlestitches

Linking up with:

Alycia at Finished or Not Finished Friday

Angela at SoScrappy

Cynthia at Oh Scrap