Sunday 10 January 2010

What WAS I thinking of? .............

.............. so, there I was. 120 blocks made (6" blocks too, what was I thinking of when I started this?).  These blocks had to be turned into 12 rows with 10 blocks in each and the layout of each row was a little different to the others.  I ask again, what was I thinking of when I started this?  I checked each row and pressed as I went cos there were bias edges, and lots of points in these little blocks.  Everything was looking good.  No stretching, lovely pointy points.  Perfect, even if I do say it myself.  Next, turn my 12 separate rows into a quilt top, making sure I was adding the rows in the right order.  Easy, shouldn't take long, should it?  Sew 6 rows together, then sew the other 6 rows together, then sew the 2 halves together, and stop for the day and go and cook dinner, then press it all after dinner.  I felt very smug about how much I'd achieved.  Then I started pressing it.  Why, oh why hadn't I checked as I added each row?  You know my pointy points?  Well, where I'd joined the rows, they weren't pointy any more.  I really should have taken it more slowly.  Could I live with it as it was?  No way.  So start unsewing all my rows.  Next day, sit down to put it all together again.  Checking after each row this time.  All looking good UNTIL..... I came to join the two halves together.  Guess what?  They didn't match to create the overall pattern.  (What was I thinking of when I came up with this design?)  What had I done wrong?  Each half was fine.  It took Mr Fixit and I quite a while to work out that I had sewn the 7th row in the position of the 12th row, so no way was it going to work.  Out with my trusty friend the seam ripper again, then resew this half with that rogue row in the right place.  Sew the two halves together and check very, very, very carefully that everything was OK.  So the moral of this story is check everything, every time, even when you know it's right!

So I ask again, "what was I thinking of?"

18 comments:

  1. I know that frustration well, glad it's all come together now, do we get a sneak preview before you quilt it??? Enquiring minds and all that :o)

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  2. the only thing I can say is I feel your pain! What are we thinking sometimes making blocks and quilts with a bunch of points that need to come together nicely? I actually made a block yesterday and 'thought' I was checking, but don't know where my mind was because giving it a final press I saw I had it backwards---sigh. I'm sure it will happen again too...I know me too well! Can't wait to see a picture.

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  3. Unsewing? Oh, no! I hope everything worked out okay in the end.

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  4. It sounds like you're taking your tough day very well!

    It always amazes me when I look down and something is sewn in the wrong place. How did that happen?

    Looking forward to seeing what it is you were working on!

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  5. Some days the seam ripper is like another finger on our hands we use it so often. Other days not so much. I'm glad you were able to diagnose the problem and fix it. I can't wait to see the quilt.

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  6. Doh!!!! Don't you just hate it when that happens! Glad you sorted it out though, can we have a sneaky little peak or is it a surprise?

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  7. Sometimes the quilts which "fight back" during construction are the ones we end up loving the most when completed.

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  8. Oh man! I can relate with your experience. Several posts ago I showed a Buggy Barn chicken quilt that I had lost several of the points on the beaks. I must be o.k. with it tho because I didn't bother to go back and redo them. I just appliqued a few beak points where needed. Can't wait to see this quilt.

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  9. You were think...that you didn't want your seam ripper to get rusty!!
    Can't wait to see the finished quilt!! Got to check out those points! ;o)
    Take care!
    Paulette

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  10. I hate it when I'm staring at a quilt and I know it has to be right but somehow it just... isn't..

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  11. This one really is a labour of love! Hope the quilting goes according to plan - can't wait to see it.

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  12. Oh I HATE those days. We've all been there, we've all got your back. We're ALL as silly as each other :P
    Ab xx

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  13. been there, been there!
    can't wait to see -
    stay strong.
    barb

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  14. you was thinking of the wonderful beautiful quilt all these blocks will make can't wait to see it finished
    Hugs Janice

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  15. Been there, done that, cried my eyes out, took a deep breath and then worked on it another day. There are some days when I think the quilt tell syou you should be curled up with a good book instead of sewing

    Love and hugs Gina xxx

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  16. Oh poor you! I hate ripping! You call it checking, I call it admiring...I'm not particularly a fast piecer but I spend a lot of time admiring the quilt as it comes together. I should just say I'm checking it for errors!

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  17. I can understand your fustration. It happened to me quite a few times before. So, are we going to get to see this quilt? Hugs Nat

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  18. AAARGH! That is so frustrating. I admire you for not throwing it out! Sometimes I pick easier patterns just 'cuz my patience wears thin so easily.

    A mystery I did last year resulted in the same "rippit" fashion and it's now hanging in my living room! Cheers.

    Can't wait to see your results.

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