I'm really trying hard to make a 4" snail's trail block. The 6" blocks gave me fits. No matter how carefully I cut and stitch, it's just darned near impossible to make the points all work out. I unstitch, restitch, recut, resew, redo ..... I'm gonna call this thing 'The Re- Quilt'. Anyway, I am just defeated by the 4" blocks. I'm starching the daylights out of the fabric. I'm stitching with my best foot on my Pfaff and I'm being really careful. (In the interest of full disclosure, this is a bad week and I've fallen a couple of times -- I may be having some hand-eye issues)
I have been dubbed a "pointless quilter" by the ladies at the LQS. But I haven't been this flummoxed in a long time.
Throw it on the floor. Kick it a few times. Weather permitting, take it outside and set fire to it. For Heaven's Sake, Sunny! Life is so brief and so dear. Don't spend another minute doing something so annoying. Here's the deal: You are not going to be invited to solo in the Easter Cantata. Forget appearing on Anything with the Stars or getting the MVP nomination at the SuperBowl. Accept it. Quilting is supposed to be relaxing, creative, fun. It is good to stretch a bit and improve now and then but let's not beat ourselves up by struggling with the impossible. I dearly love/delight in the miniatures but they will never be within my skills and eyesight. So. Cheer for those who can . . . and find a quilt block that you can just wallow in the joy of. Polly
Just a word of comfort, Sunny! Some blocks which are said to be 'easy' are actually downright difficult to make a good fist of. I have always thought that a four-patch is one such. The small size is not what makes it difficult. What makes point matching so very noticeable is that being small the matching places look 'big' (if you can possibly see what I mean). If you do foundation piecing, and don't mind lateral thinking, there is a reasonable substitute you could try. It doesn't have a four-patch in the centre, it has a single square; but the spirals appear as if by magic. Being FPP you don't have to cut accurately, and you are sewing on lines, so the sewing is accurate. The block is trimmed off at the end, so that is no problem either. It is tricky to describe, so I won't do it here; but I'll let you have some directions if you would like it. It is one of the mathematical formulae blocks that I found and worked on for my Mathematical Quilts collection, but don't be afraid, there is no Maths required. If you want to get the general idea, try Googling: Baravelle Spiral. It can be drawn on many base shapes, so look for the 'square' to get the best idea. .
hmmmm, i'm not following why the 4 patch is difficult. could be its too early here and i'm not as experienced as most of rctq but i have no probs with the 4 patch. did i miss something? j.
"Patti" wrote ... Just a word of comfort, Sunny! Some blocks which are said to be 'easy' are actually downright difficult to make a good fist of. I have always thought that a four-patch is one such. The small size is not what makes it difficult. What makes point matching so very noticeable is that being small the matching places look 'big' (if you can possibly see what I mean). If you do foundation piecing, and don't mind lateral thinking, there is a reasonable substitute you could try. It doesn't have a four-patch in the centre, it has a single square; but the spirals appear as if by magic. Being FPP you don't have to cut accurately, and you are sewing on lines, so the sewing is accurate. The block is trimmed off at the end, so that is no problem either. It is tricky to describe, so I won't do it here; but I'll let you have some directions if you would like it. It is one of the mathematical formulae blocks that I found and worked on for my Mathematical Quilts collection, but don't be afraid, there is no Maths required. If you want to get the general idea, try Googling: Baravelle Spiral. It can be drawn on many base shapes, so look for the 'square' to get the best idea. .
Both Jeanne and Jennifer have good suggestions. Also, when blocks become difficult, smaller is usually not the way most people go. Mostly because errors look bigger in littler blocks (G)
So which is giving you trouble? lining up the four patch, or getting the points on the triangles?
If it is the four patch, you could try foundation piecing just that part. I usually strip piece four patches, even though it is just two strips. That way if I mess them up I am at least messing them up consistently. (G)
If it is the triangles and you don't want to foundation piece the blocks, try drawing the seam lines onto the pieces for a few blocks and see if that helps you sort out what is going on.
finishing with a perfect join on those 4 patch is easy. if you need a few... cut long strips of the 2 fabrics. sew together lengthwise and cross cut to size. flip one piece round so colours alternate. using your fingers nestle those seams into one clean unit tightly. now sew them together so the 'upper seam' lays away from you toward the needle (going under first). using a wee pointy thing or stilletto to guide the seam under the needle helps. the bottom seam will follow naturally.
BUT if you sew with the upper seam laying towards you it will go thru smoothly without worry BUT then the bottom seam, that you cant see or guide smoothly, has to go under the presserfoot all by itself, getting mooshed back and there is not a clean perfect finished seam on that 4 patch. oops!!! those naughty feed dogs pull the bottom away from the upper fabric as the presser foot pushes the upper away from the bottom.
the other way (as i wrote first) snuggles those two pieces(seams) right into one another nicely aka perfect seamed 4 patch. works this way on any join where 2 seams must match.
hope that makes sense. j.
"NightMist" wrote ... Both Jeanne and Jennifer have good suggestions. Also, when blocks become difficult, smaller is usually not the way most people go. Mostly because errors look bigger in littler blocks (G)
So which is giving you trouble? lining up the four patch, or getting the points on the triangles?
If it is the four patch, you could try foundation piecing just that part. I usually strip piece four patches, even though it is just two strips. That way if I mess them up I am at least messing them up consistently. (G)
If it is the triangles and you don't want to foundation piece the blocks, try drawing the seam lines onto the pieces for a few blocks and see if that helps you sort out what is going on.
The four-patch wasn't the problem. The problem was cutting the blocks into triangles and then more triangles and getting them perfect. And attaching them perfectly. I really have a hard time cutting triangles from squares. Or any other way. Half-square triangles are easy. Sew two squares together and you're there. But cutting a square into two identical triangles seems to be far, far beyond me. I've tried drawing lines, using little patches, you name it. If it involves making a triangle, I can screw it up.
I am inept at triangles.
But Mary rescued me. She emailed me a paper piece pattern for 4-inch Snail's Trail. Yay!!!!! Mary rocks!
Mary to the rescue. great job, Mary. you should now be good as gold with those pesky tris, Sunny. cant wait to see your block when its done. j.
"Sunny" wrote ... The four-patch wasn't the problem. The problem was cutting the blocks into triangles and then more triangles and getting them perfect. And attaching them perfectly. I really have a hard time cutting triangles from squares. Or any other way. Half-square triangles are easy. Sew two squares together and you're there. But cutting a square into two identical triangles seems to be far, far beyond me. I've tried drawing lines, using little patches, you name it. If it involves making a triangle, I can screw it up.
I am inept at triangles.
But Mary rescued me. She emailed me a paper piece pattern for 4-inch Snail's Trail. Yay!!!!! Mary rocks!
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