weezie

This is not a question ... mainly I'm just whining.

Because I don't get much time to quilt and only make large quilts, it takes me forever and a day to complete one. I'm almost finished a king sized quilt top which I will photograph and share with you in a few days (hopefully). Right now, I'm sharing my latest goof-up, as follows:

I've always bought large pieces of fabric (leaving room for the inevitable errors), but I have been sewing for decades and thought I had graduated to buying/using die-cut pieces. I bought a selection of lovely 2-1/2" wide batiks (Hoffman Bali Pops) for my first attempt at a French Braid quilt. I also bought the trims, accents, border, backing, instruction book, and lots of neutral 2-1/2" strips for the light areas of the FB ... a total outlay of a lot of cash, for a cheapskate like me.

This past Saturday, I got the urge to get started cutting and putting the strips on the design wall. The interesting thing is that apparently I cannot count or do simple mathematics at this late stage of my life. I have only 1/3 of the batik strips that I need, so I had to go find them on-line (that particular collection is mostly sold out ... forever), but I lucked out, found in stock the 4 more sets I need, and they are ordered and in transit as I type this. So, maybe I'll get the quilt made after all.

Sometimes I wonder if my hobby should be playing with Tinker Toys or Lego blocks instead of something as tricky as making quilts. Making quilts should get easier after the first dozen or more, but sometimes I think I'm making no progress at all.

So, all of you out there who believe dummies (like me) should keep on quilting, please clap your hands!

isnthatodd

No dummies, only brave people who are not afraid to try something new :!: And if you think of all the possible mistakes that you can make, it's a wonder any of us finish anything :lol: So keep going and show us what you come up with in the end.

quazyquilter

:thumbup: (me, clapping hands..)

athenagwis

tehe I did the EXACT same thing. I bought some charm packs for the first time ever, and figured out that one pack would make abut a 30x27 quilt (way too small), so I just doubled it to 60x53. Doubled size means double the charm packs right? So I bought 2 and went on my way. Started sewing and realized (ever so slowly) that doubled width and height means 4 times the number of charms .... not 2!! I needed 4 packs for the size I wanted, so now I am stuck trying to figure out how to make a good size quilt with 2 Love U charm packs because they were the last 2 in my LQS and I don't want to pay shipping to just get two more!! LOL

So you are TOTALLY not alone.

Cheers!
Rachel

Pamela Artman

Clap clap!!! Keep at it... we all make stupid mistakes. (I've made more than I care to remember!) But the end results are worth all the mistakes, blunders, miscalculations, ripped out seams and headaches! Have some M & Ms and persevere!

sewgray

Hadn't thought about tinker toys, I've been threatening to give up sewing and get a coloring book and a box of
Crayons.

bkb

Oh happy Day!!!!!!! I thought I was the only one that messed up after seeing all of the BEAUTIFUL PICTURES on this board, Almost threw out the machine today came really close. It is easier to walk on fabric crumbs than lego's or tinker toys so I guess I'm gonna keep quiltin'

BellaBoo

I know what you mean! I have showed some wowsers of dumbness myself in my quiltmaking. I just say oh well, start over, no use fretting over unwound thread.

MadQuilter

Silly girl! Next project just post what you want to make, what the fabric requirement is for the project, how big it will be and what you are planning to purchase. You will either get confirmation that your math was right, or you will get a gentle nudge with the updated figures.

No worries - we are here for you.

JanetM

Thunderous applause...can you hear it?
We've all had those moments I think :lol: :lol: :lol: