Note to Self: Make Test Block First
#11
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Sun City, AZ
Posts: 400
You are not stupid! You know that saying...measure twice, cut once? Well, not only did I measure three times, I wrote the measures down and still cut the fabric too small. Cutting the fabric larger would have been too easy!
#12
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Wichita Falls, TX
Posts: 640
#14
I'm glad I read this post! Yesterday, I drew up a design for a quilt and worked out all the block sizes for cutting. Being someone who gets overly excited about starting new projects, I had visions of cutting all the fabric this coming weekend. Then a voice in my head (yes, I have them) said, "Maybe you should make a test block first to make sure your calculations are correct". Another voice spoke a bit louder and said "Nahhh, waste of time, just get started". Well, now I certainly know which little voice I'm going to listen to! (And the rest of them that natter around in the background, I'm just going to ignore )
#15
Super Member
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Florida
Posts: 5,967
Been there done that, more than once. Sometimes, I'm so excited by a new block, I forget the test block also. Not a good thing. My recent favorite hint from someone on the Board was to make test blocks red white and blue. That way those orphan blocks make a great patriotic scrappy. Luckily, my Bee takes test blocks, we call dog blocks and makes Community quilts out of them.
#16
It is sooooeasy to make a mis-cut,I now call them mess cuts. However, I always find a use for them, and for my orphan blocks, too. Mess cuts can be pieced together and always make a wonderful tote bag, for instance. I am working on a cotton scrap crazy quilt, and it doesn't matter about the size of the fabric as long as it's at least an inch. .
So fear not, you will find a use for the fabrics and you will enjoy making the test blocks in the future. I make my test block out of anything I happen to have, just to make sure the sizes are right and I enjoy making the block. In the beginning, I thought making the test was 'wasteful.' I have now decided otherwise.
So fear not, you will find a use for the fabrics and you will enjoy making the test blocks in the future. I make my test block out of anything I happen to have, just to make sure the sizes are right and I enjoy making the block. In the beginning, I thought making the test was 'wasteful.' I have now decided otherwise.
#17
A good tip I once heard is make a test block out of Christmas fabrics. Eventually you can make a quit out of them. I do it with patriotic colors. I have had blocks where I would never want to make into a while quilt.
#18
Member
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: SW Ontario
Posts: 76
I was all set to Start a wedding quilt for GS2. I had the fabric and the pattern which was in a popular magazine. I decided to test the whole process by making a lap quilt in another fabric, actually a jelly roll, just to be sure I would like it finished. I only worked on one block and discovered the pattern was printed wrong. I Was able to see the mistake and so only lost one strip from my roll. So even printed directions have to be checked out. Whew! So glad I tested.
#19
You are not alone! I just made an entire quilt top without measuring the block size. I made each block 2 inches bigger than I was suppose to. It sits in the corner now waiting for me to decide what to do with it.
#20
Been there done that, more than once. Sometimes, I'm so excited by a new block, I forget the test block also. Not a good thing. My recent favorite hint from someone on the Board was to make test blocks red white and blue. That way those orphan blocks make a great patriotic scrappy. Luckily, my Bee takes test blocks, we call dog blocks and makes Community quilts out of them.
peace
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