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  • Do you ever struggle with something that should just be easy??

  • Do you ever struggle with something that should just be easy??

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    Old 09-26-2010, 06:11 PM
      #51  
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    Originally Posted by Dingle
    The last Bow Tucks bag I made I got the whole thing put together and was quite proud of myself for really taking my time to make sure everthing was perfect. (Well as perfect as I could get it) When it was done and the bag turned inside out and finished I realized I had sewn the inside pockets upside down. How I hate starting over.
    This sounds sooooo very much like me!
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    Old 09-26-2010, 06:41 PM
      #52  
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    Originally Posted by jitkaau
    Originally Posted by Sadiemae
    I wonder if I am the only who once in awhile struggles with something I shouldn't. I was fnishing a UFO top called Heart Patches. I have made it before with absolutely no problems. It went together like a dream.
    This top I wanted to just chuck in the trash(It is still tempting!). It has 18 hearts which each have 6 hst and a rectangle, and it has 34 4-patches and 34 squares. This shouldn't be any big deal, but I struggled with my points matching and my seams matching. The only thing I can come up with is that one of the fabrics stretched.

    Have you ever had an experience like this? Can you tell about it? My sister says I am anal about matching seams, but it is extremely frustrating. When I can stand to look at it, I will take a picture and post.
    I have just spent ages re - cutting some triangles because I misread a pattern, Then, when I had scrounged enough out of the scraps to make the correct size, I found that the next instruction was to cut it down to the correct size after the block was made. I have 125 little triangles that would have done in the first place, and a lot of wasted material. The person who wrote the pattern was trying to eliminate the stretch problem but I find it confusing and wasteful. I would suggest that you let the machine do the feeding and don't pull on the fabric. Try not to sew biases together - sew a bias against a straight side where possible and use a method that requires cutting after you have sewn. Otherwise, stay stitching might be the only solution.
    Another lesson learned - how many times do we tell ourselves to read the ALL the directions a couple times and then not listen to ourselves? I've done the same thing and banged my head against my sewing machine a few times!
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    Old 09-26-2010, 06:48 PM
      #53  
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    Sometimes if I make the same pattern again, I think I might go in to the project with a no problem attitue. And that may cause me to not be as careful.

    Also it seems the simpler the quilt, the more problems I have, maybe the same reason. But then I think that God is looking down and saying, "don't get so cocky sure of yourself, or I will have to teach you a lesson".

    I usually put the problem up and when I go back to it later with lower expectations, there is no problem. Hope this makes sense.
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    Old 09-26-2010, 08:17 PM
      #54  
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    Originally Posted by Prism99
    I find matching seams much easier if the fabric is starched before cutting and, on difficult seams, if I use a tiny dot of glue and the iron to "seal" the seam in place before sewing. Saves me a lot of ripping!
    Thank you that is good advise and I will use it. What glue do you use? Gail
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    Old 09-26-2010, 08:19 PM
      #55  
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    Originally Posted by Sadiemae
    The only thing I can come up with is that one of the fabrics stretched.
    I had this problem once a long time ago, except that one of the fabrics shrunk. One of the fabrics had polyester in it (remember this was a loooong time ago - I think around 1973) and every time I pressed it, it shrunk.

    I had already pieced a block and when I pressed the completed block, POOF - the center square shrunk. Puzzled, I figured I hadn't marked the square correctly. I unpieced the block, removed the center square, recut, repieced (same fabric)and .... you guessed it! PRESSED it again. POOF - center square shrunk - AGAIN. Hmmmmm....

    Got smart this time! Cut a center square out of the offending fabric and pressed it FIRST this time. It shrunk about 3/8". Threw out the fabric and was very careful to NEVER buy fabric with polyester in it again. Remember this was around 1973 and polyester/cotton blends were rampant. We are so lucky to have so many wonderful quilt shops with 100% cotton fabric!!
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    Old 09-26-2010, 08:52 PM
      #56  
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    Ladies and gentlemen; I think I wrote everyone of these comments about making the seams match, etc. I really got a chuckle out of "longarm"'s comment about if you can't see it in a 65 mph wind, not to worry. Love this blog. Thanks to all of you for your comments that give me the encouragement to keep on quilting!! :)
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    Old 09-26-2010, 09:21 PM
      #57  
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    All the time! I usually will put it down for hours, days, or weeks depending and come back in a better frame of mind. If it happens again, it goes in the UFO drawer. Thank goodness there are not many in there.
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    Old 09-27-2010, 07:17 AM
      #58  
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    I find that if i put something away to finish later I can never get it to look as good as it did when i first started the thing...frustrating
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    Old 09-27-2010, 09:30 AM
      #59  
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    The 4" finished square throw I wanted to make for a friend's mother who was going through chemo turned into a living nightmare! A friend dropped by and we were chatting while I cut the squares (big mistake!). I prefer to sew blocks instead of sewing long strips together first, then cutting into smaller blocks. I didn't realize until after I had pieced the long strips that one-third of the blocks were 1/4" longer than the other blocks and were mixed randomly in the long strips. Needless to say, nothing lined up. And this was a pattern that most beginners can master with ease!
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    Old 09-27-2010, 10:36 AM
      #60  
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    Years ago I owned a Bridal Shop and made a lot of gowns for different reasons. this woman came in and was 46 years old the first of 11 sisters to be married. The sisters were all older then her. They were all going to be Brides Maids. So they wanted long black dresses lines with long sleeves all made out of Black Chiffon. I was on the last 2 dresses both the same size. This was hard to see and exhausting especially at 2 in the morning.
    I was tired and carefully made sure all the seams matched up and everything was perfect. I held up the dress to see it all made up and realized I had sown the 2 tops together. I was so tired I just stood there in disbelief. Went home and went to bed.
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