Pattern errata page

--Lia here. I used to be a regular. I've resubscribed at the moment because I have a question and a warning.

Is there a website online that lists errors in quilt patterns, someplace where, if you find an error in the math or directions for a quilt, you can let others know about it?

I'm working on a quilt. I think it's quite cool. It's based on floor tiles in the Moorish Palace, the Alhambra, in Grenada, Spain. The grid is 60 degrees, not the 90 degree blocks I'm used to. The pattern is in _Quilting Illusions_ by Celia Eddy.

The directions clearly say that you need ONE triangular block made exactly the same to fit together into hexagons that form the quilt. The illustrations show you how to draft that ONE block. Uh-uh. Only when you get around to making it and putting the pieces together do you discover that you need TWO blocks, the one shown, and its mirror image. That's not at all apparent when you look at the diagram and read the directions carefully.

I'm not normally a stickler. For that matter, I don't normally depend on the directions that much. I usually look at the diagram, glance at the directions, figure out how I'm going to make the quilt based on my own favorite methods, don't worry about how much fabric the pattern tells me I'm going to need because I'm glad to buy extra and Heaven knows there's enough fabric around here anyway. I wouldn't be raising a fuss over a little typo, but this error could be serious. You could have someone making 54 blocks one way when she really needed 26 of the one illustrated and 26 cut and sewn differently. There's no way to switch them after they've been sewn.

Working in 60 degrees in different for me, and the original and mirror image thing isn't readily apparent from the diagram. (Before anyone thinks I just missed it, when I got to the point where I was having trouble, I called Jim in, Jim the spatial and visual genius, and asked him to fit the pieces together so they matched the diagram. It took him several minutes of fiddling around before he came to the same conclusion I did. You just don't see it unless you study it and are looking for it.)

I'd call this a significant error. I'd like to save quiltmakers some grief, but I don't know how to let quiltmakers know. There's an address for the publisher (Barron's educational series) at the front of the book, and I'll write to them, but I thought I'd ask here for other ideas on how to get the word out.

--Lia

Reply to
Julia Altshuler
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Well, Lia, what a nice surprise. I've been hoping you were alive, well and still quilting. So good to have you report in. Polly

Reply to
Polly Esther

All of that is way out of my comfort zone but it's so good to see a message from you, Lia.

Reply to
maryd

Usually if you go to the publisher's website, they will have an errata link that lists errors in books. Otherwise, you could try to contact the designer directly, if that information is available on the pattern.

Reply to
Pauline

Yes, there is a site..I don't know it right off and I don't know if it is up to date but I'll try to find it. Thanks for letting us know about that one! Mary

Reply to
MB

Here it is...but I think the latest entry was a couple of years ago. How old is the book? I didn't ck to see if it was listed. Mary

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Reply to
MB

I'm up bright and early (well, maybe not bright), have been to the site, filled out the form, and feel good about putting out the word in one place. (It hadn't been listed previously.)

For those of you who use patterns frequently when quilting, do you look online for corrections before starting?

Or maybe my real question is, how much do you depend on the instructions when making a quilt from a pattern? Does anyone see the picture, decide they want to make that quilt, buy the amount of fabric asked for, and follow the directions exactly?

I ask because that's what tripped me up. You could say I make quilts from patterns all the time. I buy books and magazines, look at pictures, get a grasp for how the quilt goes together, change this, fiddle with that, draft it myself, do some math, start sewing, change my mind, put it on point, decide it looked better not on point, measure it again, buy some more fabric, etc. But I do use patterns.

The one time I was dependent on the directions and really hadn't fiddled with anything very much, I ran into something that's driving me nuts. I guess I'm wondering how often this happens to everyone else.

--Lia

Reply to
Julia Altshuler

When I do the "follow this pattern" thing, I usually read everything several times beforehand. I keep reading until I understand every step of it. I guess I hardly ever (if ever) "just" follow the instructions.

I'm sure there are typos in some of the books I use, but they haven't attacked me yet.

What does get me is that some of the drafting in the DJ book seems to be so obviously wrong compared to the pictures. That I will never understand.

My mum had a problem with a sweater she was knitting. She tried everything. She asked me for advice (Ha, I don't knit, but I do know about symmetry). She went to all the wool shops in town, no one could help. In the end she called the designer, got some help.I think she ended up calling the designer again to make sure she had gotten it right. Thankfully, the designer was Danish also so there was no language barrier. Can you imagine??? BTW, the designer was very good about helping!

