Beginner's funny mistake
05-03-2011, 01:01 PM
#91
Super Member
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Fayetteville, GA
Posts: 2,879
Originally Posted by JenelTX
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!
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!
05-05-2011, 07:37 PM
#93
Super Member
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 2,061
The whizzy whacker (rotary cutter) has made it easy to cut a lot of blocks in a short time. Also made it easy to cut a lot of wrong blocks in a short time. I know exactly what you mean. Call it an inspirational opportunity, your chance to figure out what to do with the leftovers! Sometimes the mistakes turn into fantastic projects. Quilt on!
05-05-2011, 07:58 PM
#95
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Saskatchewan, Canada
Posts: 688
Yup, been there, done that !!! Your learning curve goes straight up !!!! I have learned to roughly figure out how much fabric they are calling for, for a quilt top. And when I figure they are asking for ( in your case,what you thought was 18 different pieces, 5/8 yds of each, whick works out to be 11 and 3/8ths yards of fabric), I think holy crap, that's way too much !!!! What am I thinking wrong???? Go back and read carefully!!!! Hope this helps, Auntie B in Saskatchewan, Canada.
05-10-2011, 11:19 AM
#96
Super Member
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Charleston, SC
Posts: 1,640
I've done these things too. I now underline with a highlighter too. If you don't want to highlight the book, make copies you can toss later.
A baby quilt sounds nice, or use them for bargello quilt.
A baby quilt sounds nice, or use them for bargello quilt.
05-10-2011, 11:51 AM
#97
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: nevada
Posts: 827
Originally Posted by saf
Originally Posted by bearisgray
Been there - done that!
05-10-2011, 12:19 PM
#98
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Western New York
Posts: 408
I know why patterns say "please read entire directions before starting project"- I've learned....well continue to learn the hard way!! When I made my BOM House Sampler-which was broken down into 9 different blocks....I thought it was rather odd that it never gave measurements for each of the 9 blocks???! So when i put it all together I had to add a strip here....cut a little there....then I went back to the directions.....those measurements were there- I just skimmed over them! OOOPS!! I feel your pain! ;)
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