What would you do with an orphan panda cub?

You know after telling Finn there was no way I could play her orphan game because I just don't seem to make orphan blocks what do I find but a little baby panda all alone and abandoned - aaaaaahhh!

Going back to before my youngest started school almost six years ago we said a fond farewell to the mums and toddlers group I'd been going to for nine years with one or another or more of my three kids

It was held at a local evangelical church each Wednesday afternoon and was (and still is) run by the members of the congregation, partly as an outreach of the church, and partly as a facility for local families. It was more than your usual mums and toddlers, they helped if you were ill, sent a present for any newborn arrival in your family and were massively supportive to me when I had post-natal depression after the birth of my youngest

We'd had some very happy memories and I was so sad to stop going once mine had all gone to big school.

Not surprisingly the group was called 'Noah's Ark' so I made them a Noah's Ark wallhanging as a thankyou for all the support, fun and fellowship they'd given our family over the years.

The only photo I have of the finished object is on paper and as our scanner isn't working I can't really give you a particularly clear picture of it

This is the best I could do with a photo of a photo

The whole thing measured about 2'6" wide by 4' tall and had Noah's Ark buttons fastening the top tabs

The animals, rainbow, sun and ark were all hand appliqued and the creatures all came from various animal fabrics I had in my stash

Originally when I decided to make a wallhanging I thought about paper piecing various animals but only got as far as completing the panda - that took long enough and I felt sure I would lose the will to live if I were to make a whole arkfull hence changing to plan B to go down the applique route.

As far as I know it still hangs up in the stairwell of the church, nicely out of direct sunlight but where all the children can see as they go to do messy activities in the lower room.

The other day on rooting through one of my craft drawers one of the children pulled out the poor little orphaned panda from the original plan A - he didn't even have any facial features then

I merrily drew his face and thought he'd make a splendid start for another kiddies quilt for the Womens' Refuge

And here we are so far - it now measures about 2'6" across so I'll have to persuade someone to go into the loft and retrieve some more bright green, red and yellow fabric while they're up there looking for my little blue dutch fabrics to enable me to make it grow to a more useable 4ft square.

It's always nice to make something out of newly re-discovered treasure