Keeping It Real: The Sashing is Killing Me

Really, the whole quilt is sort of killing me.

Sometimes it feels like there is a curse over certain quilts. I definitely felt that way when I made my grandmother a quilt and nothing seemed to work out. Granted, she ended up loving that quilt and when she fell very ill she said it was the quilt that made her feel better. She took it with her to the nursing home and then was buried with it this past spring. So it was totally worth it.

Though that is a sombre example, I know that when I struggle with a quilt it will be worth it in the end. And this plus quilt will look amazing. I know it will. The little boy for whom it is intended should get lots of use out of it and I think his mom will love it.

But.

THIS QUILT IS DRIVING ME CRAZY. It was easy to piece- 3.5" squares and lots and lots of nine patch blocks to make the pluses. Then when I started putting it together the moon must have been full or I spilled salt or walked in the path of a black cat or something because it has been disaster after disaster.

I put together the first three rows including sashing and it was looking fabulous. Then I put on the forth row and...

Holy crap. That is WAY short. What happened?? I made all the blocks at once.

I knew what happened after I paused for a minute and put all the other rows side by side. Rows 1-3 are one length and rows 4-8 are another length. Why? Because I decided to not be lazy. For once. But I decided it part way through the quilt. You see, I trimmed the blocks to perfect 9x9" squares. Well, the blocks for 4-8, anyway. 1-3 I just pieced as they were. BIG PROBLEM. Stupid me. Serves me right.

Do you see row four on the left slowly getting out of alignment with the first three rows?

So I picked stitches for hours. I was so mad at myself. My hubby even offered to help (thanks, dear, but no thanks. I could just see the distorted blocks littering the floor). 

My eyes were getting strained from all the white-on-white stitch ripping.

After hours of ripping this was the result.

And then, calmly, I trimmed them all, added the short sashing between the blocks and then sewed the rows back together. BUT I MESSED UP AGAIN!

I put in row 2 backwards. Not sure how I did it. But it meant patterns right next to each other. Nooooooo!

Out came the stitch ripper, and I pulled out that long sashing again. And reassembled it again. Hours of work to get back to where I thought I was.

And while attaching row four I noticed I put the sashing in upside down so I had to pull out about a foot of sashing and fix the seam. Deep breaths.

And then when I sewed on row four and went to press I noticed the bobbin had run out about a foot in and the majority of the row was not, actually, attached.

Pause while I sob. *sob*

I have been soothing these aggravations with cookies but I've eaten so many cookies now that I may have to turn to wine next. And if I am making all these mistakes sober you can only imagine what will happen if I've had a few.

But I will get this top done. I will not let it beat me!!

Wish me luck. And remind me to not be so lazy. Sigh.

Lynn