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day2day_gw

Bet some of you can relate to this!

day2day
12 years ago

I thought I had all the blocks done for my quilt top and decided to finish putting it together last night because I knew I wouldn't get to it over the next few days. I had 8 rows sewn together and planned to make 12 rows but then I realized that I had only enough blocks for 11 rows. I miscounted .....thought I had 60 blocks but only had 50.....actually I had 51 as I had an extra that I could use if I fudged it a bit. Normally, I take this stuff in stride but this time I felt frustrated. I had just enough focus fabric left to cut the 9 (4-1/2") units I would need to add to my other units. So off I go to cut the extra fabric. The blade nicked the edge of the table so I had to change it. Cut my alternate fabrics and then cut my focus fabric strip. Started to cut it into 4-1/2" squares. Guess what! I had cut the fabric strip 4-1/4"! Gave up, stuffed it all in a box and pushed it behind the cabinet and went to bed. I don't want to see that top again for a long, long time.

To top it all off, before I went to sleep, I lay in bed and ate 7 of those little Kit-Kat bar treats that were for Halloween!

~Geraldine

Comments (19)

  • toolgranny
    12 years ago

    Boy, I've been there. I'm so sorry for the frustration but really understand. Just put it away. Maybe leave it and make a bigger border.

    You reminded me to buy my KitKat bars for the kids. I plan very carefully what I want have for LEFTOVERS.

  • Carol_from_ny
    12 years ago

    There's some quilts that just are harder to put together than others, not cause of the design or pattern. Just something in their doing that doesn't work well for us.
    I've got a couple myself that I've put away for one reason or another.
    It's odd but eventually when you take them back out of the box and look at them, after not seeing them for awhile the fix becomes obvious.

  • cannahavana
    12 years ago

    I have so been there!

  • bonica
    12 years ago

    Yeah, I have two of those in the closet. One of them is $10 a yd fabric. Had it out twice and there's just no way to save it. It wouldn't even make nice pot holders!
    Can't throw it away tho!!!
    Bon
    :)

  • fran1523
    12 years ago

    Oh, that is a sad story and I can relate. I guess that's why I count blocks and units over and over again until I'm sure I have them right. And cutting things the wrong size. I've been there and done that too.

  • sunnycentralfl
    12 years ago

    Glad you shared with us...who understand and have been there!

    yes, Kit Kat bars can cure a lot of ills! At least it was the mini bar size!

    Gwen

  • teresa_nc7
    12 years ago

    Yep, been there...done that!

    I have learned to lay out the blocks on a design wall or bed surface or floor if necessary then re-arrange them to satisfy my idea of "scrappiness" for the quilt. Then I gather the top row, pin them in first to last order (left to right), and label the row "row 1." I also always put a safety pin in the first left block of the top row to identify the position of the layout. The other rows are also labelled.

    When you lay out the entire quilt top before sewing, any miss counting of the number of blocks needed is immediately evident. And you can properly measure the top in case you need to make larger or more borders.

    Teresa

  • calliope
    12 years ago

    Oh that sounds vaguely familiar. I find that I cope much better when I find the second error and put it away. Coping with the first mistake and fixing it has a way of setting the 'mood' for the rest of the session.

    Our up-and-down days are definitely there and it's a wise women who notices the rythms involved and doesn't push the envelope. Some days are not meant for detail work. I also am the queen of fudge, and my designs are never cut in stone. If I cut out an whole series of strips too small.......you bet there'd be an extra border to compensate for it. LOL.

  • rosajoe_gw
    12 years ago

    Been there too lol!!!!!

    I made quilt as a gift and was so close to running out of the main fabric that I had only a small strip left over.

    I get so annoyed with myself when I try so very hard to be accurate and STILL manage to screw things up.
    Rosa

  • nanajayne
    12 years ago

    Sympathy and empathy!! I guess if you do enough you make every error there is to make but that hardly eases the pain..What is even more painful is making the same mistake the seconded time--that is my curse..
    Sometimes what is believed to be a mistake is just the beginning of a great new idea. May this be one of those times. I hope you have more KitKat bars, they sound like a good solution. Jayne

  • geezerfolks_SharonG_FL
    12 years ago

    Geraldine, If this is the first time you've done this, consider yourself fortunate! You'll recognize it next time for what it is and quit after the first drastic mistake......maybe. lol

    SharonG/FL

  • karpet
    12 years ago

    Geraldine - I just had that happen w/ the canoe quilt I just finished. I only had enough of the darker fabric to make 30 blocks (there was more of the lighter background) so as I was cutting my last strip of the darker fabric, I cut it 1/4" too short!!!!! I had to set it aside too. But I'm either determined or bull-headed - I decided I could make up the difference in my seaming so I went ahead and used the fabric pieces that were 1/4" too short. It helped that the pieces cut from the strip were triangles so I had the bias to help in the 'stretching' and I was careful to have some of the 'shortness' at the top and the bottom of each block as I pieced them together. It did make the construction harder than it had to be, but once everything was put together, no one else would probably know. It did mess up some of my points, but not in a glaring way. I hope there is a way to make it work with yours also, but I completely endorse a 'cooling-off' time!
    Karlene

  • K8Orlando
    12 years ago

    Absolutely been there! Ate the chocolate too!

    Kate

  • nannykins
    12 years ago

    My go-to comfort is a Reese's Peanut Butter cup. I keep a big supply near the machine. Need one quite often!!

  • finchelover
    12 years ago

    I am going thru that right now. I messed up the back and in no mood to rip out the entire back so I figured out something else hope to finish it up tonite or tomorrow. This quilt is going up in extra room when grandgirls come home from college and visit..thank heavens they are not picky.

  • petalpatsy
    12 years ago

    Why, that's no problem. I do it all the time (seems like.) You can do 1/8 seams and get away with it. Quilt that sucker up and no one will ever know.

  • Robbi D.
    12 years ago

    I can feel you pain.... BTDT! I hope it looked better after you had some sleep.

    Robbi

  • wendyfaye
    12 years ago

    So... once you have a nap, eat some more chocolate, drag it all back out, cut and sew the extra blocks..... do you think you'll find the ones you thought you made hiding under something or down the back of the table?? Yah... been there...

    :) Faye

  • day2day
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Thank you all for your commiserations.

    I'll get back to it again, just not yet...maybe after Christmas.

    Busy days ahead. I will try to check in with you all as often as possible.

    ~Geraldine.