Hanne in London

Reply to
Hanne Gottliebsen

No ... I usually trust that the patterns have been checked. I think I'm spoiled from my years of making patterns from the "good" mags that have their "quilt testers."

But then, I rarely buy quilting pattern *books* - I usually buy quilting books for inspiration (which I'll take off of), techniques, or just funny stuff! :)

I always promise myself that I *will* but I never do. I'll follow the directions more closely if it's a technique I've never done before ... but if it's piecing or applique, and not a "new" technique, I just go with it and do it *my* way.

You're using your imagination and skillset more, though!! :)

All. The. Time. :)

I look at it this way (and feel free to call me a looney!), whenever I go to a new area, I do two things: I buy a map and I get lost. On purpose. When you get "lost" (but you have the map as back-up - I may be a loon, but I'm not an idiot!!), you see things you wouldn't ordinarily see otherwise. I've found wonderful friends, neat mom'n'pop stores, and even ... FABRIC stores that way!!

But it isn't just about what you get to see, but you also get to stretch your wings a little and learn what road leads you to the manure processing plant and how not to go there again. ;)

With quilting, I do the same thing ... I think doing it "your way" helps you to learn the pros and cons of every technique - and REALLY helps you learn the principle behind the technique - otherwise, you're just "parroting" someone else's method and haven't made it your own.

Leastways, that's my opinion. :)

Hugs!! Connie :)

Reply to
SewVeryCreative

Lia - Great to see you again! Although you have updated the web-site, I would still recommend that you contact the publisher. I always make a test block or two prior to starting anything "new" or challenging for me so that I can get a feel for how difficult it will be to complete a project ( and we all know I have difficulty in that regard! ). This way if there is a problem, I can contact the publisher of the book/pattern.

- dlm. in central MA, queen of UFOs ( and procrastination )

Reply to
- dlm.

Happened to me the first time in ages that I *followed* the directions to the letter in a kit. Major error and there wasn't enuf fabric to recut the pieces. Fortunately, it's a tablerunner and I only use it once a year--and make sure it doesn't need washing.The seams were LESS than 1/8" !!!!! I was not pleased. It didn't seem 'right' when I was cutting but I figured it would work out ok...

Have another kit that is a WUH but the pieces are 'glued/fused' together...but it DOES have generous amounts for each piece. I have already decided to make some changes (we don't have armadillos in AZ that I know of---PLEASE correct me if I'm wrong here)

HTH Butterfly ( DS bought it for me and it wasn't a cheap kit either SIGH )

Reply to
Butterflywings

Butterfly- Amazingly, we have LOTS of armadillos in MO. They are most often seen as road kill- I have heard many Texas jokes where they kid about how dumb armadillos are- they curl up on the road in a protective ball when a car is coming. Of course, they don't have a chance. Splat.

When it's dry summer weather, I water my massive flower beds. The water drives the grubs closer to the surface and then the armadillos come in the night to get the grubs. In the morning my flower beds look like they have been rototilled! They even dig thru the 8 layers of heavy plastic that surround the beds under the mulch! grrrrrrrrrr!!!!!

How many would armadillos would you like me to send to you?

Leslie, Missy & The Furbabies in MO.

Reply to
Leslie & The Furbabies in MO.

Hi, Lia, good to see you.

I follow the instructions explicitly. Well, except for the one that tells you how much fabric to buy. I always get more.

So to have pattern instructions be correct is very important to me.

Thank you for taking the time to make sure the publisher knows about the error.

Cindy

Reply to
teleflora

Did you see the one which had graph paper off by 1/8".

So drafting your owm patterns wouldn't work there!

Sally at the Seaside ~~~~~~~~~~ (uk)

Julia Altshuler wrote:

Reply to
Sally Swindells

Hanne, regarding the DJ block drafting.... there are several reasons that Brenda changed some things. Some of this is "hinted" at in the book, some is on the website and in the "list" archives. Basically, remember that when she started the book she was working from a small picture in a book (Vermont Plain and Simple, or something similar) Not the easiest way to see those small blocks. When she finally got to see the original quilt up close and personal, and actually did some measuring she found that the original blocks varied enormously in size. Some had "sashing" some didn't. In order to simplify the layout and assembly some decisions had to be made and that ended up changing some of the blocks a bit. Also, Brenda simplified a number of the blocks originally, to make them easier to do in the small groups she was working with. She was afraid that if the blocks were too complex too many people would give up and quit. Many of those blocks are redrafted, much closer to the original on the EQ CD. There are also a few just plain "typos" in the book, and with a couple of the blocks.

