You know all those lovely half square triangles I showed you yesterday? Well, I sewed them up into the required pattern and
WHOA !!!
The block came out way too big… all that perfect matching of points – toast, total waste of time.
WHY?
Because from across the room I was picture reading the instructions off of my computer screen and couldn’t read the print instructions…
The important one which told me:
You need to trim each half square triangle to measure 2 3/4” square . . .
RATS.
I should’ve known better. You always read all the instructions through before tackling a project, but I got in a hurry. The old saying still applies,
Life on the Farmlet 
Ah, no! I knew what you were going to say before I scrolled down… Patterns almost always get you to make HSTs too big so you can trim them to size. You’ve got two choices at this point: unpick very, very carefully… or just remake the squares. Does the pattern have you sewing triangles together, or doing it the quick way, stitching two squares face to face and then slicing down on the diagonal?
Kate, these are sewn face to face. However, I have decided to make this oversized block into a pillow! ALSO: I went to the FB page tonight and have discovered that this block now has a pattern for paper piecing it. 😀 I am not above PP this particular design, nope, not a problem. 😉
If I had the choice, I’d paper piece anything with bias edges and points that needed to match. Go for it! And an excellent solution for your Big Block. A sunny quilt like this needs additional lounging materials 🙂
So now you have a mega-sized sample block: )
Or was this for multiples…? ):):
If so, *sigh* my condolences (and happy seam ripping? ; )
And, strange question to ask, but why the need to trim at this point… (Like, why weren’t they just cut to proper size in the first place? Unless I’m misunderstanding, it seems like an extra step (for nothing)
HSTs need to be very exact to be able to sew them and get their little points to match. I admit, without the trimming I did have a bit of trouble with matching points…
Lol, the things we don’t do to ourselves, hey?; ). But definitely worth all the trouble, lol!
No ripping, no, XXX! Making it into a pillow. 🙂
Atta girl! I figured you’d have extra material; )
While attempting to remove the ‘flying turtle’ from the magic carpet today, I realized I should not be trying to use a box cutter in a darkened room – way beyond my eye’s best field of vision… there are times when strong light and careful attention to detail are important..
you and i both learned lessons!!!!
The box cutter did not destroy the art, but it nipped my left index finger!!!! Sigh…
Oh, Lisa! Not too badly I hope?
No – but it could have been! it’s been a long time since i’ve made a careless mistake like that… i guess an angel was my finger guardian!
Angels, yes! Ours must have singed wings this week. Glad you’re OK.
Oh dear.. I’m trying hard to stifle a chuckle… I be done the same thing ,sad to say more than once.
Then I am in good company! Glad to know I am not alone in this. 🙂
Oh, phooey! Well, it happens. If I understand the problem, though, you’re in good shape because you need to go smaller, not larger. It’s the old “measure once, cut twice” syndrome.
I’ve certainly been there, and done that.
Yup, but this time I get a pillow out of my mistake and that makes it much more bearable. Also, there is a new pattern for this block that will make the sewing less tedious. I’m taking the easy way out for the replacement. Same design, but less cutting and sewing involved. 😀
Sorry you’ve been there, Linda, but glad to know I’m not the only one to do so!
Oh dear, poor you. How disheartening
Not entirely disheartening, Norma. I will have a nice pillow out of this block! 😉
“The hurrier I go the behinder I get” reminds me of my Russian-speaking grandmother, who often spoke in proverbs. One I remember (and I can still hear her saying it in Russian) puts it the opposite way; it translates as “The slower you go, the farther you get.”
❤ ❤ ❤ Grandmas ❤ ❤ ❤
I like her wording better. Slows you down and makes you ponder the meaning of the statement: Less mistakes, mishaps, do overs, etc. Which means faster progress and a better job of it.