Originally Posted by cathyvv

Things I learned today:

I wanted to mail out a quilt for long arm quilting today. As you all know, the quilt has to be 'prepped' before you send it out.

It took me two hours (I'm not kidding!) to pick the thread off the back of a quilt top I wanted to mail for quilting today.

* Threads on the back of a quilt top multiply like wire hangers in a closet.

* If you drop a thread on the floor, the quilt top will find it.

Next, I decided to do the first quilting of my 'quilt as you go quilt'.

First, I ignored the directions. Can't help myself. It's a character flaw. I always get what I deserve when I do that...

Second, I measured the block twice.

Then I measured the block bottom that I wanted to cut twice.

Then I cut it once.

Then I cut the batting.

Then I pinned them together. The sandwich looked fine.

I sewed one end of the sandwich together to anchor it.
I smoothed the sandwich out and checked to make sure that the block bottom and the block still aligned.

They did not.

So I did it all again. (Not cutting the block bottom again, of course)

And again.
And again.
And again.

Since the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result, I concluded that I am insane.

So I discarded the block bottom. (Not really, I'll find a way to use it.)

Then I measured the block twice.
Then I measured the block bottom that I wanted to cut twice.
Then I cut it once.

This time I got it right!

I anchored the quilt sandwich.

It was still aligned.

I celebrated by walking around the block. The real block, not the quilt block.

WHAT I LEARNED TODAY:

I am insane, but I cured myself. At least for today.

Bigger stitches are easier to take out than smaller ones.

Putting your finger under the needle while it is doing its' job, is dumb and painful. (Just a bruise, thank you!)

It's not true that no one cares whether my quilt is perfect - I DO! But I'm over that. At least for today.

I still can't sew in a straight line. I can't walk one either. No, I don't drink.

It's ok to stitch OUTSIDE the ditch. It's creative. If you do it often enough, people will call it 'art'. I am a skilled artist.

My mother taught me to sew.

She used the 'Here, let me do that!" method...

I want my Mommy!!!!