My intention was to get this finished for Sara and give it to her for her birthday Sunday, but as you can plainly see, I failed to accomplish that goal.
Several things went wrong. Mainly, I discovered that I had made seven of the blocks with a pure white fabric. The other thirteen blocks appear to have been made with a creamier shade of white. Both shades of white are noticeabley different from each other. I have no idea what happened. The pure white is the better choice I think, as it plays best with the pure pinks and reds in the PamKittyMorning fabric line.
Friends, this is what happens when you abandon a project for a year and then go back to it. Anything can have gone into that project box, and who knows what you were thinking last year? I must have had a plan, do ya' think?
Bother. I ended up with just enough of the pure white to put six blocks together for a table topper. Luckily there was just enough for the lattice. My other issue was I didn't have enough of any one fabric to use for a border and binding, which I think this project calls for. I plan to order some of the red floral print for a border and then I will quilt it myself. Maybe if I give it to her with a big bouquet of red roses, or a snappy red geranium plant she will forgive me for being late with her gift. I think it will be pretty darn cute, in a fun retro kind of way.
I can't swear to it, but I think this creamier white yardage the block is sitting on is a good amount of Kona Snow, which at one point I bought by the bolt, since I was using it so much. In good light, with only one layer of fabric spread out, it is a pretty dead on match with what I used in the remaining 13 blocks. It looks a bit dark in the photo, but it is about 10 layers of fabric, folded. It makes sense I would have grabbed for this white when I started the project, since I knew I had tons of it. How that bright white got in the box, I have no clue.
Tuck my lesson away in your memory banks so this mistake doesn't happen to you. Whites are not all just white. There are a thousand different shades of white and they are not at all interchangeable.
Now I am thinking to make a few more blocks with the Kona Snow and end up with a small quilt for Eva. Maybe 20 blocks all together. It isn't as if making these adorable blocks isn't fun, and I certainly do have plenty of pink and red left…
9 Responses
I feel your pain as I have done the exact mistake and didn’t know how it happened except to say that I picked up a project a year or so later and must have stuck some fabics in the box….looks really nice of what you have done….good save!
Gail
Well, phooey! The best laid plans … as you and I well know. Bother! Even if the whites don’t match, I adore these happy blocks.
My method of keeping myself on track is to write a note to myself before abandoning a project. I include my thoughts for what I’m making, cutting sizes, how it will be finished, and sometimes even the names or snips of the fabrics. When I finally get back to the project and read my note, I may stick to the original plan or change my mind, but that relieves me of kicking myself because I didn’t remember what the plan was.
Not to worry, Sara will be delighted whenever she receives her gift. Love the idea of red flowers to go with it.
Hugs!
I HATE when that happens! I think most of us have experienced something similar, so don’t beat yourself up, ok?!
Those blocks are so beautiful! I’m sorry about the background mix up. Sounds like something I would do. That or ordering a whole bolt of the wrong color Bella solid because I liked it so much when I made a quilt for Lily. Yep, wrong color. Guilty.
OH yes…this happens all the time in my sewing room 🙂
I say “I must have had a plan…wonder what it was”!!!???
So now you have two great projects 🙂
Too late for me. I’ve already been burned by this dilema. 🙁
They are pretty blocks.
Oooh this is just beautiful 🙂
Eva will be thrilled! Love presenting it with some red flowers – and I really like geraniums. They would go perfect with this pattern and fabric. I started on my Swoon quilt last week and had just enough bright white and a ton of this ‘other’ white. Luckily I had bought one of those Moda Bella Solid color cards, so I know that what I have is the Bleached White and a creamier “Feather” color. Otherwise, I don’t know what I would have done to match it later…
I would use them any way. Mix them in. By the time you quilt and wash it you cant tell. Differences just add depth and interest.