I feel like I could take a blog post from a couple of weeks ago and copy/paste it right here because that’s exactly what happened this week. I did the exact same thing I did two weeks ago.
In that post I wrote…
“The quilt tops are now with my friend Carla of Longarm Quilting Inspirations. She is going to work her magic on these and then get them back to me. In the meantime, I’ll get some binding strips together. I’m hoping she has the tops back to me in early March. I’ll bind them and then get them off to the magazine.”
Well, Carla got the quilts, and oh no. Something was wrong. I looked and looked at the quilt. Something just wasn’t right. The blocks didn’t line up.
I told Carla to wait for a second and I was going to go look at the design in EQ. When I was sewing the top, something seemed off but I had cut everything according to the directions. BLAH.
This quilt has a long story and I’ll tell it at some point but not yet. Long story short. While I was full of oral chemo and radioactive iodine (=brain fog), I cut this quilt out. I had designed and tweaked this a couple of times. I had trouble with the math and had adjusted things a couple of times. I ended up printing out about three sets of cutting instructions tweaking them just slightly each time. I think I grabbed one paper of two different sets.
Whatever it was…I ended up having to make the entire quilt all over again.
BLAH…
It wasn’t happy sewing. It was frustrating sewing. I kept wracking my brain trying to figure out for sure what I did wrong and being frustrated I didn’t stop myself along the way. UGH.
I was happy when I got this far…Assembly.
If you remember…this was also the quilt that I needed to make a large size AND and doll-sized quilt for. UGH. It was more frustrating sewing.
I was in such a funk the whole time. All I really wanted to be doing was clean the sewing room and get back to a fresh start. There is nothing worse for me than trying to sew in a disorganized out of control space. So…I made myself a little working plan.
I would sit and sew…I would check out the room. Each time I got up to iron, I could do two jobs that would make an improvement in the sewing room. Sometimes that was empty the garbage. Sometimes that was water the plants. Sometimes it was picking up the dog toys.
It doesn’t look like it…but some improvements did happen. The quilts got finished too. Carla has the quilts.
A blog reader asked about the quilts…they will be published in the Fall issue of Quilts and More. I used a fabric line called The Sea and Me by Moda. I got both quilts out of one layer cake but that was ZERO cutting error and with only five small tiny scraps left. I recommend buying a layer cake and a charm pack to be totally safe. I used a light gray. I am thinking about 6 yards worth. I didn’t measure it out…I can if someone needs me to.
I spent about an hour more cleaning in the sewing room and that’s really about all that happened there. Hopefully, Carla doesn’t call me and let me know something is wrong with this version. I’m so thankful for Carla. She saved me.
I hate when I make mistakes in sewing and have to do it over. My 3 or 4 inch blocks come out better than 6 inch or larger. Can’t figure out what I do wrong. I also need to clean my sewing room.
Mistakes and redos happen. So sorry, but hopefully you got it right. I know about having to clean up the sewing space.
I’m not sure why it clutter up faster than any other part of the house. Of$ to get started on cleanup ca
Use inhave my niece com>no over with a project we’re working on.
Oh so glad you got it done in time, Well Done, as for cleaning my sewing room, I am ashamed to say I have to find my machine, it is somewhere under fabric, yikes! Plan to spend time in there and with the radio on, should make inroads, will set my timer so that every 30 mins I will walk out and have a coffee or catch up with the international news. Such a sad time for so many. Pray it ends soon .
I thought I was the only one who could have order one moment & then in less than 5 minutes after looking for fabric that I knew was in this certain bin, the place was in a crazy mess! I spent a lot of time organizing last week & was really happy with my progress! So when looking for “the” fabric, I created a mess again!
I have downsized a bit & am giving away fabric, to church & Amish friends. We will be going to Viroqua Wi. to deliver quilt flimsies for hand quilting! This happens today, they live almost 3 hours away, but I am looking forward to visiting the family again.
Keep up the good fight Jo! I admire you & your family.
How frustrating. And it wasn’t something you could shelve for another time. And my room is a disaster! I can’t wait until the next project to clean first. It just gets shoved aside until I get disgusted with it.
You must be exhausted trying to get everything done for the deadline. Try to get some rest and rela a bit before you tackle another project!
It looks like this quilt will be beautiful! Looking forward to seeing it!
Love and prayers
I like how you manage to keep your space tidy, I need to do some deep cleaning and move some items out the door. Iron, tidy, iron, tidy works for me today. I hope my space looks better when the day is done. I look forward to your new quilts in the fall magazine. Glad you caught it quickly.
Ugh! Sounds like an easy enough mistake when redoing the math multiple times. Sorry to hear that you had to remake the quilt, Jo!
WOW, so sorry for the untimely mistake, but so fortunate you figured it out before binding and sending. It is just really hard to keep a sewing room in order unless you just work on one project at a time. My sewing room is so much more than just sewing. It seems to cause it to be worse, everything ends up in it. I am anxiously awaiting the fall magazine to see your quilt!
Yesterday I cut wrong so today I have to go buy another yard of fabric, hoping I can find it. So I feel your pain! It is very frustrating and now you have a quilt you are going to fix or just live with.
I feel I’m in good company. My sewing room is a tad bit untidy In my defense, my flock of vintage machines keeps growing. I need a bigger room! Does anyone in Jo’s blog land sew on a Davis Vertical Feed?
I’ve been teaching a friend to quilt. She’s doing so well. She asked me the other day if I ever have to use my seam ripper! Yup! All. The. Time!! Ha ha. Yesterday I was making binding and somehow I got a strip upside down. Ripped it and sewed it again. Still wrong! Sorry that you had to redo that quilt though! That’s so much work!
How frustrating! So sorry that happened to you – hope it all goes well from here on out!
My sewing area is horrible – and I have procrastinated at cleaning it up, which creates more issues. In the past, I’ve had to move things to accommodate visitors and it’s not been returned to a good working status. Maybe this spring when some other tasks aren’t looming!
So sorry you had to go thru all that. But, hey, it happens. So glad you were able to remake it in time. Whew! I’m sure it will be awesome. Take a breath and relax.
Oh no–so sorry that happened, get the frustrated time spent redoing. I don’t know what I am doing really from the beginning at any time–keep muddling along–that is WHEN I actually get myself to the sewing room. Right now–I have the very same refrain— the sewing room is a MESS–stuff got dumped in there before Thanksgiving-and I’ve just left it, ignored it– other things to get done. That delays the desire to go sit down at the sewing machine. Am sure it will be back with you and on its way to the destination in plenty of time. Try not to think of all you might have accomplished if that hadn’t happened. I would be cussing myself “out” in that regard!!
The parts of the fabrics we can see are so pretty. Looking forward to seeing more when we can.
I understand your frustration! I hate having to do things over, though you think I’d be used to it by now.
I’m impressed you were able to remake the quilt and get it on its way for the deadline.