Adapt, Improvise, Overcome

 Yeah, I know, it's the motto of that big reality show game. But it's a good thing to remember when you are doing something creative. Sometimes when we encounter a problem we only see a fraction of what we really should be looking at. I had more than two options yesterday. In fact, I had two additional options I originally dismissed out of hand, but when I really thought about it, those other options seemed to have a lot of benefits. What were they?

3. Use the leftover pieces to make new blocks. After all, I cut more than I needed... When I looked through them that night though, some of the fabrics I needed weren't there.

That left option number 4. Cut new pieces. Now this pair on the top, I HAD to unstitch because I didn't have any more of that particular pink (I've only had it in my stash for something like 17 years), but for all the other pieces I cut new blocks.

I didn't have enough of the llamas to have them all facing in one direction, so I had to sew two pieces together (GASP! THE HORROR!) But this is where an Attitude Adjustment is needed. This is not going to be a show quilt. This is going to be a couch quilt that will live on that back of my couch a few months of the year. 

If anybody notices this, then they deserve a prize for being that observant. I had to do this a couple of times, but seriously, no big deal. Cutting all the pieces I needed for one row of blocks took less than an hour. It took me many more hours than that to take apart one row. 

So let's see, one hour and a few funny seams or... six or seven hours painstakingly ripping blocks apart? Hmm, not exactly a hard decision.

On to your comments: 

Gail, when ripping apart a seam on the bias I am more careful than careful. I am downright paranoid and do it very slowly and carefully. You are absolutely correct that this can be a recipe for disaster.

Before ripping anything apart, I think you have to take your "Risk Temperature." I have more than once stuck a seam ripper in between two pieces of fabric, cutting edge against a row of stitches and just pushed, cutting the stitching apart in long stretches. But this is NOT the technique to use with a seam on the bias. Doing it the way I describe also risks cutting a hole in your fabric, so like I said, you have to figure out your Risk Temperature before you do that and choose your ripping technique carefully. 

Here's something to think about: Don't set your stitch length so small the tip of your seam ripper can't fit into it... (Ask me how I know this.) Also, those sticky lint removers work great for pulling out the remains of cut stitches. The disadvantage is they will also make the edges ravel a lot more.

Michelle, Alas, my machines are a 1260 rebuilt Bernina and an Elna. The feet are not compatible.

And Julie, the Elna was overdue for its regular maintenance anyway. It should have gone in April of 2020, but we know what happened then...

Now I can get back to  the important stuff.

Matchmaking

Here's another "matchy" set. I like these. It's funny, to put these together. It's easier, and I think more successful, if you don't think about them too much. They are supposed to resemble each other, but only sort of.

I've got a lot of blue fabric on order to make the sample quilt I will use in writing the Zebras tutorial (I'm gonna make a blue Jealousy quilt) and in the meantime, I'm going to use my stash to work on the Oh So Modern variation. And if I told you that before, I'm sorry. It's kinda been a very stressful week, y'know?

The third one down is too dark. Part of the reasons why I get stuck is sometimes a good option is in another stack being matched with something else. I have no objection to repeating a fabric, but it's more fun (OK, better bragging rights) to say that in a quilt like this each fabric is used only once. That is not a requirement in this quilt. At any rate, I won't sew this up until I'm sure, and right now I am not.

i like these four, but I am a bit concerned they are WAY TOO MUCH together. If this busy quartet is the busiest one in the quilt it will stick out like a sore thumb, and I don't want that. I want all these fabrics to play in harmony.

Please note I am not asking for your opinions or suggestions. I'm just sharing what I see. I'm still feeling my way around. Nothing is carved in stone yet.

These are looking good.

Some of these are a bit risky, and some are not. It's going to be fun working this out.

I wrote about which thread I use here. Last year I bought some Master Piece thread by Superior Thread at a quilt show, and I am just now getting to try it out.

Last week I was reading Mrs Goodneedle and she showed a new seam ripper. I thought it was so spiffy I went to the vendor site, and when I found out they were three bucks each, I ordered four. (The fourth is already in my travel kit.) It is called a Razor Ripper.

I might be a seam ripper junkie.