Why perimenapausal women should not handle rotary cutters!

I have spent the past few days getting ready for a 4 day quilting retreat.  I am so looking forward to spending some quality quilting time with my favourite quilting peeps and away from the long "to do" list that still looms large.

I decided I was going to make that long planned for Morris Garden fabric "Lady of the lake" quilt.  I bought a fat quarter bundle of the Morris Garden fabric quite some time ago.  I have planned out exactly what quilt I wanted to make with the fabric.  At first I was thinking a basket block but finally I decided on a modified version of the Lady of the Lake.  I decided the best thing was to cut all the fabric before going to Bowen Island to be ready to just sew - sew - sew.  I will take the little featherweight - perfect for piecing.

So I start cutting up the fat quarter bundle.



After cutting up about 18 fat quarters -- it suddenly dawns on me that 7/8 is NOT the bigger line - second from the end but it is the SMALLER line right at the end --- I knew that!!  So all of my squares and triangles are cut at the 3/4 mark - not 7/8.

In a panic I decided to grab what ever two fabrics - whether they go together or not and make a quick test block to see if I can get it together by fudging the seams.  There are a lot of half square triangles that have to fit along a long seam. 



So I make my test block --- seems to work okay if I sew a narrow seam on the half square triangle.  The block finishes up at 10 inches   I have planned this whole quilt up on EQ6.  Block size - quilt size - number of blocks.  Planned out my fabric placement.



I don't like the block - it is too large. I am very visual and now that I have sew it together it just doesn't look right - the big triangles are too large for the small half square triangles.   I just don't like it.   I spend the entire night fussing and worrying and the next day I re-draft the block - the quilt - and re-figure if I have enough fabric because if I make the blocks smaller I need more - many more blocks.  Oh the trauma -- And I thought quilting was supposed to be fun and relaxing!!  I think I should just let it go - leave the blocks 10 inches.  Jim says "leave the blocks the way they are - it will be fine"  But I can't!!

So I cut 2 inches off every 8 3/4 inch half square triangle I had already cut.  What a waste of fabric. I have saved the little bits - maybe I can use them in the border somehow.  Although I have cut them the correct size now -- 6 7/8!!  But I am still using the same size smaller triangles - so there are only 7 half square triangle around the block instead of 9.  I am thinking with my muddled brain that I will have enough fabric.  I had ordered extra fabric for the borders etc.  My small squares are mostly still 2 3/4 instead of 2 7/8 -- so I am still going to have to work with slightly smaller seams there.  Good thing fabric has some stretch!!

So this is the block.  I like it.  I am happy - and now I have to go back to cutting fabric -- I have a lot more fabric left to cut -- hopefully all goes well today -- if I never post again  -- you know what happened!!