Sewing and UFOs

One row of 5 is done on this stack and whack 60 degree triangle deal though I am not assembling it like the book says.  This way gets trimmed down on the top and bottom once the rows are joined and I don't have to fool around with piecing half hexagons, diamonds or a bunch more equilateral triangles of the same colored fabric.   Much better plan, I think.

I would be much further along with this if I would not disassemble the blocks that had a less than stellar piecing job at the center.   I've taken three of them apart and started over.  I've decided that will just take the center seam out and try to align it better there but not the whole danged block.  I might be able to replace a wedge if it is badly cut but it might be problematic anyway.

I would be much further along if I didn't think that I need more variation in the colors in this.  I made two more blocks at this writing.  Once the borders were cut (should have waited)  I decided that I needed a block with more rosy red in it and a less packed design.  At that point, I had little fabric left and what there was had already been "Swiss-Cheesed" once ( to get the butterfly block at the top squeezed out).  I actually had to take some of the border fabric ends, piece it a scrap piece to it on two sides get out one of the wedges.  I had enough for the other 5.

I would be further along if I had not cut the triangles over-sized but I preferred to do this rather than miscalculate on the math and have to re-cut a whole pile of them and waste even more fabric.  Plus, I never did find whatever ruler it was that I used on this umpteen zillion years ago.  I am using the Marti Michell #8962 "2 to 6 inch" 60 degree triangle ruler which measures by the finished edge size more than the size of hexie it fits up against.

I would be further along if I would remember just how far to off set those joins and my machine would sew through more than 4 thicknesses without balking.  I DO get it now that the join area is overlapped by the same itsy bitsy equilateral triangle at that spot and the triangles make the same shape at the ends too.   I only had to take out two and try again.  It is getting better but I better quit bragging or the next one will be way off!

Silly girl.  Really I am NOT a perfectionist but I DO have standards that I try to meet in whatever I sew or make.  I try to do my best work and what's more, I want my work to look like I did.  I don't do "wonky" because that just looks, to me, like I didn't try to do it "right"  If you want to, fine, go right ahead.  I would rather that my work reflect the lessons I hope that I have learned over the last 25 years or the sewing lessons I learned from my mom before that.  Crumb or string blocks will be as close to unplanned as I will get, to this point.  Never say never.

And the other thing I don't get is someone saying that the Amish would make a "mistake in their quilt as only God is perfect", like they deliberately planned to make a mistake.  To me, that whole thing seems like the height of arrogance.  Your work is so perfect that you pieced in a mistake, on purpose??  Honey, that is a design decision!  I can make mistakes without trying but I DO try to fix them.  A few threads off maybe not so much but the ones that glaring to me, definitely!  When is the galloping horse theory just an excuse to be sloppy in your efforts?  Guess you are the only one who can decide what you can live with.

Since this thing has waited so long for me to work on it, best estimates 2001 or 02, what is another extra day or so.  Hopefully it will be done by early next week as I still need to quilt and bind my hexie entry.  I am NOT going to hurry up to pin and quilt this before my assigned day of August 26th anyway.  I'm shooting for done by Monday evening.  Best quit yapping and get to sewing, right?

Oh, did I tell you that some of the Belles want to try a stack and whack?  I suggested we try the 4 patch stacked posie version just to learn the technique.  Some have already done the stack and whack fan and don't need a lesson but it might be fun.  4 little squares versus equilateral triangles, yes, let's go for squares! Besides you can use those in other fun ways.  I said I would bring the 4 patch stacked posie top for them to see what it could look like.  Yeah, I have one, still needs pinned, personal project so it waits.  April 2009 on that one.

In case they want to see it before next meeting and to remind myself of what it looks like, LOL, since it is buried in my closet.  I have long admired a version that I found on this website----
http://www.augustwindquiltdesigns.com/page13.html    scroll on down to 4 patch posie in a BQ setting of ctrl+F to zero in.  Get a load of the stacked circles version too---rounded shapes but wowie!  I will not make another with this skinny sashing stuff every again though.  Giant ugh there.

THX for stopping by-------seriously this time,  back to sewing for me!