I was happily sewing along on Criss Cross Applesauce while I was watching TV on Friday night. Â I am not a big TV watcher but I love Cold Case and ION plays the show on Fridays. Â I was trimming at the table while watching then when commercials would come on, I was at the sewing machine sewing. Â It’s amazing how much I can sew during commercials.
I made great progress.
It was trim-trim-trim. Â Commercial break…sew-sew-sew. Â Oh, I was pleased with my progress.
Then Saturday, my balloon burst. Â What did I do???
UGH! Â I made the inner section wrong. Â What to do?? Why oh why didn’t I pay more attention?? Â I asked my Facebook followers what their suggestion is when they mess up but a quilt can be modified. Â They said keep going and modify.
So…I finished a block to see what I thought….
I think I am going to keep going. Â I’ll have about 1/4 of the blocks with the red cross in the center instead. Â I think I am just going to intermix them in and keep on sewing. Â After all, the name of the quilt if “Criss Cross Applesauce”. Â The red “x” just is going to be the criss cross….right??
Seriously…what do you think? Â What would you do…keep sewing and include the blocks or cut out more blocks? Â Now I am second guessing. Â I could just put the wrong blocks together in a baby boy quilt….advice please!!
To see what others are working on check out Patchwork Times.  Before you go, I thought I’d pass on a giveaway for a fat quarter bundle happening here on the blog.  You can find that here.
I have done that too! On the other hand, I am doing one in blue with orange squares and one in orange with blue squares for two brothers so it was easy to get mixed up with the triangles on the out side. I swapped mine out.
For yours I think a quarter of the other ones will make it even more interesting! I love it.
yep, this is the point where a goof becomes a design decision!
Just take some of your red cross blocks and pair them alternately with the same number of regular blocks, sewing the two together. This group of blocks now becomes the new center medalion section of your quilt. The remaining applesauce squares could be set off with lattice sashings (either square or set on point) to form a border around the center medalion.
I noticed in the book picture there is a block with a yellow cross, it’s just part of the design…that would be my story and I’d stick to it. Just scatter them through out the quilt. Unless the person knows the pattern…no one is the wiser.
Scatter them throughout the quilt and keep going. Some of the most interesting scrap quilts of old have different placements of lights and darks within the block. It changes the look of the block and sometimes makes the design hard to point out.
Keep the red it’s gives te blocks a bit of a pop !
I think you just say “I planned it that way”
Isn’t this what will make the quilt “yours?” I think those red crosses will look really good set towards the corners of the center medallion. Do more ‘regular’ crosses, but do try the red ones in the setting. They’ll be a ‘design detail!’
I really like it with the solid red crosses–they make it pop! Work them in throughout the quilt–I think it will really look neat!
Scatter them throughout the quilt and keep going, that would be what I do. You can always make another quilt later.
You sound really disappointed as I would be too. If you have enough fabric to make all the quilt blocks correctly then set the wrong blocks aside. You can try a layout using the wrong blocks. If you don’t like them then save them for something else or you could try using them in the borders. If you just use them just because you made them you may end up with a quilt you love even more than the original or a quilt that every time you look at it all you see are the blocks you made incorrectly. If it were my quilt I would wait to make the decision until I had more blocks to lay out.
If you have enough of the “special” blocks you can just make an inner border somewhere
in the quilt. Or you can just toss them around. If you really hate them with the correct blocks then you shouldn’t put them in the quilt, you will never be happy with them. If it were me I would try to fit them into a border type design in the quilt and see if they glare at me.
I would keep going because I hate to unsew. This will be your unique quilt – maybe you can call it your CSI quilt!
