Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Sometimes It Just Don't Work Out!


So I was working on the Sunflower Block of the Grandmother's Choice BOW. I was rather unsure of my skills, there were so many of those Y intersections I'm not so hot at doing. Well, right off the bat, I realized that I'd sewn the center petals upside down! Rats!
 

That doesn't bother me so much. I've learned the hard way that the tiniest stitch your machine can sew is not the way to go. Rule of thumb, I generally use 15 stitches to inch. Why? Well, when it's time to rip out a seam, the tip of the seam ripper fits inside the stitches perfectly, and having to rip out a seam is not a problem. With a tighter stitch per inch, your bound to rip your fabric instead of stitches. 15 stitches per inch is perfect, and still makes for a secure seam. See how easily my seam ripper just slides up under the stitch?


Anyway, that was just the beginning of my woes. I found when I joined the last section, instead of a nice flat block, I had a coffee filter shaped mess! What to do, what to do?


Ok, I thought I just gather the inside petals, and Wah Lah... a nice flat block! I patted my back for my ingenuity and thought I had the whole thing licked, and then....

I sewed the outer block. Twice! ARGGGGH! Look at that floppy block! No way I'm going to put it into a quilt! You are now looking at a future pot holder! The End!

2 comments:

  1. Put some batting behind it, quilt it, and make a pretty pillow. I like the idea and I can appreciate your frustration, but try, try, try again.

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  2. It may end up as a potholder but it sure will be a pretty one. When I do something that ends up in a circle shape I STARCH the HELL out of the fabric. There is so much starch in the fabric that you could actually feed it through a printer without any problem. Then when I am putting it together I tack stitch it in quarter sections. Easier to rip out. Did you make another one?
    Merry Christmas
    Aileen from FL

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