A Quarter ain't a Quarter all the time...

And as a quilter I know this... a quarter inch seam is usually a scant quarter and even that isn't cast in thread.

There are lots of things that effect that scant quarter - and those are the things I wasn't taking into consideration yesterday when I sat down to sew the nine patch units for Double Delight.  My biggest mistake was not sewing and CHECKING a complete unit.  I was so happy to just be at the machine... I was just sewing, and sewing, and sewing!  Then I measured... uuugh!  Then I cut new strips... tested and sewed and measured again and then sewed a complete strip set to measure.

On the left is what I made a bunch of... on the right is the correct size...  yeah - there just isn't any way to stretch out that nearly 1/4" of missing width.

My modern machine has the ability to move the needle sideways - I usually have it set to the right at 3.0 to achieve a scant quarter.  That is what I used to sew all these strips... which I'll set aside to use for something else.

So how'd I screw this up so nicely?  Many of the fabrics I'm using have some heft to them (both in weight or sizing) AND the thread I was using is a bit thicker (a coats & clark 100% cotton - I usually use an Aurfil for piecing)... both factors that play into your seam allowance... and if you have multiple seams that are off just a tiny bit - they add up to a big difference. 

I need to set my needle at 5.5 to the right to get my strip set to equal 3.5" 

 

I dreamed about this all night long... a lesson I won't soon forget.

Sure Wish I'd taken pictures first...

Do you get wrapped up in fixing 'events' that it never occurs to you to document what has happened until after...

Yeah that happens here a lot...

So here is a recent 'After' picture...

And this is after most of the suds have been washed away down the drain...

Where did they come from?

Remember my new washer... the front loader that kept my Sweet Itty Bitty occupied on the day it was delivered...

That is where the suds came from...

When I came down early one morning and was fixing the dogs their breakfast - imagine my surprise when I looked down and saw NUTIN BUT SUDS in my washer.

The Engineer remembered where I showed him to put the soap... he remembered that I said to just use 'one'... he just didn't remember that I showed him the little TWO TABLESPOON measure that sits in a container on top of the washer - so he added just one whole cap full of the laundry soap.

I scooped at least 5 buckets full of suds out and he dumped them in the sink... Then I filled the washer with other stuff - set it for a quick wash and crossed my fingers.

I also took a quick look around for Lucy and Ethel... I was sure I saw them peeking around the corner...

Trying to be a bit festive...

But I'm not being as successful as I'd like.

I know enough - which isn't much - to manage to sorta do what I'd like to do.

I wanted to take a picture of a section of a Holiday Wreath Quilt I made and use that as a background and add Happy Holidays text... and still have the Ponderings title show - but I don't have a good graphics program to work with, and I'm not well versed in the fine details of what will or won't work on this Blog and the templates... so I've wasted a great deal of time that I'd rather use towards some sewing.

So it is what it is... and if it works I'll leave it - but I might remove it if it bothers me... so... I'm off to do some other things that really need to be done.

Geez - I hate not figuring things out... at least for now - it will have to do.

Things that don't work...

You know how when you exercise they encourage you to increase the weights you are using over time to build up muscle strength and if you are a walker - I've even seen where they encourage you to use ankle weights or carry small weights with you. The idea is that if you make the muscles work harder - they get stronger - stronger muscles burn fat faster...

Nice idea... but it's just not working for me...

Actually - I figure if this worked the way it should (in my little mind)... there would be no overweight people around. A person who gained 5 pounds (like I have this summer) would in essence take that weight off just by virture of the fact that they have increased the weight they are carrying around - muscles would get stronger, more efficent and burn the fat off... right??

I've waited and hoped all summer as I've worked, cleaned, painted and sweated my way around this house that not only would my house be getting in shape - I would be too...

Sure seems like a pretty good theory... don't ya think?

But... it don't work.

I found someone while poking around the internet this morning who really has explored this concept in depth... she must have more time to ponder than I do... but here is her research on the subject.