....it sounds silly for a quilter of my experience to carry on over simple half-square triangles, doesn't it?
Well, it's not the triangles, it's those 37 seams......if they're off just a smidge, the whole thing comes out the wrong length, and I can't STAND wobbly borders or, on the 'other side of the coin', borders that are too tight, so that they pull on the quilt !
With the first triangle border, I sewed all of the half-squares together into pairs, and then measured........2 x 2 1/2 inch (minus seam allowance eaten up) = 4 1/2 inches. Each set measured perfectly right. Then I joined those sets into sets of 4 squares = 8 1/2. Then 8 squares........16 1/2 inches. Each time they measured perfectly right, and I thought,....wow, no problem. So, I went ahead and kept joining until I had 38 squares joined for a 76 1/2 inch border. Well, when I measured the finished border, it measured a full INCH too long !
How did that happen? I don't know ! But it meant alot of resewing just one thread farther over until I got it right.
This wouldn't have been a really big deal, except that I had pressed the seams open as the pattern suggested, for ease of bulk, and now the seams didn't press as prettily.
On the second border, I'd sew and measure, sew and measure. Before long, the longer and longer units that were joined were measuring too short, but I kept going anyway (worried). When I finished and measured the whole thing it was perfect ................... ??????????????????????????
So, that's the story.....I had not made a pieced border in a very long time........now I remember why. But, boy, is it worth the extra effort. This quilt is going to be NICE.......back to work !
You have the patience of Job! I don't think I would have finished it, I'd be pulling my hair out by now;) Can't wait to see it finished!
ReplyDeleteHi Dolly, Thanks for coming to visit me...I hurried right over to visit you as soon as I could. I have a cello lesson coming up and I've been shamefully negligent about practicing this summer. Its been a delightful summer, gardening and watching movies and spinning. I love beets too and it is a feather in our hat to have canned beets (first time ever) and what a blessing...we were able to buy 1/2 a bushel of beets for only $5.00! When we were in the supermarket today, we priced them in produce. $2.00 for a little bunch of four. Your quilt sounds lovely...and I know it is for all your quilts are to the moon and back pretty, and professional. =) I should be sitting up and absorbing your advice and know-how as you share things, but I've got too much on my plate...grin. ~~You are one brave lady, offering the senior citizen a ride...it probably was pouring down though.JToo bad your seat got wet.... hey, I love your header, thats so beautiful! Warm wishes for a blessed Sunday...
ReplyDeleteIT IS TOTALLY AWESOME
ReplyDeletewell i just ran into that with those darn blocks on the triple irish chain, now how in the devil if all your seams measure correctly do they not come out the same!!!!
Drove me crazy.
thanks for doing just an AWESOME JOB
lov ya girlie
played on my sewing machine a little at the lake and used the table for the first time WOW an awesome experience, i forgot how great it is to have a table with your machine totally in it. i am gonna have my husband make me one similiar for my bernina i can lift it out to change the bobbin no big deal.