Tuesday 26 March 2013

slow un-stitching Sunday

After the frustration and tears of Saturday, I took it a bit slower on Sunday. I kept being reminded of a saying my mother had when I was a child, “more haste, less speed”. I didn’t understand it then and, half a century later, I still don’t really understand it. I gather she wanted us to move quickly but…

Cambridge Dictionaries Online explains:
said to mean that if you try to do things too quickly, it will take you longer in the end
Apparently it’s a uniquely British saying, which makes sense since my mother was born and raised in Kentish Town, north London!

Anyway, I digress. Back to the quilt I showed you in yesterday’s post. The eagle-eyed among you would have noticed that the blocks should have alternated horizontally and vertically but the column I had just attached was identical to the one beside it!

Of course, the first step to fixing it was to rip out two 66” inch seams. That was slow going because real ripping (in which I just use the seam ripper to tear at the stitches) results in seams coming undone that I want to stay sewn. Even so, I had to sew a few seams back together before proceeding. I was tempted not to but I knew I would regret it.

The pictures show 66” of ripped out sashing and the offending blocks removed from the top.
64 inches of sashing removedone panel separated
Then came some pressing with my new Semco cordless iron (WM reckons I bought it because it’s purple but I’ve wanted a cordless iron for years. And this was really inexpensive. I will talk more about it in a later post).
2013 cordless iron
And lots of pinning (yes, I’ve learnt that lesson).
lots of pinning
And moderately slow stitching.
moderaely slow stitching
All of which resulted in a finished top which is now basted and is in the process of being quilted on my normal machine. {Yes, I know I have a quilting frame but the garage is still hot! Despite the fact that it’s autumn, the temperature is forecast to be over 32°C (90°F) every day this week! And the humidity… phew!}

I do my basting in class as much as possible. There is a big table which I can use which saves me crawling around on my hands and knees and ensures that the backing and top are pulled tight enough (I always have a problems with one or the other if I attempt to baste either on the floor or on my quilting frame). But the best part is my teacher and the store owner, sometimes even my class mates, jump in and help which gets the job done in record time and makes it much more fun!

Now the race is on – will I get it finished in time for a big reveal for Thank Goodness It’s Finished Friday (which I am hosting this week)? Or will I have something else to show? Is it possible that I will host and not have a finish?
Y’ all come back then to see!

7 comments:

  1. I can never understand how I can make such mistakes but I still do. Even when I look twice before sewing. Glad you got is fixed without giving up.

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  2. So frustrating when you think you've finished a job only to spot a mistake. Yes we Brits do have some strange sayings and for quite a few no one is really sure what they mean! With this one its difficult to say if you would have spotted the error before you stitched even if you'd been going at snail pace. Have fun with the quilting and please could you send us some of the heat, I'm so cold.

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  3. Glad you have undertaken to correct this-it is miserable for a bit but all part of the quilting process. It goes with the territory! lol

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  4. I have faith in you! You will get it done in time and it will look lovely:)

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  5. I do the same thing! I bring my larger quilts to work and spread them out on the library tables. Everyone is curious enough to chip in! We're such smarty pants :)

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  6. I have noticed when I hurry I make mistakes. I also make mistakes when I am tired. I have learned the hard way. I do not like Mr. Seam Ripper.
    Hope all goes well now.

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  7. Glad you got it all fixed. I try to remember to double check once it's pinned before I sew to be sure I've got it right. I started a new project using paper piecing, a new technique for me. I did OK on the individual block pieces, but when I had to sew two sections together, I attached them wrong. The only thing worse then seam ripping a long seam, is seam ripping a paper pieced project!

    Good luck getting all the quilting done.

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