Spent all day on one block

baaa baaa!! you # the blocks, are they from a book or pattern or why are they numbered? somewhere we can go to see all the blocks? j.

"Susan Laity Price" wrote... The on-going saga of my sampler quilt.

Task: make block "Flower Garden Path" #1158.

Problem #1.Must redraw center to be single 4.5" square rather than four squares and four triangles so I can use a focus fabric in the center. No problem. Redraw is simple in EQ.

Problem #2. Find a focus fabric with a scene to fit 4.5" center. Have a great one but the background is too white. A quick dip in the leftover coffee should fix that. Now the background looks OK but the blue is all wrong. Look for another fabric. The Jo Morton lamb fabric is perfect. Remember I worked for ten years with an organization named Little Lambs. This will add extra meaning to the memory quilt. The background and lambs are good colors but the small pink flowers will jump out since there isn't any other pink or red in the quilt. Pigma pen to the rescue. Color the pink flowers with a sepia pigma pen and they recede into a browner color. Perfect. Make the block.

Problem #3. Block is great but something doesn't look right. Oh great. These blocks will be set on point. The Lambs are facing the wrong way! Lay a 9 1/2" square on the block to see what I can salvage and add to other corners to turn block the right direction. Trimmed outer setting triangles. Sew additional triangles on other corners. Oops! Sewed the triangles on the wrong corners so lambs are still facing the wrong way. Try again but double check myself at every step. Block looks OK but looks like it was made in one hour rather than six hours!

Result: finished 9" block with center focus fabric of lambs. Rename the block "Little Lambs". Try to forget how much trouble it was to create and go on to another block. Think I will choose a simple one this time with no directional fabric.

Susan

Susan, you might ought to name that block 'come Hell or high water'. Good, good for you to stay with that rascal until you had it down and done. Sound like Murphy's Law settled in at your house today. So sorry you had such a trying time of it. Polly

That is an amazing struggle for one little block. But I bet the outcome is lovely. When do we get photos??? I especially like that you used fabric pens to change colors when you needed to. Just out of curiosity.... what color are the lambs?

Sunny

The good news is: it's finished now! (There's always one ...) A couple of simple ones will make you forget your pain. Keep going Susan. . In message , Susan Laity Price writes

Oh my, Susan! It was one of those "if it can go wrong, it will" days, wasn't it? I'm glad you were finally successful. :)

Jeanne, I saw the block in my copy of Barbara Brackman's Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Patterns.

Thanks for explaining where the block is from. After typing that note I went upstairs and turned off my quilting brain for the evening.

Susan

Ok, I have never had a kid, so that one went over my head, so to speak.

Patti said, simple ones will make you forget your pain

Are you saying that simple births make you forget the pain of difficult births Or did I completely lose the thread of your meaning.

just found this nice thought on a blog that made me think to ask

have been times in the last three years when I have felt isolated and bored, but on the whole I will say it has been the making of me. Where before I had fuzzy ambition, now I have clarity and purpose. Instead of spending my days doing menial office work I spend them with a small human who is always remarkable. I have been allowed to have the time to think, to learn, to make up in some small way for the lack of knowledge I had from an insufficient education. I've explored my interests and strengths and also discovered what I am incapable of. It has not been easy by any means; financially we have been on a downward spiral and this needs addressing instantly. But in this time I have been able to learn more about myself and my priorities than I would have done had I been consumed with exterior work.

Good thing I'd already put down my coffee, Susan. I laughed ... actually I snorted. Not so nice, I will own up to it. Good luck on the next few blocks. PAT in VA/USA

....cut mad quilter adventures!....