The Sewing Place

The Emporia => Patchwork & Quilting ... Welcome to the Darkside => Current Projects => Topic started by: Sheilago on May 11, 2022, 20:28:12 PM

Title: Starring inaccuracies!
Post by: Sheilago on May 11, 2022, 20:28:12 PM
 So here’s my latest project. As usual I’m copyingusing as inspiration a quilt I saw online, so I have no dimensions or a pattern to work to. No problem, I thought. I’ll start by making the central star 12”, with a 3” border of squares all the way round. That way I’ll need 3 sawtooth stars on each side , plus one at each corner.
All seemed well until I got round to measuring the finished star and border and instead of being a little over 18” it was it 20.5” wide on each side. Somehow my border ended up too wide, but I couldn’t cut it back to size as my outer layer of squares would then have been rectangles! However, at least it was consistently out on each side  :D

I thought, ‘All I have to do is make 3 stars to fit each 20.5” side’!  :laughing:
It was then that I discovered that the handy sawtooth star instructions I have,  offer measurements for 6” or 8” , not the just under 7” I needed.
This fiddling around , of course, makes the whole process much slower, but it’s getting there. :rolleyes:

The moral of the story …… measure, measure, measure !
  [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]  
 
Title: Re: Starring inaccuracies!
Post by: Acorn on May 11, 2022, 21:40:36 PM
You've done brilliantly!   :perfect10:
Title: Re: Starring inaccuracies!
Post by: Surest1tch on May 11, 2022, 22:04:23 PM
It looks fabulous and also looks like that's how it was meant to be  :thumb:
Title: Re: Starring inaccuracies!
Post by: BrendaP on May 11, 2022, 23:22:18 PM


The moral of the story …… measure, measure, measure !
  [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

Assuming  your centre block is 12" x 12" (finished) - it looks to me that the surrounding border is made of 2" x 2" (finished) squares which will make the complete square 20" x 20", or thereabouts.  Maybe the confusion came about because of the difference in cut sizes and finished sizes.  If you had cut the suaares 2" x 2" they would have finished as 1.5" x 1.5", the border would have been 3" wide and the finished square would have been 18" x 18" as expected - and would have saved a lot of maths to adjust the size of the smaller stars.

Having said that, the quilt looks lovely so you got there in the end. :thumb:
Title: Re: Starring inaccuracies!
Post by: Bumblebuncher on May 11, 2022, 23:31:03 PM
I genuinely read your post and couldn't understand all the measurements and what went wrong (were you saying something went wrong?).  All I can say is I don't see anything wrong, it looks lovely
Title: Re: Starring inaccuracies!
Post by: Sheilago on May 11, 2022, 23:48:27 PM
Thank you for the kind comments.  Yes@BrendaP, I think that’s what’s gone wrong. I’ve got confused about finished sizes and must have cut 2.5” squares for the border, instead of 2” ones.
@Bumblebuncher , yes what went wrong was that I didn’t check measurements as I went along and the central part of the quilt : the star and the border of squares was too big for my intended 6” smaller stars, so I’ve had to scale them up a bit: time consuming for my non-mathematical brain! Luckily I hadn’t actually made any smaller stars in advance. Still another 13 stars to be made!
Title: Re: Starring inaccuracies!
Post by: Cazlyn on May 12, 2022, 07:02:55 AM
I think it looks great, love your colours.
Title: Re: Starring inaccuracies!
Post by: RosyPosy on May 12, 2022, 08:13:11 AM
Your quilt looks lovely  - beautiful combinations of colour.  I have nine pieced blocks and can't even get myself to put them together so I am in awe of your achievement.
Title: Re: Starring inaccuracies!
Post by: Sheilago on May 12, 2022, 08:40:11 AM
PS- You do all realise that the completed quilt shown in the picture is just the one I’m copying, including the colours?   :embarrassed:

Mine is the one that has so far only got the centre plus 3 smaller stars: here’s hoping it looks as good!
Title: Re: Starring inaccuracies!
Post by: Sheilago on June 06, 2022, 14:17:07 PM
I’ve just finished starry quilt. A friend has just had a long awaited granddaughter- the first girl in the family or a long time, so I’ve rushed to get it quilted.  [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]   [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]  
I gave it a pink fleece backing as I thought my friend would love it to be girly and did some quick free motion quilting. The outdoor picture gives a better idea of colours.

