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Monday, August 10, 2009

Another day....

The French Roses are off the floor residing in my chair. They are waiting for me to get over my anger at inept math calculations to get that last big row of blocks off. Unfortunately, I will NOT be using them for a table runner, nor can I leave the quilt at the size it is at the moment. I think this row will just be inserted in the back and be happy that it's there.

I've been busy working on a client quilt - another cross stitch embroidery quilt top. It's will be nice for the lady to have it, and I will be happy to have it off my design wall:)

I also went to guild today and had the most marvelous time with friends and Karen Stone. Her quilts are just fabulous and she is so much fun! I will get the pictures of that off the camera tomorrow and share some of the fun with you then. In the meantime, I'd like to share about another one of my friends. Her name is Jane Kennedy and she makes wonderful quilts, too. Her book was just published, so check it out, as well as her quilt gallery. Her instructions are great, and if you've ever wanted to do something like this, her book would be a great guide for you!
And of course, you need to see the latest pictures of Mayo, our baby girl. She loves to help in the garden, and this picture is of her in my green bean bed. She loves to leap into the raised bed and scurry around under the plants. Besides all the black dirt embedded in her fur are the furry green beans stuck and woven into it as well!

We bought a small doggy pool for her to "swim" in after garden time, and it's been so darned hot here, she is loving her playtime in the late afternoon. After that, she gets dried and brushed, and then she is so tired! This is her favorite resting position. If she gets much longer, I'll have to grow taller!

Monday, August 03, 2009

Did I pass math?

Well, it's been a few years since I graduated high school AND college. It's also hard to believe I used to teach statistics!

This is a picture of my French Roses quilt on the floor where I threw it after several painful days of math!
So why is it on the floor, you ask? Well, let me start at the beginning, so you'll understand.

In March, I figured out the size I wanted for this quilt, cut and kitted up all the blocks I would need to make a king size quilt. My king size quilts go on the bed sideways, so should always be in the 86" X 102" range. I worked on the blocks and had most of them completed upon my return from the retreat. THEN, I took them all with me to Rochester, MN and sewed them together. When I laid it out on the floor to show Hubby, it was SQUARE! How did that happen? I never make square quilts for the bed! So I automatically assumed I was short a row. Instead of it being 9 X 9 blocks, it needed to be 9 X 10 blocks, so I brought it home and made more blocks. Isn't that what YOU would do?

So now, I get my borders together out of the kits which I had already pre-cut as well, and they just wouldn't fit. What's wrong here? I did the math again, and low and behold the darned quilt was already 81" X 90" BEFORE borders. How could that be? So, I sat and did the math again. Turns out I didn't need the extra row after all. I had simply added the last row on the wrong side, and the blocks should have been set 8 X 10. Silly me.

So this is where it is at the moment, waiting to be unsewn, and started again with the borders. I know, I know, I know. Not so bad, but still! (She says stomping her foot!)

And Clyde is complaining that I must not have done the math correctly for the big board, either. He simply cannot stay on it, and sometimes rolls off in his sleep. Maybe I need to get some baby bumpers? LOL!