But the BA staff were great - saw I was ill, heard I had to come back today and rang from the aircraft to get me a more stable seat ( nearest the nose is best). I got the whole front row with legroom all to myself even though officially it was not beng used that flight ( something to do with needing all the weight at the back of the plane). Plus the captain on the return leg got me a personal wind report from his computer before we set off! The return flight was of course very smooth, the winds having dropped dramatically, and I by then had bought drugs ( of the legal variety!) so I was absolutley fine and I felt quite a fraud!
So anyway - here is WiP 2:
This 'frothy quilt' is almost done. Designed at a class with Kaffe Fasset at Festival of Quilts in August all it needs is the last three borders on and quilting. The trouble is that the other borders don't fit. How can that be? I cut all the triangles from squares the same measurement. One fits, three don't.
I figure there are the following options for this one:
(a) the lazy one. Take off the border, finish it without them. But what a waste of fabric!
(b) fix the borders and add them. But I can't work out how to do that. I am sure it involves a very simple mathematical calculation. But it beats me. I keep taking it out looking at it and putting it back.
(c) buy material for straight borders. But I am reluctant to throw more money after bad. I don't even particularly like the quilt but my cleaner does so she can have it.
Bear in mind the great Kaffe himself has touched this one with his own hands!
Thank you for all your suggestions re yesterdays quilt. My current view is that I will finish it as is and if I absolutely hate the back I will maybe put a false back on it secured with a few in the ditch lines. Thank you for all your encouragement
5 comments:
Just maybe it's the outside edges of the squares in the quilt that are the problem. They can stretch and/or the seams are not quite the 1/4" that you counted on.
An easy fix is to run a long stay-stitch (basting) on each side (sewing machine, of course). Match the points together and ease in the excess between them. When the seam is pressed use steam to help shrink the excess so the fabric lays flat ... or nearly so.
I think its an appealing quilt and worth your efforts.
Great idea Nellie.
Another idea is to have asymmetric borders and have one/two on the left and one/two on the bottom and NONE on the left or upper! You can use the leftover pieced borders as ghosts on the back.
And the word you're looking for to get it right is FUDGING. Many a quilt looks great with nary a stain of all the fudgery thats gone on ;).
I personally couldn't give up on a quilt touched by the great Kaffe Fasset. I remember the post with the photo of him touching it and praising your clour combos. Hallejulah!
Keep at it
Oh Helen! That frothy quilt is beee-uuu-tee-ful! Very striking colors!
Sorry for your flying troubles; you have Dean's complete sympathies, as he never knows how a particular flight is going to go for him....
You don't say if the remaining borders are too long or too short. I was taught to always -- before cutting out/sewing -- measure for borders (each time, regardless of pattern, etc.) across the middle of the quilt and not up the sides (so envision a giant cross, across the center of the quilt, measuring the length and width from the center). Has to do with the inevitable stretch that will happen by the time you get out to the edge in any quilt.
I second nellie's suggestions, but as an absolute 100% last resort, I would take off the very corners, or ends, of each border and do something different there to make up the gain or loss as needed.
Amazing. I tried this same frothy quilt from a book, and when it came time to add the border: It would not fit. I took it apart. I measured again, and again. I racked my brain and could only conclude it was my poor skills... I will be back to see what you decide to do.
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