April 6th, 2012. My Precious QAL.
I bet you remember where you were when you read about it.
Kelly used words like "fabric in your stash you are reluctant to use" and "the most relaxed QAL ever" and "the stack you occasionally bring out to pet"... that's me! She was speaking to me!
Well, I pulled out my precious stash and I made piles. I made plans. I was excited and determined.
I even made a top. The whole thing!
Okay, a baby quilt, but still.
Here it is: being pinned today, only - ahem - 7 months later...
A brief aside to wax poetic about how much I hate sandwiching and pinning: Hate 'em. A lot.
This is mostly related to my resistance to crawling around on my hands and knees on the floor, so today I brilliantly decided to sandwich and pin at my dining-room table. I know! Brilliant, right?! Joy was mine.
Then you know how it is. You've got this easy-peasy GRID of a pattern to follow, a wonderfully functional walking foot, a single piece of fabric for the back... what could go wrong?
Ha ha! Ha ha ha ha!
First you iron a little crease out and discover some sticky residue that had been hiding on your iron, but is not hiding At All in all its burnt brown glory, right in the middle of your quilt. After the hyperventilating passes, you do some nifty stuff with a new toothbrush and some water, and the stain, she is gone. Breathe.
Then, halfway across a lovely line of stitching, you discover a teeny tiny problem: not every single corner of your simple patchwork meets perfectly. Heart sinking moment as you realise that human error had not been taken into account when planning perfect straight lines. Breathe. Unstitch. Create new solution for non-meeting corners.
Then - that's right, folks, the story ain't over yet - then, you do some perfectly lovely straight line quilting, a la Red Pepper Quilts, except that Rita doesn't seem to get that 1/4" bunched-up effect on her quilt backs. Now, I can be reasonable. I can overlook a little squished fabric.
But my quilt back consists of little girls playing, and this little girl's face was, well let's just say, contorted. I'm being kind here. It was going to give some little quilt owner nightmares one day. Breathe. Unstitch. Watch a dumb movie.
I have every plan to get back to this simple little quilt one day soon. Maybe even tomorrow. Just as soon as I've recovered. (Maybe it's time to raid the Emergency Chocolate Cabinet...)
Linking up with Freshly Pieced, Confessions of a Fabric Addict and Live a Colorful Life - go check 'em out!
6 comments:
Hang in there! We all rip out and re-do from time to time. It's worth it in the end!
You'll get it! And you know, I don't know if everyone gets all their patchwork corners to meet PERFECTLY every time. I know I don't. It always seems to turn out fine in the end. It's handmade after all. :)
I have mostly quilt tops because I hate.pin.basting. HATE.IT!! I am a convert to spray basting. I didn't want to laugh at your dilemma...but you know--I told you last week. I love your writing. And it made me laugh. Sorry...
It looks fabulous!! And I hate pin basting as well. I hate basting period. I've been known to do the top, find the back and give it to my quilter with my hands in the air. Keep on truckin!!
oh my gosh. I hate when it goes like this. Do hang in there - it will be soooo worth it!!
That is a bummer. Hopefully you fix it soon!it will be great when it done!
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