  [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]  
Title: Re: Starring inaccuracies!
Post by: Acorn on June 06, 2022, 14:26:02 PM
It's gorgeous!  The quilting works really well against the fleece, too.   :perfect10:
Title: Re: Starring inaccuracies!
Post by: SewRuthieSews on June 06, 2022, 14:38:28 PM
Looks lovely!
Title: Re: Starring inaccuracies!
Post by: Silver Rose on June 06, 2022, 14:52:48 PM
Lovely bright colours, lucky little girl.
Title: Re: Starring inaccuracies!
Post by: Lowena on June 06, 2022, 14:53:35 PM
What a gorgeous quilt  <3
Title: Re: Starring inaccuracies!
Post by: Celia on June 06, 2022, 17:02:01 PM
Lovely
Title: Re: Starring inaccuracies!
Post by: Lachica on June 06, 2022, 18:14:58 PM
It's lovely, I'm sure it will be treasured.
Title: Re: Starring inaccuracies!
Post by: charley on June 06, 2022, 19:41:20 PM
Beautiful @Sheilago really effective.
Title: Re: Starring inaccuracies!
Post by: realale on June 07, 2022, 07:51:37 AM
What a lovely quilt.  :perfect10: The colours are gorgeous.
Title: Re: Starring inaccuracies!
Post by: Cazlyn on June 07, 2022, 07:53:19 AM
What a beautiful quilt!
Title: Re: Starring inaccuracies!
Post by: Sheilago on June 07, 2022, 15:21:26 PM
Thank you all for the kind comments. I’ve now got the label on, so just need to deliver it. :D
Title: Re: Starring inaccuracies!
Post by: twopence on June 07, 2022, 18:45:06 PM
Lovely quilt and colours.
Title: Re: Starring inaccuracies!
Post by: WildAtlanticWay on June 07, 2022, 20:07:53 PM
That’s a gorgeous quilt  :loveit:

Title: Re: Starring inaccuracies!
Post by: Lisalou1965 on June 09, 2022, 15:37:17 PM
Beautiful xxx
Title: Re: Starring inaccuracies!
Post by: William on August 03, 2022, 11:49:30 AM
Beautiful quilt! The one You give it to is very lucky indeed!
Title: Re: Starring inaccuracies!
Post by: Flobear on August 03, 2022, 11:58:36 AM
Lovely work @Sheilago and a great effort on re-sizing things. I always think I have resized something correctly but have to make a practice block, star, FG or whatever and at least 50% of the time find that it's not right!

And I love the way you casually say "did some quick free motion quilting". I'm not sure I'll ever get the hang of FMQ  :[
Title: Re: Starring inaccuracies!
Post by: Sheilago on August 03, 2022, 18:22:56 PM
Thank you @Flobear . It’s now away as a gift for a friend’s baby granddaughter. I thought I’d never get used to FMQ, but practice really helps. I made quite a few small things : cushions etc, to get more practice and I can now do flowers and leaves very happily and swirls etc, but nothing too complicated. I actually enjoy it now, it’s quite therapeutic  :D
Title: Re: Starring inaccuracies!
Post by: Flobear on August 03, 2022, 21:16:41 PM
Hmm, not sure it will ever come into the category of 'therapeutic'  :laughing:

Mind you, as Lizzie said (of piano playing) in 'Pride and Prejudice':

"My fingers do not move over this instrument in the masterly manner which I see so many women's do. They have not the same force or rapidity, and do not produce the same expression. But then I have always supposed it to be my own fault -- because I would not take the trouble of practising. It is not that I do not believe my fingers as capable as any other woman's of superior execution.”
Title: Re: Starring inaccuracies!
Post by: rubywishes on August 22, 2022, 14:07:06 PM
Oh that's so pretty, I love it! :VV: