This is my first UFO finish for 2023. I had promised myself that I would finish one UFO each month this year, so I am off to a good start. The quilt is a pattern by Primitive Gatherings called Take It Easy. The fabric was one or two jelly rolls of a past (really pretty) red and white collection, also by Primitive Gatherings. It will be a L.O.N.G. time before I use another jelly roll. Even though I starched in advance, which usually reduces the lint/fraying issue, there was lint everywhere when I worked on this project.
I am very happy to have this project behind me. Just as I finished sewing the blocks together for the border, I realized that the pattern made no mention of the fact that you need to change the orientation of the blocks on the side borders of the quilt in order for all the strips in the border blocks to line up properly with the quilt top. Do you see how the border blocks having crossways strips must line up with blocks having vertical strips in the quilt top? You have to pay attention to that when you sew your borders. Sure wish the pattern had mentioned that even though the pattern cover shows it done right. I hate that feeling. "Oh swell, I'm nearly done! Oops no, I have sewn two borders completely wrong and need to take them apart". I did a lot of ripping and looked like my clothes dryer lint trap at the end of it.
But the quilt is done at last, yay! I think this will be for my brother-in-law who told me his dogs had ruined a favorite quilt I had given my sister. This one will be going off to the quilter post haste.
Hope you all had a great weekend. I spent all day Saturday in my sewing room, and even though I was using my seam ripper a fair amount of the time, I really had no place else to be. No work deadlines means I was free to putter about as I pleased and I made the most of it. I got my February UFO up on the design board and will knock that one out this week without a hitch.
8 Responses
This quilt is so pretty. I can see how easy it would be to have a block turned in the wrong direction!
How frustrating to have the borders wrong! I had a pattern with incorrect and missing information and was so aggravated. I know the designers often have testers to catch that sort of thing.
Congrats on your UFO progress! No more jelly rolls for me either, after using one recently. Not only all the lint, but I find it much more difficult to keep my piecing accurate.
I really like that quilt. I actually have that jelly roll too and have used a few of the strips in other projects but have most of it left. I hope you didn’t jinx yourself with that last statement 😉
I like the look of the border but I’m guessing that it was a pain to adjust! You’d think the pattern writer & editor(s) would have noticed the border directions were kind of important, but missing! Your brother-in-law will be so happy to have a ‘whole’ quilt once again! Good job!
Congrats on a finish! I just seem to keep starting new things! I have that pattern so thanks for the heads up on the borders.
damn. that border issue would make me mad. it looks gorgeous all lined up now. I’ve been trying to go through UFOs just to try to get organized. I have at LEAST 5 quilts that I just love that just need to have sashing added and sewn together. my gawd.
enjoy the sunshine this week!
Such a pretty quilt, red and white make for a gorgeous combo.