This weekend was a mixed bag. You know the old expression “You win some, you lose some”? That definitely played a part in my life over the past few days. I will start with my wins. The house cleaners came on Friday and my house looks fabulous. I put away the Valentine’s decor and brought out my green for St. Patrick’s Day. This quilt in the photo above is one of my favorites. I will share some of my other decorations in posts later this week. So, clean house, fresh decorations. Win win.
Saturday night, I made a chicken/mushroom/leek pie, and it was fabulous. You could do it with rotisserie chicken, and it would be even easier, but I had a couple of chicken breasts that I poached myself. The entire recipe is made in a cast-iron skillet, so clean up is a breeze. You sauté chopped leeks, celery, mushrooms, and garlic in butter and oil, then sprinkle in flour to thicken. Add the chicken back in, along with some broth, and cook it just until the sauce makes a gravy. I used Italian herbs, salt, and pepper to season things. Turn off the heat and add a bit of half and half and some lemon zest. Let things cool, and when you are a half hour from serving, top it with a trimmed-up Pepperidge Farm puff pastry sheet and some egg wash and Parmesan cheese. Pop it in the oven for 25 minutes or so, and you will have a fantastic, gourmet, restaurant-quality dinner. Here is the recipe. Make it. Another win.
As for weekend sewing, I worked on my third Swoon block. I was happy with my fabric choices, and in particular took very elaborate and time-consuming pains to get that green plaid cut out and sewn just so. All my points and intersections were lining up great. As I was into my third hour of sewing, and just about to sew the final rows together, I noticed something wrong. Do you see it?
I had somehow managed to use two similar, but different background fabrics.
They are both from Camille Roskelly fabric collections. One is Nantucket Summer, and the other is from Shoreline or Rosemary Cottage or something. They are the same color but obviously different tone on tone geometric prints. Similar, very similar, but not the same. Fail.
At this point, I turned off my sewing machine, shut down the iron and the lights, and left the room. I will go back and sew the block together, and I have decided not to correct this mistake. The fabrics are the same color, so it is not a very noticeable error. My husband stared at it for five minutes and had no idea what the problem was. Does it bug me? You bet it does. That being said, this block is going into the quilt as is.
Will I be making this mistake again? Not in this quilt. Lesson learned. You win some, you lose some. Hope your weekend was full of wins!
35 Responses
I didn’t notice it at all! Love the green quilt on the bed!
That was a fun quilt to make. Only one block throughout, but with lots of different greens. It was an old Miss Rosie pattern called Don’t Fence Me In.
I can only work on one quilt at a time for that very reason – background white fabrics that look nearly but not quite identical. I feel your pain.
Ugh. I am working on two different projects using Camille Roskelley fabrics and managed to mix up the backgrounds. Weren’t we just talking about this and I said I try not to do it?
Oh so sorry! That can be so frustrating but I’m glad you aren’t picking it out but rather (as my British friend says)”soldiering on! It looks gorgeous!
I spent too much time on the block to take it apart. The error isn’t too obvious, unless I insist on pointing it out!
I’ve quilted for 50 years and have won awards for my traditional-looking quilts. I have a red and white basket quilt hanging in my dining room. When I was making it, I didn’t have enough fabric to make every background. I lacked probably 1/8 yard. So I substituted a very similar but different fabric. I walk past that quilt several times a day and don’t even see the blocks that are different. Your quilt will be every bit as beautiful as you planned it to be.
That is certainly what our great-grandmothers did. You couldn’t Google a fabric and buy more of it from a shop in a state a thousand miles away. You just made do with what you had on hand.
exactly. you even cut up old clothing to make quilts. we have it so easy….
Once the Swoon block is quilted you will be hard pressed to see it. Or consider it an I spy! The quilt is going to be lovely!
It will add character, right? lol
I am going to bet you wake up one morning and change it. 😉
I interchanged 2 blocks in one of my favorites quilts. Had to do with the Irish chain. Never noticed it til a few years later when I was looking at a picture… upsets me every time I see it now.
No, I made up my mind. I put too much time into this darn block to pick it apart.
I made a Christmas Cactus quilt around 15 years ago and sewed a block in the wrong way. It totally disrupts the design, and I didn’t notice the mistake until after it was quilted. The quilter didn’t even notice. Sigh.
It looks fine Nicole. No one except you will ever notice it. We are our worst critics.
I am going to finish the block, get it pressed nicely, and just live with it.
I didn’t notice it until you pointed it out. I am sure once the quilt is together and quilted people won’t even see it, but you might.
I think you are right Ginny. I need to chalk it up to experience and just enjoy the quilt as is.
I didn’t see it and made my screen lighter to look for it!!!! Its perfect, that’s what I see!!
You are so nice, Doris!
You inspired me to dig out my green favorite. It is a Laundry Basket mystery from the summer of 2021.
https://share.icloud.com/photos/07bOhTv3dYCIBogT5YiTwxS1g
I tried to just copy and paste a foto but as usual had no success. Sometimes I screw up quilt blocks or settings but tech stuff…..
Donna, that quilt is gorgeous! It does have the same “green” vibe that my quilt has! I’m pretty sure I made that same mystery quilt during the summer of Covid! Mine was in pastels and I gave it to my son in law and his wife. Your quilt came out so great.
I hope I didn’t just link you to my cloud stuff!!!
No, just the one photo.
LOL! I thought you were deliberately using two tone on tones, especially since they were placed so that the fabrics alternated! I’d say that’s a win 🏅
That’s what I will tell anyone who notices: “That’s right, I meant to do it”.
I didn’t spot the error, Nicole. Folks will think it on purpose! Don’t say anything about it.
Good advice!
I didn’t notice it either. Perhaps you could make the block for the quilt again and turn this Oops blocks into a table topper? The table topper could be in the room with the finished quilt or elsewhere. I’d add it could become a wall quilt but know your walls have framed paintings and pictures as you’ve told me before!
Hugs!
No, I think I will keep it for the front of the quilt. Those blocks take too much time and fabric to waste. It’s not that noticable and I think it’s growing on me.
There’s a tired old, but true, saying for quilters about mistakes not being noticed by someone riding by on a horse. I think that applies in this case! I’m happy to read that you’re going to use the block as-is & move on! Good for you!
Grandma Higgins used to say “A man going by on a bus would never notice”.
I know it’s not what you wanted for the block but it does work.
did you hire new housekeepers or are you still be invaded by a small army?
enjoy the sunshine today. weather is turning rainy again tomorrow night.
I’m starching again today to get ahead of the wet weather. I want sunshine, blue skies, and 75 degree temperatures.
No, I stuck with the small army. Usually it is five or six of them! At least they are in and out pretty quick.
I agree with these comments. Once it is quilted, it will not be noticeable at all!
That chicken pot pie-in-a-skillet looks really yummy.
It was so good. It made leftovers for another dinner and was just as good the next night.