Just one more yard: September 2014

Some blocks are easier than others, some blocks are harder, that's typical with this quilt, and then there is block 24. It looks easy enough, but underneath, it has a deadly little secrete... it harbors the dreaded 16th of an inch measurements!

Have you ever written directions to make a quilt block from scratch? No? I have, and it takes a lot of time and work. My friend Karen has written more than her fair share as well. Did we both make miscalculations? You bet'cha! Sometimes they are biggies, and sometimes they are as small as a 16th of an inch. Now you are saying, so, its only a 16th of an inch, that's 3 or 4 threads, no biggie and that is where you are wrong.

Here is what a 16th of an inch looks like, not big at all, 3 maybe 4 threads at most!

Now here is what a 1/16th of an inch looks like. Ok, so you say, I can work that out with the feed dogs of my machine...

Maybe, but your finished center will look like this...... Wrinkled and painful, points that don't match, just sad.

This block is supposed to measure 6 1/2. Not 7+.. not a happy block!

So what went so honorably wrong?

The little 16th of an inch measurements on all of the little squares that are around the middle.

Believe it or not, 1/16th of an inch from two sides made the block go together with no problems.

So instead of being 1 5/8, they are 1 9/16, that is 1/16th less (or the trimmings you see above)

Here is how the math works.

When you sew the two small squares together (the orange and brown on my block) they should measure the same size as the center block, which is 2 5/8". What Karen did, was to jot down the small square size as 1 5/8... simple typo and when you are typing as many numbers and fractions as she does, well, it goes without saying that a booboo or two is going to happen, it's not rocket science, it's a quilt!

So the math looks like this: All of the small squares should measure 1 9/16", even the ones for the center corners so they match the side squares. 1 9/16" + 1 9/16" = 3 1/8". Now remove 1/2" for the seam allowances (1/4" on each square) and you have 2 5/8", the exact size of the center square!

This block does require that you sew a PERFECT 1/4 inch seam, not a SCANT, if you sew a scant, you are adding back in 1/32" to each seam and nothing will fit and you will be right back where we started from!

Yes, a 16th of an inch makes all the difference in the world!

Karen has made the corrections in her lessons, republished them and if you have purchased lesson 8 prior to 9/10/14 you will need to get the updated copy. If you need help in finding the update, send Karen a message at chezstitches@gmail.com, and she will get you a corrected copy right away.

If you have not checked our her blog, Laugh Yourself into Stitches please do so, she has freebies, wonderful patterns and always answers her e-mails with a smile :)

Happy Farming!

The last post I made was on July 14, it is now September 8, needless to say, it has been a very busy 8 weeks!

I have not had time to think, let alone sew, which bothers me some. Sewing, or making quilt blocks, is my comfort zone, my time, and I have had little of that as of late. But with a break from work today, I find the house quiet and time for me!

I have always liked hand work, not so much applique, but the simple act to hand sewing. Never did much of it, but I have recently found that I have a good nack for it. I was with a friend, shopping, for stuff on sale or that I can use my 50% off coupons, (what, you have never done that?) we went walking down the paper crafting isle and my eye caught a paper punch that was a perfect 1 inch Hexagon. I had tried to cut this shape with my Accuquilt dies, but paper and the dies, really aren't made for that, so I was pleased when I found this. I also found a punch that had two holes in it. For what you say?

Well, when you pin the card stock to the fabric, there is always a distortion, with the holes, you pin through the paper to the fabric and no distortion and when you go to remove the papers, you put your tweezers in the holes and 'pop' out the paper.

I used my Accuquilt die cutter to cut the next size up fabric hexagon, wrapped it around the card stock cutouts, basted them in place and viola!, perfect hexagons!!

Put a few together and you get a hexagon flower.

Put a border on the flower and you get a bigger flower

Put them all together and you get this!

That took me about 6 weeks, evenings in front of the T.V. and a couple of field trips waiting for the teams to come back to the bus. It needs a border, backing and then quilting.

While I was doing this, class 8 of the Farmers Wife Revival Quilt was released. I have only done 3 of the 11 blocks, but have confidence I will get the rest done soon. Class 9 has been released as well, so I have some catching up to do, but I also have fall break coming at the beginning of October and that will give me 10 whole days to catch up (I hope)

So here is a recap of what I have done so far.....