Huh? Shoulda paid more attention in Mr. Cloucy's math class back in the 60's. I've been sewing the last of the rows on the Block Exchange quilt, and pressing everything ever so nicely as I go. There isn't anything more satisfying in my book, than seeing this come together and laying so nice and flat (and square, too!). As I've been working, I've been sorting through my head the fabric selections I've made for the speed braid border, and slowly laying the steps out to figure the math for the first inner border.
You see, you can't just put on the border and then make these border strips. There's MATH involved! EEEEEK! I suppose I should have warned you all about this in The Border Workbook before you all ran out and got it, huh?
It's not so bad, really. But you do need to start out with a clear head and a clean piece of paper. It doesn't hurt to measure your quilt top, either - before you sit down with all the accoutrements to figure your work, right?
Now, before you start the arduous math task, make sure that the quilt is firmly anchored under one cat (about 12 pounds of weight is sufficient). As you can see, not everyone in the room takes their job seriously. Clyde doesn't do math, but he does do "cute" extremely well.
After several passes at sizes, I have now determined how wide my border will be (6.5"), how wide the strip set must be (9") and what size the repeat unit will be (12.75) to make it come out perfectly!
BUT!! See the red fabric second from the bottom? It originally was going to be the inner border of 2". But I just bought the first red at the bottom to go into the strip, and I like it MUCH MUCH more than the first red. So guess, where I need to go next?
Yep! Gotta go shopping for exactly 12.5" of red fabric! LOL!
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6 comments:
Who knew quilitng would involve math? Still, I think it's a good thing to know how many and how much before you start cutting.
Shopping is always an option....and a good one. I feel your math pain!
Wendy
Math - schmath . . . shopping is the perfect remedy for it. And all the better if you are buying reds - you don't want them to stop making reds.
Can't tell you how many times I've cut into the "wrong" fabric (because it looked so right) and ended up shopping! Math isn't as much my problem as basic organization!
Math? math? O.
But, I love that book, just haven't used it often enough though.
I will admit that I read that section 9over and over and just gave up! I'll be happy to see yours come out all pretty and on the quilt. Maybe I'll get the book and really learn one day!
Clyde looks like Noodle...we call that his "I'm gonna lay right here and perhaps someone will stumble by and scratch my belly by accident!"
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