That all said, yes I redrafted most of the blocks when I made my first DJ. Some of the changes made really bothered me too.

Have fun, Pati, in Phx

Reply to
Pati C.

Leslie is right - they do have armadillos in Missouri. We must have them in Kansas too, but yesterday as I was driving over to Joplin (about 30 miles away) right after I crossed into Missouri, there was a dead armadillo in the road.

Same thing 2 weeks ago. I don't think it was the same armadillo though.

Cindy

Reply to
teleflora

Will they get along with Coyotes and Javelinas? We have a family of Javelinas that check out the roses out front quite often. We must have the right ones as they haven't eaten them YET. They decimated our neighbors. Wish she remembered their names so I won't get them when I replace one that just gave up.

Butterfly (Bare-root season is just round the corner)

Reply to
Butterflywings

Thanks for the warm welcome. I suppose I owe y'all an update, but not much of excitement has been happening. I was on my toes in June when Jim and I were out of town and he needed emergency gall bladder surgery, but that was over quickly, and he was up and about in no time. I learned about hospitals.

August was terrific in that the wedding we attended was lovely, AND it gave me a a new quilt to work on. It was my cousins who requested the quilt based on Spanish or Portuguese tile work. Now I'm doing the countdown to Christmas. I stay away from malls.

This morning I emailed Barron's and got an autoreply that the person who gets the mail is away from her desk.

I should say a few words about how I normally work from a pattern. I do read the directions and look at the diagram. I usually draft a block on graph paper and then apply formulas of the "add 7/8" for half square triangles" sort. I don't do this because I doubt the directions. I do it because it's easier for me. Even so, I have a hard time when something is the same except ... When there's an exception, I usually redraw the whole thing, or I make big notes all over the page. I have an especially hard time when the "except" is mirror images. The trip-up for me with this pattern was that it works with 60 degree angles and has to be drafted with triangle graph paper AND that I couldn't readily see the mirror images.

This leads me to another question. You see a glove lying on a table. How long does it take you to figure out if it is a right or a left? Can you look at it and know immediately? What about with a shoe? I'm a little faster with shoes, but they puzzle me. With gloves, I have to pick it up and test it against my right and left hands while thinking about it consciously. I have no faster or more automatic way of doing it.

With this pattern, I ultimately ended up drafting the triangle block twice. One I colored with red crayon and put it on the right side of my table. The other I colored with lemon yellow crayon and put it on the left side of my table. Then, as I made the pieces, I used the red/right or lemon/left templates, and stacked them the red/right or lemon/left side of my table. I have no faster or more automatic way of doing it.

--Lia

Reply to
Julia Altshuler

Although I'm right handed, when I imagined doing the red on the right and yellow on the left, I automatically saw red on the left and yellow on the right, as that is the order I would have put them down. (You said red first and then yellow).

Gloves and shoes I can do straight away.

Its physical directions that throw me. When I stayed in a room which came out in the middle of a long corridor I had directions pinned on the inside of the door so I knew which way to turn for what! One way was Bathroom and the other was Exit! DH can look at a street map and follow it in his head. I am lost probably even before the first turing! I like the 'Lady in the Sky' who tells us where to go on a journey, even if DH does say he thinks he knows a quicker way!

Sally at the Seaside ~~~~~~~~~~ (uk)

Julia Altshuler wrote:

Reply to
Sally Swindells

I am confounded by 'maze' doctor's offices. As long as I can see a window or outside door, I'm okay but don't have any idea how to get back to where I started usually. Not terribly 'door' challenged but the one at the post office says 'push' above the handle and 'pull' right below it. What to do? As to Lia's mirror-image challenge - would it work to draw the pattern on thin paper and simply turn it over to reverse it? . . . or would you come out with travel directions to Cincinnati? Polly

Reply to
Polly Esther

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