Missing...

Yep! I've certainly been missing from Blogland this last week! I've been so busy...trying to rectify a 'disaster'. 

In my last post I wrote about having to unpick and re-sew some blocks for a swap. Well out of the 27 blocks, I could only salvage 18. Some of these 18 were actually 'cannibalised' from the original 27 blocks...taking segments of some and putting them together with segments from other blocks. I discovered that the main problem that caused wrong sized blocks was that some of the squares were not 2 1/2 " and this seemed to have been caused by fabric slipping when cutting double layers of strips. 

So after the 18 were re-sewn, I carefully cut enough squares to make another 10 blocks...160 squares!  So for days I was unpicking, re-sewing, cutting new squares and sewing new blocks. Sometimes I really didn't feel like doing all this...but I would have been letting a lot of other people down if I didn't! 

But I was sneaky this time...I cut each square a tiny bit bigger and at the second stage of piecing,I would trim the four patch segment to 4 1/2 inch square. Also in the instructions, it suggested that it was only necessary to finger press the seam of those first 2 squares sewn together...well eventually I used the iron on those seams too with good results. 

I also did something that I haven't done for years...I tacked (basted) some of the seams with great results...no unpicking! My Nanna Rita ( a tailoress) would have been proud! Lol) 

Late Wednesday night, I had finished 27 blocks which was all I needed to mail as #28 is kept by the maker.  I ironed all of them one more time, prior to wrapping up for sending...all was good except 3 of the blocks. On closer inspection these 3  were very poor quality...so really could not be sent in the swap. 

So there was nothing for it but to cut another 48 squares! And today I worked at finishing this three and by this afternoon, I was happy with the quality of all 27 blocks. 

In this project I have made every careless mistake possible I think...squares cut carelessly, squares' corners not lining up, wonky, crooked seams, instead of both right sides together for seams, I occasionally had wrong side and right side facing in and sewn, I had twisted intersections' seams, wrong side facing out etc etc... Dreadful! One mistake I kept repeating was in the second step of construction. The segment on the left should have the seam pressed 'up' and the one on the right should be 'down'. 

To keep perpetuating the same mistake is a bit of a worry...:-/

(The lower segment is correctly aligned and ready for pressing)

Maybe it's the onset of 'Crafters' Dementia'?? Hope not!!! Lol

So, some maths...originally I cut 454 squares (448 needed for 28, 16 square blocks plus 6 extras to replace ones that 'didn't work'). Then I have cut another 224 in the last week...phew! 

When I get the parcel with 27 blocks swap blocks from the other participants,  I think it was all worth it! I mean, all that Liberty Fabric...loveliness!  

FNSI...

I'm a bit late with this post as it's now Sunday Night!

Well I had hoped to write about doing the last little bit of stitching on my Blocks in the Liberty Stamp block swap which was run via Instagram. I had been working on this project on and off for many weeks...just 'ambling along' doing a little bit at a time. We had to make a total of 28 blocks but only 27 were to be posted off. Each block consists of 16, two and a half inch squares and for each block we had to use 16 different Liberty fabrics. We were given a diagram for assembly...

First we had to sew 8 pairs of squares...

Then 2 pairs were joined to make 4 larger squares...

Then 2 pairs of these were joined to make 2 rectangles...

And then these 2 rectangles were joined to make the 16 square block. 

I had been getting all these rectangles ready to join to make the quilt blocks and this finishing was my plan for Friday night...16 quarter inch seams...easy? And yes it was...till I decided to measure each block before I wrapped them ready to mail...and then that's when the drama started! 

Yep! The completed blocks were not 8 1/2 inch square; a lot were 8 1/4! 

But it gets worse! I checked the print-out of the instructions again and realised that the segments in the few blocks that measured the 8 1/2 inches, were not the layout in the instruction diagram...my 'ups' and 'downs' seams were not the right way...so out those blocks went! Yikes! 

So FNSI became Friday Night of Reverse Stitching...or Frenzied Night of Seam Ripping. As I examined each segment, I found so many careless errors...and I had broken so many patchworking rules...and didn't measure after each section was completed etc etc. 

Some of the blocks were unfixable, so my Liberty Scraps box started to fill up. I knew I'd have to cut some more squares and start new blocks. But I planned to fix those I could first, so the night ended with 'deconstructed' quilt blocks all over the table. 

I didn't get much time yesterday to try to remake all those blocks, so today was spent trying to get as many done as possible. In hindsight it may have been quicker to start new ones. 

So there is some progress...half the blocks have been redone.

So tomorrow will be busy stitching too. The blocks have to be posted and arrive in W.A. by June 30. 

Despite the dramas I'm still enjoying this project. I really like the method of joining, and despite 'mucking things up', it's been a good learning experience and a reminder of how important accuracy in cutting and seam allowance etc is. 

All the discarded blocks and part blocks, I will use in other projects, so the fabric won't be wasted. 

According to a few posts on Instagram by other participants, there have been trials and tribulations for them too...but only a few. Most seem to have their squares completed. Some of them are in this screen shot of the Swap's IG page...

Each of us will receive 27 blocks and already some people are explaining what they will make. I think I will make a baby quilt...but it's just a dream at the moment...first I must get 27 blocks completed and the correct size too of course!