On a new pattern is usually a good idea -
If I want to make sure the block goes together -
The way it is SUPPOSED to go together -
AND comes out the right size -
In this case -
The 4 strips - when sewn together -
SHOULD measure 8-1/2" wide -
BUT I'm SHORT -
It only measures 8-1/4" - UGH!! -
The pattern I'm trying out is in this book by Brenda Henning -
Strip Therapy 5 - Bali Pop™ Mania -
Bear Paw Productions © 2010 by Brenda Henning -
She uses Bali Pops™ - and says that since they are HAND-cut -
they can vary in width by as much as 1/4" -
so she has a method she uses to compensate for that -
I won't give away her secret -
so if you want to know how she does it -
find one of her books -
The trick is worth the price of a book - LOL - ;))
Anyway -
I un-sewed the first block -
And re-sewed the two strips to measure 4-1/2" -
Like they should -
Then I sewed the other two strips together -
And then all four together -
And got the block to come out to 8-1/2" -
Like it should -
So - one block down -
Three more to go -
Then I can do the next step -
And see how that goes -
As the "Test" continues - LOL - ;))
Talk to you later - gotta go - gotta sew -
4 comments:
Ha ha.... I sometimes just "go with it" if I can adjust (trim) the other units to make it work.
I can probably guess her method to compensate.
Oh those pesky 1/4" differences over the long haul! My last precut strips had no pinked edges and the sizes were a lot truer.
A quarter inch? I mean, in the grand scheme of things, that isn't much. But in the quilting world? That is a big deal. I understand how hand-cutting can cause issues, but where else would we tolerate something so significant? And if we want to get technical, that could be as much as 10% under or over. Would you be okay if the grocery store scale charged you for 10% more produce than you bought? Would you be okay if the post office changed you to ship a package that was 10% heavier than it actually was? No doubt if the 10% is in our favor, we'd be much less likely to complain, but in that case someone else is getting shorted. And in quilting? The problem is equally annoying at too big or too small! But that is probably just BOB making a stop at my house today. She would tell you to cut your own strips (because she is "thrifty") or find a more reliable source. Katie will tell you "whatever floats your boat!" And Katie is looking forward to what this will become. (And will now stop referring to herself in the third person!)
You are to be complimented for adjusting the block to get it right! I would have not unsewed. I would have just taken it from there and adjusted hoping it wouldn’t be noticeable in the end. Nothing will make me not love these fabrics (even the one with orange). Onward!
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