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Quilting pattern frustrations...long one

Quilting pattern frustrations...long one

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Old 06-25-2011, 10:16 PM
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I need to vent. I am following a pattern that for me would be difficult, but it is the one that my DIL to-be picked out for the wedding quilt. I love the pattern, I had purchased it long before talk of the wedding quilt came up.
I understand typos and all that, but I keep running into a lot of little ones.
I followed their guidelines for fabric purchase. Different fabrics, but I bought a little more (1/2 yd or less) than what they listed. Some of the fabrics, I ended up with a bunch left over. One said 7/8 yd or so. I bought a little extra and used half of one 6 inch strip! Not a huge deal....lots of throw pillows! This is set up to be a BOM so maybe that is why the miscalculations.
For the most part, the pattern is fairly easy, no curves, just HST, squares, things like that. There is one step that requires Y seams to be done. I have never done them before and trying to follow their steps, I didn't get it figured out. However, someone on the board recently made mention of some youtube tuts about Y seams. The first two worked fine, then I wasn't getting it for some reason, but I did get it all worked out in the end.
Going through the corrections in another quilt on their website, I did find out that these two blocks have tips and corrections posted under the wrong quilt.
Another step that I had never done was the "Two Part Rectangle". You can paper piece it (I am not a paper piecer) or use their other instructions for piecing it. I tried both ways (several times), neither worked. I took the instructions and fabrics to a LQS and sewing group and noone figured it out.
Someone on the QB doing the same pattern had mentioned that there was a correction to block 7. I found it in the site and did not have to make the adjustments. I didn't see any more corrections for this quilt.
A few days ago I had to call the publisher because a block called for one fabric in the cutting directions, then the picture showed the same fabic. It has two mirror images to the block. One states to start out with fabric 2, so I made them this way. Then the mirror image said to start out with fabric 1. She said to go by the measurements. So I did, but the colors now do not go from light to dark.
Now, I am working on the very center of the quilt and find that when making that block, the cutting instructions and pictures call for one fabric and when you get further into expanding that block, it has another fabric. I thought that was odd, but followed the instructions. Now my center star is two colors and the bursts on the outsides of it are one of the same color and another color!
I think it will work out because it is in batik and I don't think they are big enough mistakes that will be that noticable (except to me), but it is just frustrating and I needed to vent.
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Old 06-25-2011, 10:30 PM
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Whew.... hope you feel Better. I'd be tempted to toss... Sounds like it wasn't previewed and tested.
Glad to read it seems like it will turn out well tho!!
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Old 06-25-2011, 10:33 PM
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Well done for sticking with it despite the frustrations!! Small mistakes seem to loom large in a quilters mind, and often they are not noticeable to anyone else. I'm sure it will be beautiful, and your DIL will love it. I've had the same problems with patterns in the past, as have others that I know, and I think there ought to be a Nobel prize for patience, and that quilters ought to win it!! Anyway, chalk it up to experience, and feel proud that you completed a very difficult project.
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Old 06-25-2011, 10:47 PM
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I sooooo understand. I just finished a quilt top from a kit that came complete with pattern - it's laying on a bed right now waiting for me to pin the sandwich - that had so many errors in the pattern! I truly wondered if anyone had actually MADE the quilt! I've had that happen twice now and it's no fun at all.

Batiks are so beautiful and so forgiving, I'm sure yours will be fine. Mine has no future home picked out yet and is not for such an occasion as yours so it will be okay - just ... frustrating!
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Old 06-26-2011, 02:36 AM
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I am working on one that I started two years ago and put away because of the mistakes in the pattern. I didn't have enough experience then. I am still finding errors in the pattern, but I am slowly working through them. Luckily, the LQS still has the fabric when I need more. She is being kind enough to just give me the little bit of fabric that I need here and there.
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Old 06-26-2011, 03:11 AM
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Try drafting your own quilt. It's way more fun and any problems will be of your own making (pun intended).
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Old 06-26-2011, 03:49 AM
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Writing good directions is an art.
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Old 06-26-2011, 04:25 AM
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That's one reason why I don't buy too many quilt patterns. I will only buy them if I can not figure out the pattern on my own.
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Old 06-26-2011, 04:31 AM
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that is so true i have a friend that writes mystery quilt patterns and she has made a real art of doing this. I could never write a pattern
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Old 06-26-2011, 04:43 AM
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So sorry that you are having so much trouble. Sounds like you have been able to work the problems out, but that is so frustrating. Post the quilt when it is finished, I'm sure it will be beautiful.
Sue
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