A little sketch -

Goes a long way - ;))

I am a very visual learner - show me a photo or a sketch of a quilt and I can usually figure it out - count the blocks - the units of each type - do the MATH - and go from there. Most times I don't even need a pattern - if I can sketch it out - I can make it whatever size I want - ;))

Same with a quilting design - sketch it out - figure out where to start and stop - then go from there - ;))

I knew that I had already figured out the "sequence" and the stop/start points when I Free-Motion quilted my Thanksgiving Churn Dash -

But did I write it down? -

Nope - that would have been too easy - LOL - ;))

So I dug it out and took a look -

And - since it was only 3 blocks across and 3 blocks down -

I decided to make a sketch for my Halloween Churn Dash that is set 4 blocks across and 4 blocks down -

I made the grid at the inch marks on my ruler and since the paper is only 8-1/2" x 11" and I needed 12 "units" both across and down - I had to chop off the last block - and the bottom row - but it's OK. I guess I could have worked it up in EQ7 - but a piece of paper and a pencil is sometimes easier for me than futzing with a computer program - besides - it helps cement the pattern and the "directions" in my head when I have to draw them out -

So then I sketched in the rows and "directions" that I had already done and photocopied that for my worksheet -

I used a RED pen to mark the "directions" that I wanted the stitching to go in the center squares - and put a RED circle in the corner where the stitching for that center square would START - that's where I need to STOP when I finish the "unit" just before it -

Then I made another photocopy to use as another worksheet - and made squiggles in the center squares to represent the stitching - and continued the squiggles out into the "two-patch" units in both directions. Now I have my "map" and know that I can START my first "middle" row at the TOP LEFT corner - the second "middle" row at the BOTTOM LEFT corner - the third "middle" row will be a repeat of the first row - and the last "middle" row will be a repeat of the second row - ;))

It wasn't hard - I just didn't get to it until later this afternoon - because I spent WAAAAY too much time "surfing" on the computer and reading blogs and stuff - ;))

And - on a totally different subject -

I am a Gatorade geek - I LOVE the orange flavored Gatorade - it is my go-to summertime drink - after coffee - LOL - and I buy it by the case - especially when it goes on sale which isn't very often -

I don't know how much it costs you where you live, but here - by the time you add our wonderful California Redemption Value (CRV) fee - it usually costs about a dollar a quart - $12 per case of 12 -

And - for those of you who are interested - according to the FAQ site - HERE - the California Redemption Value is neither a deposit nor a tax -

The Legislature has declared that the redemption payment is neither a deposit nor a tax, but a regulatory fee collected for the purpose of assuring the return for recycling of a greater percentage of the beverage containers sold in the state.

Oh, goody - and we have to "pay" per container and we get "redemption" back by the pound - which is NOT the same thing. BOB would like to get the fee back PER CONTAINER - but they didn't ask her - LOL - :))

Anyway - back to the Gatorade -

I found online - at Sam's Club - a really cool (and cheaper) alternative to the heavy cases - the rotten CRV - and the hassle of having to recycle all of those bottles -

One package is 50.9 oz. and will make 6 gallons -

And, of course, the preparation instructions say to mix the FULL POUCH with 6 GALLONS of cold water -

Yeah, right - like I'm going to do that - LOL - ;))

It also says that the serving size is 1-2/3 Tbsp - which makes about 12 fl. oz -

So I poured all of the powder mix into a big plastic container -

And did the MATH to figure out how much I would need to add to this 32 oz. bottle if it was filled with cold water - ;))

I mixed a bottle last night - and left it in the refrigerator to get cold - just to see if it tasted the same - and it does to me. The powder mix reminds me of TANG when I was a kid - only better - because I like Gatorade better than TANG - ;))

I know that many people are MATH-challenged -

But I am a MATH geek -

I LOVE MATH -

And I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mr. Watkins, my eighth-grade Algebra teacher - for teaching me how to do the MATH - so I could figure out how much mix to add to one bottle of cold water - ;))

I remember - when he was teaching us how to convert Fahrenheit to Celsius and vice versa - (I have forgotten the formula - it was a loooong time ago) - I asked him - "How do I know which number is going to match?" - He smiled and said - "That's what you're solving for." I laughed - and said - "OH!!" - We didn't say "Duh!!" back then - LOL - ;))

He made Algebra SO SIMPLE -

THANK YOU, Mr. Watkins!! - ;))



Talk to you later - gotta go - gotta sew -