Art, Craft and Needlework, January, 2012

[Harmony]

Thanks, Harriet. That was encouraging. I could see if it was an inch or so off I would be cutting wrong or sewing wrong, but that much is just wrong somewhere. If I put sashing between the blocks I would lose the "star" pattern it makes overall. I like the way the pattern is turning out.

The way I measure it, I will end up with a quilt 52" wide by 63" long. I am trying to get close to a 70" wide by 86" long. This is with the 4" border added. SO, I am 18" short in width and 23" short in length. I can't use the same block and just add more, the pattern will be all wonky.

You have to picture DGSs bed, too. It is a platform bed with a desk underneath, metal rails that go across, but the bottom rail is at the level of the mattress bottom, so I can't put extra on as the quilt won't hang down through.

Actually, if I put 2 extra rows on the length that wouldn't add to the width but would make it within 1 inch of the correct length. It takes 2 blocks each way to make the "star". Ok that'll work, but then what do I do with the 18" I'm short on the width? Will it look un-symetrical if I add to the width without more border on the length too?

This thing is gonna take forever. Sheesh. Whatever did I start?

Oh, I just read your math again...this pattern calls for 4 squares across and 5 down...
so looking again at the picture, it shows 2 "rows" of stars and 1 half "row" of stars. If I add 2 rows I'll still have that half row of stars. If I add 1 row, I'll be about 12" short on length.

Could I add another border 12" on the length and 18 on the width, same color? I guess I'll keep sewing like I am and add one row across, then play with the borders.

Y'all can just skip all this. It just really helped to write this out...

[Harriet]

So what you're saying is there is an overall large pattern that the quilt shows when looked at from a distance, because all the blocks are abutted against each other - a secondary pattern you don't want to lose. I get that.

In the first place, the quilt's the thing. The quilt is going to last longer than the bed, so don't knock yourself out getting one to fit a bed perfectly.

Yes, I was suggesting go with 5 by 6 (30 blocks) instead of 4 x 5 (20 blocks) and assume at least 8 inch borders all around (maybe a narrower inner border and wider outer one - whatever you think looks nice). That should get you close enough to the size you want to be able to fudge the width of the wider border between sides and top/bottom of quilt to get exactly your ideal of quilt size. The problem is that 30 blocks is 1/3 again more seams to sew and press than 20 blocks, although shorter seams. But you've already cut out so many pieces, I hate for you to lose that work. I wouldn't advise making the final borders too different from each other. A little different would not be a problem, though - most people wouldn't notice and if it gets the quilt right for his bed, that's fine.

There are quilts I've seen that have the look of a completed quilt, then "sidebars" (or top/bottom bars) of pieced strips like just squares, then another "side border". Hmmm.... If I can find a net photo I'll link.

EDITING to say I can't express to the internet what I mean. Sigh. I do find a lot of examples of quilt centers that look as though they were extended with more piecing THEN the borders were added all 'round. This is a rather ordinary example.

[Nancy]

Got a puppet complete except for the eyes last night. This is the last one of this group of them. I have some yarn left so I'll be able to whip out a few more before spring arrives.

[Harmony]

Thanks, forming a sort-of plan in my head. I'll continue sewing and know the solution will come to me. I don't have a real creative gene and sometimes have to see examples to get an idea. Had not thought of the fact that a quilt might outlive the bed. With these kids, though, nothing lasts very long, including furniture! Maybe they'll be able to tuck the one edge along the wall in...I love my pattern, just am enjoying watching the stars take shape.

Nancy, how many puppets have you made so far?

[Sunny]

Thanks to Harriet, Sherinjoy and Harmony for the nice comments about dgd17 and her flag. I'm sure she will have other projects to do in the future.

Nancy, your puppets sound cute. Have you taken pictures of them to show us?

Harmony, I'm sorry you are having a bit of trouble with your quilt pattern. But I know you will figure it out with success. Isn't it wonderful that we have an expert in Harriet who always has such good answers to our questions?!!

[Nancy]

No camera here. One has a furry stripe in the middle with a hairy look to it as I used novelty yarn, h. commented that it looks like it's wearing a shawl or something! I've not used novelty yarns for these before and it's fun! I finished the one I got eyes on it. That one was in stuffed sox monkey colors, and this next one is in pastels. I have done three most recently.

[The library called and I have a book in so will need to pay attn. to that next!]

[Harmony]

Nancy, your puppets sounds really cute!

Sunny, I was wondering about your magnifying glass on your sewing machine. How big is it and how does it attach? When I sew I must have a lamp sitting right near or I can't see well enough either. Would more light help you?

I've been ripping as much as sewing. I'm working slowly, and as carefully as I can but it's really difficult. I can make clothes, even set-in sleeves, stuff like that, easier than I can put this pattern together. Not only is the pattern wrong as far as size, the individual pieces do not match up correctly. I'm having to cut about 1/2" off the big triangle and the square. I've tweaked my technique, having found 1 thing I was doing wrong, not a big thing, but it helps.

This thing is not going to be perfect. But I'm too far into it to quit. Sorta makes it not so much fun. That's where my stubbornness kicks in. Somehow I'll get it done.

3rd row is completed and sewed on. It is looking better. I've learned how to take things apart and fix if they don't match up. My squares are beautiful but sometimes they don't match perfectly with the row above. I can fix that now.

Yes, Harriet's had some good suggestions for me. I'll bet she could tell me in a nano-second what all I'm doing wrong if she could see this thing!

[Harriet]

Nancy, I love it when happy accidents like your puppet's "shawl" happen. I've gotten so many compliments on things that happened by accident. I had to renew books today, too. Wish some had been about creativity! But no, dd's school stuff!

Harmony, in the future, I'd like to see you get a book on template-free patchwork, so you could just learn to cut your pieces by knowing how much of the block they will take up, or how much of a certain square space they will take up. No more depending on templates. One like this is something I go back to time and again. A more popular one is this one. For instance, if I need a 4-inch finished square and it needs to be pieced from 4 quarter-square triangles, I know (or may double check in the book) to cut 5-and-1/4-inch strips, cut them into squares, and then diagonally cut the squares twice. In other words, "there's a formula for that" (in that case, for quarter-square triangles, you add 1-and-1/4-inch to the finished measurement of the square as it will set into the quilt top). On the net, this site shows part of what I mean - sorry but you have to page through step by step rather slowly.

Both those books are pretty old by now and cheap to buy used, but it's math, and math doesn't change, you know? I taught partly from this book when I taught the classes in the churches, btw. It was written for weekly classes, but a lot of people say they have learned everything a class would teach just by going through it by themselves.

[Sunny]

Harmony, I'm really sorry you are having trouble with this pattern. I wish I were able to help, but you know far more about piecing than I do. Could you take a picture of your work and post it here? It might be easier to see what the solution would be. Just an idea.....

I got the lighted magnifier at W-M a few days ago, so haven't had time to use it yet, but it looks easy to attach (like a c-clamp around the machine). It is a Simplicity Sewing Machine Magnified, but I had to find it on W-M website. Here is the link...hope it works: http://www.walmart.com/search/search-ng ... =&ic=16_32. Oh my goodness....sorry it's so long, I don't know how to make a shortcut.

**Editing to say the link worked for me. You have to scroll down towards the bottom of the page, then click on the picture to enlarge.

[SuzLew]

I gave unfinished quilt to dd/39 for Christmas and promised to have it done by her birthday Feb 24. I havent done much and need to get busy1 Been working on cleaning and organizing my sewing room. Have square pieces cut out and I am ready to start sewing! It is all out of batiks.