Friday, August 30, 2013

Boo - Boos!

I'm rushing.  

And making mistakes. 

Well, more like little "BOO - BOOS"! 

Our next "Party with Patrick" project for September.

But I want to get as much done on my second "Party with Patrick" project as I can before we take off on our road trip out WEST. 

I have a confession.

I hate measurements.  

Percise measuring and cutting are soooo NOT me.  

I have to force myself to measure twice...no several times...before cutting.  

So why do you ask did I not precisely cut out my first three five and a half inch squares?  

Because I told myself I could square them up after they were appliqué. 

Used spray adhesive to stick the appliqué pieces together before sewing them down.

Want to know why that theory didn't work?  

Because "dummy" (that's me!) sewed the thick black buttons on for the owl's pupils and then the cutting square wouldn't lie flat on the fabric to measure and cut it precisely.  

What to do?  

I decided to cut out three more six and a half inch squares and appliqué the owl squares to them. 

Because I precisely cut them they are true and square!

First layout I discarded because my brain couldn't figure out how to sew it together.

And if that wasn't enough of a challenge for me. 

I turned the larger squares on an angle.  

Now this first pattern I laid out didn't work (see photo above).  

I couldn't figure out how to sew these pieces together. 

(Of course now that I look at the layout I finally "see" how I could have sewn it together.)  

So I cut up the outer pieces that were giving me trouble (i.e., the four black with green leaves fabric on the corners) and then it all came together nicely and precisely.  

 And after hacking up all my fabrics I didn't have enough of one fabric for a solid fabric back so I pieced together strips of all the fabrics I used on the front for the backing.   

The purple fabric with the black witches was my first choice for the back.

However, the witch fabric didn't work to use for the back.  

I have to start paying attention to how designs run on fabrics because when I got home I discovered the witches ran up and down the fabric not across.  

I didn't have enough witch fabric to run the design the correct way.

Anyway... I kind of like the different fabric strips for the back. 

The next step is to layer it all together:  the back, batting and front and quilt it.
  
Front panel of the wall hanging and under it on the right is stripy back panel.

It's a "wonky" Halloween Hoot Owl because not all the owls are straight and one owl has his wings touching the outer square (bad owl!).  

Even with my Boo-Boos mistakes I'm surprised it looks as good as it does.  

It's going to be beaut-i-ful when it's done.  

BOO - HOO!


4 comments:

  1. Sandy, this looks so cute and this is why I buy things rather than make them. I can't cut out anything. And I don't have patience. But I think you are a little too hard on yourself. At least you persevere and get it done right. I would put it in a bag in my closet and it will come out when I am ready to move. Sad truth. I am excited to hear about your trip out West!! Wow! xo

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sandy,
    Patchwork is not supposed to be perfect because WE are not perfect. Those extremely competent quilters often purposly put a small mistake somewhere in their work because of this. Many of the rest of us have no difficulty including errors in our work !!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I agree with Helsie! You do beautiful work! And handmade is always about embracing the imperfections, right?

    ReplyDelete
  4. I have a really hard time cutting too!! I keep telling myself that the more I practice cutting the better I will get.... Not sure that's happening but I do feel better about my cutting and piecing. Just found your blog and am a new follower!

    ReplyDelete