Keep going………..I love your blocks and think the ‘error’ will make a beautiful quilt you can always make another one the way it is in the book! :)
new name “red cross, applesauce”
keep and scatter them, great new design. Where do you think all these new designs come from, from people like us who think they made a mistake!!!
two choices. either make more and set those ‘mistakes’ aside and make seperate small quilt from them, or mix in the ‘mistakes’ and call it good. guess it really depends on your mood. if you feel like making more blocks, do it. if that’s the only way you are going to be satisfied with it, just forge ahead and make more. if you can live with the design choice of mixing in the ‘mistakes’, then do it. it’s got to be what YOU feel. i’ve done both and been satisfied at the end each time. if you have a lot of projects in your head waiting to get out and want this one done, then mix in the blocks and keep going. good luck!
or use the wayward blocks in the back of the quilt!
As, Rob Ross, the painter, of PBS fame, would say: A hAPPy little accident….Good luck in your decision. I hope it makes you happy.
I think that I would keep on going, but not make any more red cross blocks. After laying out the entire quilt, you will get a better view to see if you like it or not. Then you can decide if you are going to replace them or not. Good luck with your decision. Thanks for sharing.
Hmm. If you will always look at that quilt and see those incorrect blocks as a defect, then I say save them for another project and make another set for this quilt if you’ve got the fabric. But if you think you can love the quilt with the red crosses, then by all means use them proudly!
Jo, I think you should mix them into the quilt. It gives a positive/negative effect of the red. Some blocks positive and some negative. I think it’s going to look great and like it is supposed to be that way.
I don’t like the idea of putting them into a separate quilt for a baby because then they will look like Red Cross blocks..don’t want that for a baby. They go in the current quilt as a design decision of positive/negative blocks! See…is your light on yet? LOL! It’s going to be a cool qiult. You got me wanting to do one now with my Homespuns.
Lisa in Georgia
I like it keep going. It will make a unusual quilt.
Keep going — I like it!
I am all for an incorporation that equals finish!!! They are cute and again, it is a part of the quilt’s story! UFO elimination! Keep at it!
The red cross block is a VERY different looking block from the others and I’m not sure just how many you had made. I agree with Jolene’s suggestion that you try the layout both with and without them to see what the quilt is telling you. Be sure to take pictures! The camera will help you see what looks right to you. You can always get more shirtings.
I like Dianne’s idea… use the blocks with the red cross to create a secondary design.
My feeling is that it will all work out. I like the cross both ways, but the true to design way does stand out much more. I’d include them in the count of blocks. Lay it out, scatter the 2nd design throughout and then see what you have. How many did my make before you realized you’d created a 2nd design? If you like what you see maybe you’ll need to make a few more! Really like how the plaids all come together. Sandi
Just mix them in and keep going. Then name the quilt – CC Applesauce !
You’re on my team :-) I do this *all* the time. Have you tried alternating them with the regular blocks 2 or 3 rows in from the outside to offset the center? It might look planned…or you might want to make more blocks (regular ones) and skip the border. The red blocks will tend to center your eye and the other blocks will just float…maybe :-) Good luck..and there are NO wrong decisions!
Oh, I would definitely keep going & use them. Especially since it is in red, I think will add a “sparkle” to the quilt. I am looking forward to seeing it, Jo.
I like them too. I agree with scattering them throughout the quilt.
Some of the nicest quilts come through what we think are errors. Why can’t your quilt be original. I would leave it.
I personally think the corners of the red criss cross blocks get lost in the background. I would cut my losses, and cut more blocks. You could always use the red criss crosses in another quilt with different background corners.
So often it is the thing that is a bit different that gives makes a quilt interesting. I would at least try these different blocks in the layout.
Just make some with O’s in the center and you have a great start for a valentines xxx ooo xxx quilt!
You get so much accomplished!
I loved making Bonnie Hunter’s Criss Cross Applesauce quilt – I real leader ender project for me. I like the idea of utilizing the red criss crosses as the center of the quilt – medallion style – will wait for an update on a wonderful stash buster.. Judy C
Keep it…..besides don’t think of it as a mistake, but an oppurtunity for your creative side to shine!!!
Hi Jo:
It looks great as is….keep going. I find mistakes take me in the directions I really need to go. (A little life lesson learned from quilting) Good Work!
Finally took a pic of my first two batches:
http://www.kucki68.blogspot.de/2013/01/orange-juice-and-blueberries.html