So..... I'm making my first quilt, and the pattern called for 5/8 yards of 18 different purple and blue fabrics, in 4-5/8 strips, then cut into squares. Well, I only had 9 colors (and I'm a rebel, so they're not all shades of purple), so I thought I should make twice as much. I had about a yard of each. So I just started cutting away, and I kept cutting and cutting. I had half-square triangles of two different fabrics when I finally took another look at the pattern.

Gulp.

It said one 4-5/8 x 20-inch strip of each of 18 fabrics. I'm not sure where I got 5/8 yards. So I counted the two colors I had already cut, and I had more than enough for the whole quilt. But I didn't want the whole quilt out of just those two colors, so then I figured out exactly how many squares I would need of each of 6 colors.

I have enough half-square triangles left to make a baby quilt, at least. Thank goodness these will be good colors for a baby quilt! LOL

So the first lesson in quilting that I have learned is: READ THE PATTERN THREE TIMES BEFORE STARTING!

Not just beginners make this kind of errors, believe me. You are doing great and will be able to save the fabrics. Good Going:)

Been there - done that!

Me too! But you won't make the same mistake a second time will you. :lol:

There are always opportunities for new and bigger mistakes. :roll:

Oh how familiar that sounds. I've done it often. I try to always double check numbers before I quilt, but still forget and mess up occasionally.
Good for you looking at it as a positive. Bet you will love the bonus baby quilt.

Pat

I've done that too. good save though. Good luck & keep at it!

Oh, ouch! At least you caught the mistake in time to salvage something out of it. We all do this sort of thing at one time or another.

Tara

I make a square in a square quilt for my granddaughters and grand nieces. It has 88 blocks. Sometimes I end up with too many center squares and sometimes I come up with extra corner triangles. And sometimes even after counting the center squares and the corner triangles and putting them together I end up either long or short on blocks. <shrug> I think the scraps do stuff in the dark when I'm not looking.

Measure twice (or more) and cut once....lol. We have all done this. I am sure this is how a stash and scrappy got started!

At least you could still use what you had cut! How many of us cut too small or the wrong way and couldn't even use the fabric we wanted to without buying more -if it was still available! I know I have.

Yep that's me.

sounds like something I would do!

Are you any kin to me? My family usually learns things best by doing it wrong the first time. We may be dumb but we sure are strong.

Think about THAT for a moment!!

We also try to have fun doing whatever we have to do. So right now I'm sitting here having to shove the cat off my mouse pad when I want to use it, while wrapped up in a lap robe made from "Mistakes" but it sure is warm and good for these "woke up early with the cat running over my face and can't go back to sleep" mornings. So what I should be doing is starting breakfast, (it's 7 AM here) and I'll put the Mistakes lap robe in a secure place, which I'll find again about July 4th, when it's about 104 degrees around here.

I did that with my OMGS (avatar) quilt. got lots extra strips now. I am planing on making another one now. SOMEDAY :) If we don't make mistakes we are not doing anything.

I do that myself! I keep trying though.

How well I know about more opportunities for those new and bigger mistakes! LOL! :roll:

LOL, It's nice to know that I'm not the only one.

You are not alone. On the bright side, you've got a great head-start with all of the extra strips you cut.

I don't think you have to be a *beginner* for this experience .. :lol: And, sometimes reading 33 times doesn't help .. :lol:

Know the feeling

Just think of all the quilting opportunities with all the extra strips already cut!

I've done that. I usually find my mistake after cutting everything. That's why I have two totes of scraps. :lol:

I'm so glad I'm not alone. I seem to get my directions and cutting all 'twisted around', hence my name. Someday I'm going to learn to read and measure correctly. :wink:

LOL! Been there, done that. But as I read your post, I caught that in the 1st sentence - 5/8 yd of 18 fabrics. I thought to myself, "HOW big is this quilt gonna be??" :lol:

That's for sure! the DP9 I made i decided to "wing it" with no pattern in mind. Ended with enough pieces to make two good-sized baby quilts. Kept one and donated the other.

Hey, hey! You are no longer a beginning quilter! Guess no one told you this mistake is a requirement to join the club, LOL!!

But *you* have such a delightful attitude about it all.......not sure that's allowed! Most of us have to swear, stamp a foot, throw things, quit for the day. ;-)

Jan in VA

I think every quilter has been there! Can hardly wait to see the picture when its done :D

Look at it this way. You have a head start for your next project. I know because i have done that to.

lol... been there... bought the T-shirt. Then 'upgraded' to another! It's so easy to mis-read the instructions on patterns, books, magazines and stuff - cause folks tend to notate their instructions differently.

Not to worry, it will happen again. lol. Great job in figuring out a way to salvage/use the remainders of your cuts. That can be fun too.

oh... I created a Thanksgiving 'harvest' theme wall quilt out of the last er... 'misread' that I did. Looks smashing, like I set OUT to make that darn thing in the first place! <smile>

Oh I did that recently and made queen size pillow cases instead of standard :)

I swear there are "pattern devils" they let you read one thing, then when you read it again, they change it, usually they make their changes while you're cutting out what you read for cutting instructions. They wait til you have them cut, then they start laughing and saying dingdong you cut it wrong, we changed it when you weren't lookin!!! That's my story.....

lol - like we haven't made mistakes much like yours?!?!?!
Cut out all the required the squares once - and somehow missed that "5/8" attached to the 5. Lots of 5 inch squares by the time I got done...and some left over (duh) fabric.

Oh yeah - I read the directions THREE times now...and sometimes FOUR.....!!!

I have made the yellow brick road pattern three times, which is probably one of the easiest to make and have cut it wrong three times!!! That is because I don't read the whole thing. A mistake I make all of the time. Making a double wedding ring right now and have to unsew a whole bunch because I didn't read the next step!!

Honey! You are a NATURAL and will be a wonderful quilter! Your instinct is to immediately find a use for your misread and to be proud of how well the colors will work. You have got what it takes. With this kind of a start, you may never make scrappy quilts! Welcome to our wonderful world!

We all make those mistakes! Happy quilting!

LOL! I knew I'd find a sympathetic ear here. I'm really kind of looking forward to seeing exactly what's left over after I finish so I can figure out a fun quilt to make without a pattern. (Yikes!) I love this!

Sadly, I didn't get any sewing done yesterday. Too many other chores to be done, and then we had unexpected guests for dinner. I hope I'll be able to start sewing in the evenings this week, after work.

It isn't really a mistake - it is an alternative creative way of attacking the problem !

That was funny, but it won't be the first or last time that happens. Glad you can make use of the strips another way.

Been there and done that myself. My dad always told me if all else fails read the instuctions. lol I am a rebel myself and think my way is better and sometimes I just have to admit that it is not.