9-patch frustration
 

I've been quilting for several years, so in my mind still a relatively new quilter. But you would think that I could follow the pattern for a simple 9-patch.....not the case....I've sewn so many of them backwards, that I've quit for the day. There are 110 of the 9-patches, but geez....It isn't difficult, just tedious piecing. Can't figure out why I am having such a bad day. Just had to vent to somebody that understands my frustration.

Maybe tomorrow will go better?

I am assuming you are making a 9 match from 9 different fabrics, and they should all be in the same location for each block.....then you sew, cut, turn, sew.....I can appreciate and feel your frustration.......May I suggest you make 2 guides, they can be simple drawn on paper with pieces of the fabric pined on. The first guide of the original layout.....the just make a sketch of the second layout and put pieces of the fabric in each square....now you have something visual to look at during the assembly....I can totally understand how you feel...but there is a solution and how to make it easier....:p

Sounds like my day. I made a handbag which I really like, but when I started putting things into it, it sounded all crinkly inside. I finally figured it out. The fusible interfacing I thought I had used was actually Steam-A-Seam lite and I never took the paper off after ironing it onto the pocket fabric. Duh!! That ended my sewing for the day!

Sometimes ya just gotta back away! ;)

Oh I so totally agree....there are just days when the brain refuses to work at all....
those are times to go sit down get something to drink, tea, coffee, gin....whatever, put your feet up and close your eyes and just say....Tomorrow is another day !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11

I feel your pain! Last month, I took, what I thought, was a half-done disappearing nine patch to a retreat. I was very confident I would be done within a day, and be able to move on with something else. I had such a hard time, cutting and turning and making sashing, that I finally gave up after working on it most of the weekend. Last night, I pulled it out and everything looked so easy. I don't know what my problem was expect maybe overload.

When I do something repetitive (like the many 9-patches), I have a problem keeping things straight.

I take a piece of graph paper and make a block where the patches are at least 1/2" bigger than the cut size.. If the patches are all alike, I label with the color, if not I number the patches in the block. I label the top, bottom, right and left of the paper block on the paper outside of the block. I make piles of cut patches to correspond with the numbers of the patches on the paper block. I put the stack of patches on top of the paper block with the top of the block away from me. When I pick up two pieces, I put a pin close to the seam I am supposed to be sewing. I do one block at a time.

Hope this helps -- it helps me to keep things straight.

Keeping things organized can be a big problem. Once you get your rhythm the blocks will go together easier. Do you have a small cookie sheet that you can stack the different squares on?
Sue