08 January 2015

An "Instant Gratification" project

Hello Quilty and Non-Quilty Friends!

I hope you had a grand holiday season.  Although I spent a lot of time loafing around the house, I felt well rested and dare I say a wee bit excited to return to work. (!)

I made a list of projects I wanted to complete in my trusty grid composition note book.  I may or may not post them.  I haven't decided if I want the world wide web to keep me accountable or not.  Nevertheless, I started a project around 9 pm last night.  I think I finished around midnight.  I know It took at least 4 Greys Anatomy episodes to finish - including mistakes and remeasuring, recutting, picking stitches and pinning in the right places.

I used an old jelly roll I picked up at a Tuesday Morning store (discount, factory seconds, unsold stock)  I purchased it to add more green to my stash.  I really liked the combination of bold floral, stripes and geometric patterns.  This particular jelly roll only had two 2.5xWOF strips of 6 prints.  I wrote down some instructions, and stitched all of the jelly roll strips together.  I measured and trimmed my strips to what I thought was the correct width and length - according to my chicken scratch.

So I finally swallowed my pride and went to THIS tutorial by V and Co.  I trimmed my sewn strips to short, so it was not wide enough.  I added a strip of the pocket (inside of cover fabric) to the sewn strips and then turned and top stitched the cover.  The moment of truth - and the cover did not fit.  

By this time it was late and I was super determined to finish something, so I tucked my puppies in to the kennel and grabbed my trusty and overused seam ripper and picked out the stitches that secured the inside flaps.

I reassessed how far I needed to fold them and then gave myself a bit more wiggle room for seam allowance for the top stiching along the front of the cover.  I pinned and sewed, grabbed my composition book and slid on the cover.  It was a wee bit big, but I figured since it was well past midnight, I would leave it as is and call it good enough.

I do like the colors and the bands of black that outline the strips.

Completed project with trusty tools

Inside front cover


Inside back cover
Back Cover


What I would do different so I didn't have any problems
  • Slow down and not charge through a project until completion when it's late. Maybe I shouldn't start a project after 9 pm
  • NOT use my 1/4 in. foot, use my all-purpose foot or my walking foot.  The corners get pretty thick.
  • NOT use contrasting thread
  • Sew it upside down with the bobbin thread on the inside and the "pretty" top stitching on the outside.
  • MEASURE my composition book.  It has been my experience that each one has a slight variation.  This can be due to use or glue ins OR just natural variation that comes from the machining process.
  • Perhaps starch my fabric?

I NOW KNOW WHAT NOT TO DO.  I think I will try this again to make gifts for friends.  I also had originally intended to practice my FMQ skills, but I got too focused on getting a completion.  I think I will FMQ and use an orphan block on the front and back and then add strips to build out for the correct width and height.

Do you ever get so focused on the get it done that quality work is sometimes sacrificed?

Please leave a comment!  I love to hear from you

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