Friday, April 8, 2011

Dimwitted Me

Okay. Please allow me to be the sacrificial lamb; or the guinea pig; or the dimwitted quilter who managed to do everything wrong while making Andie's Pieced Liberated (Ha! Not for me!) Block. I think this was so challenging because I am extremely frugal, by upbringing - I am German, raised in Ohio, Andie! When I saw my pile of leavings growing, I knew this wasn't the block for me.  However, I do appreciate the chance to try something new.

Let me give a heads-up. You don't need to piece 9 - 4-1/2" X 4-1/2" blocks, as I did. Andie's tutorial has you make one 4-1/2" X 4-1/2" pieced block for the quilt center. So far, so good.

Then the tutorial photo shows 8 more blocks for star points. If I'd read further, I would have realized that only 4 blocks (for a total of 5 - 41/2" X 4-1/2" blocks) are needed to make 8 star points for one block.

Because I was trying to make four extra, unneeded blocks, I found myself raiding my fabric scraps for bits more. So Andie, you may see a few new fabrics added to your block. However, the bonus is that I'm mailing to you these extra cut star points!

And yes, that white linen fabric is very wonky and a bit difficult to handle. I've never worked with linen in a quilt - only for counted cross-stitch.

Aren't you all grateful for someone like me who will work out the kinks for you ahead of time? Linda

6 comments:

  1. Lol Linda! Thanks for sharing your...uh...techniques! Do you think starching the crap out of the linen will help?

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  2. I for one, am grateful...that i so something I would do!

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  3. Dude - it's all good. The pictures were misleading - so, so sorry. I just fixed it. Also - I may have forgotten to say this in the note I sent - the black in the middle, the blue in the points. But Linda - it's all good - Katie will love it and it's actually a little cooler that there's a bit of your stash in the block.

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  4. Glad I waited to work on mine this weekend!Thanks Linda for the heads up. :)

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  5. Oh dear, Andie! I'm sorry that I mixed up all the blues and blacks. No, you didn't say that in the note, but I'm still sorry. Gosh, I really flubbed it, didn't I?

    Michelle, nope. A "crap full of starch" won't help the linen a bit. It's the nature of the beast... err, fabric.

    And another tip... be very particular about your quarter-inch seams. Because I pieced LOTS of scraps and therefore had lots of seams, I srtuggled to come up with a full 12-1/2" X 12-1/2" unfinished block. Sadly, mine's closer to 12-1/4".

    Could I have "helped" any more?! In May, will someone else please step up and go first?!

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  6. I'm so sorry that my instructions/tutorial weren't clearer!! Linda - since you took one for the team - your block will get special VIP treatment.

    What has Linda taught us?:
    Scant 1/4 seams.
    Black in the middle, blue on the points.
    Linen is hard to work with.

    Next year, ladies - I'll knock it out of the park with better instructions and no experimental fabrics...

    Thanks for being so gracious Linda - you're a doll!

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