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Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Mustard and Ketchup anyone?

Do you remember Mustard & Ketchup? I'm still struggling with accuracy on border #2.

 I was so happy I'd gotten those pieced diamonds together until I realized the borders were too wide.
So, off they came. 

The story of the borders:

Borders not the same size.

A really bad oops! Borders not the right length. By this time, I'd pressed the border fabric so much that it was scorched and I had to find new fabric which coordinated with the red diamonds in the star.

It was really difficult to find that red. Somehow I don't think the maker of the original quilt would have cared if the reds matched or not which is one more reason to admire her.

For the past couple of months, this is what Mustard & Ketchup looked like.

There was a sad pile of rejects which seemed to grow every time I tried to piece a new border. How difficult could figuring out the correct math be? Math people, be kind to those of us who struggle!

 This week Monday, I decided I was going to EPP the correct size diamond. I decided to EPP because I wanted to fussy cut those little sprigs on the yellow diamonds.

When it was finished, it was too small because someone told me the wrong decimal equivalent of a fraction. That just made me more determined to get this right!

Tuesday - I think I did it but I've got a problem. I'd read about glueing the fabric to the paper pieces so I tried it. Yes, it saved a lot of time and it worked great, a little too great. I'm not sure I'm going to be able to get the paper pieces out of the diamond after I add the setting triangles. Somehow the school glue stick I used is holding as well as Super Glue!

I should have known better than using glue because this is not the first time I've had glue adhere too well. No amount of soaking fixed my previous quilt so I don't know what will happen this time.

Wednesday - I took the day off. The sun is shining, the temperatures are above freezing and the snow is melting! After the really cold weather we've been having, its too nice to stay inside.

Tomorrow, its me, the diamonds and the glue.
Next week I'll let you know if I got them apart or if I had to start completely over!
Mayleen

8 comments:

Gypsy Quilter said...

Please let me know if you need a red. There are a lot of old reds in my collection. Best of lucky on this difficult project.

Judy Dietrich said...

I admire your perseverance on this project. I hope you come out the winner!! I can not use glue either on EPP. I had the same results. It ruins the paper piece if you have to soak it or tear it out. I like to reuse the papers---so it takes me a little longer to prep, but so worth it!!

Nancy said...

In the end it’s going to be a real beauty. I love the colors of the fabrics.
When I glue I just put the glue on the paper and not the fabric. This makes it easier to remove the papers. I bet you already knew that.

audrey said...

I hope you can find your way with the borders. Love the beautiful colors you are working with!

Janet said...

I admire your determination! I think it looks amazing - good luck!!

FlourishingPalms said...

I've been on an EPP kick myself, so I know what you've been going through. I'll be trying glue for the first time (in all previous EPP attempts I've thread-basted), and will use the Fons & Porter glue stick (available at JoAnn's) as a renown EPPer recommends. I admire your perseverance toward making a quilt properly. That sort of single-minded determination is uncommon, but results in an awesome quilt, as seen with your big winner at AQS-Des Moines. Saw your quilt in the January issue of "American Quilter" magazine. Congratulations again!

Roxanne said...

I'm catching up on blog reading, thus the late comment. Love your determination with Mustard & Ketchup, I look forward to your ultimate victory over all things math! It is inspiring to my own quilt-y struggles to see how a master quilter gets through them, so thanks for blogging about it.

Karen said...

The fabric combination for your star is very good. I like the Mustard & Ketchup name.