A lesson about frogging...

The problem with having a blog online and posting all about everything you are ever thinking of doing, ever, is that it's very hard to keep secrets. I've been working on several projects lately, but reluctant to post about them for fear they will be discovered by their intended recipients. However, since one of said recipients is 2, I think I'm safe to post about the project I've been working on for her.

I'm crocheting a Lime Corset Halter, designed by the queen of adorable clothes for little girls, Alla Koval. The front part - the lime slices - went really fast and was surprisingly easy. Next comes the sides and back. That was... less easy.

I started the first side and ended on the wrong side of the join between two motifs (lime slices = motifs). Frogged. Tried again, this time starting in the opposite corner and patting myself on the back for my ingenuity. I ended on the wrong side again and then realized that I had started at the wrong point altogether - thought I was in the right side corner, turns out I was in the top divot. Grr. Frogged. Started yet again, this time in the correct right side corner. The instructions are to start at the top of the first motif on the right side of the fabric, but that didn't work for me, so I started in the join between the first and third motifs on the wrong side of the fabric. I was so proud of myself - I made good notes about the changes I was making to the pattern and even started to compose a smug little blog post about my brilliance in crocheting in my head. Until...

I ended on the wrong side. Again! That's when I realized: if you start at point A on the right side and then switch to starting at point B on the wrong side (opposite from point A) you end up in the same place!! Grr! Frogged!

At this point, it is really late, I'm really tired and I have to be up for work really early. But I wasn't going to let the crochet beat me so I picked up my needle with a stubborn set to my jaw and gave it one last go. I finally figured out what I had been doing wrong, but even ending in the correct spot, I somehow ended with fewer double crochet sets than the pattern called for. I should also mention that my gauge was a bit off, so instead of doing 12 rounds for the lime slices, I did 14, which, according to the pattern notes, put me in between a size 5/6 and a size 7/8. However, the 14 rows made the slices about 5 inches wide, which is actually midway between a size 3/4 and 5/6.

I have a master's degree in physics and can do differential equations, but yarn math stymies me every time. Well, any crafting math, actually. Ask me how many times I have had to "fix" a bad quilting calculation. Actually, strike that. You don't want to know the answer, I promise. It will make you feel like our university system is failing at math on a fundamental level. And it isn't. It's just me.

So, while the numbers are off, at this point I don't care. It looks okay, which is the only part I really care about. The only possible fly in the ointment will be trying to repeat the exact sequence of mistakes on the left side. ::sigh:: It's going to be another late night...

Edit: 11:21pm. I just finished both sides and have blocked the top. Tomorrow I'll be putting on tank straps, embroidering the details and finishing the edging. I should note that not only was I not able to repeat the mistakes of last night, I apparently have enough experience with the sides to have done it correctly when I did the left side. Although that meant I had to frog the right side AGAIN so that I could correct it and make them match. Guh. That's frogged 4 times for those keeping track at home. I should point out that while it seems that I have had a hard time with this pattern (true), the pattern is very well written overall and has been super fast and easy to make. Well, I'm stretching the truth just a smidge on the "easy" part, but honestly, if I wasn't an idiot I'd be done with the top already!

More Log Cabins

A few more samples of log cabin quilts I've done. The are relatively quick projects and get easier and quicker each time you make one. They are also endlessly customizable, so they don't get boring!


'Ivan T.T.' (top)
'Pink is for Portia' (bottom)

Two kid size quilts. Log cabins are easily adjusted to any size - just add or subtract blocks as needed!


'Arizona'

I love the pattern in this quilt. It's kind of Southwestern/Native American, and the dark blues really stand out against the lighter orange/peach tones. Larger quilts give you more options for patterns.

The hardest part in making a log cabin, for me, is picking out the fabric combinations. I have a difficult time deciding because up close some of the fabrics aren't necessarily the same tone. However, once the quilt is together in a cohesive whole, you can see that minor tonal variations don't seem to affect the overall appeal of the quilt. Granted, I'm not impartial, but what I'm trying to say is don't get too hung up on picking the exact, perfect matching fabrics. Pick things you like and try it out. The two kids quilts above were made from various fabrics I had leftover in my stash, so I definitely didn't buy them all at the same time or place with that intention of creating a quilt with them in a specific combination. I understand and have great respect for people who meticulously plan out their quilts, and sometimes I do that too. But it's also okay to just jump in and see what happens!

The First Quilt

I started quilting in the Fall of 2006. My very first project was a bed quilt for my Mom. I had several terrific resources to help me through the first quilt journey: 1) my local (at the time) quilt guild, Lake and Mountain Quilters. Those ladies (and a gent or two) were lifesavers! I can say unequivocally that having a group of crafters to spend time with will increase your skill level by leaps and bounds. I asked those wonderful women question about everything from number of stitches per inch to how to bind off. They were a friendly, helpful group and I miss the monthly meetings since I moved. 2) Quilt in a Day: Log Cabin Pattern, by Eleanor Burns. Granted, my first quilt did not take one day, but the book is a fantastic step by step for beginners. And I would venture to say that every (or almost every) experienced quilter has made a log cabin quilt, so it's easy to get help if you are confused or make a mistake. Though, having said that, mistakes in fabric placement sometimes serve to make the quilt more interesting...

So, the first quilt. My Dad was up for a visit and we spent an afternoon perusing junk shops, where I found an old (1970's) Singer sewing machine, set into a sewing table. We purchased it for $25... And then had to take the sewing machine to a repair shop for another $75. All in all, not a bad price for a first sewing machine. I haven't upgraded that machine yet, so it's been the workhorse for all the quilts I've done so far. I picked out some reds, pinks, whites and cream colored fabrics from various locations - fabric stores and such, opened the Quilt in a Day book a dove in. I have a tendency to pick projects that are way above my skill level, but the log cabin style is a great beginner's quilt. The squares are sewn assembly-line style, so you complete them all at the same time. I've done several log cabin quilts since this first quilt because it's such an easy construction and looks great when you are done. You really can't go wrong with a log cabin. There are also several patterns that will appear in the finished quilt, depending on how you orient the squares. I chose a starburst pattern for this quilt. Quilters traditionally name each of their quilts, a practice that I find charming, but one that I am bad about implementing. So I guess for posterity, this quilt will be known as "Mom's Rose Star".

One thing I learned from this project: never use stripes or plaid. Well, never say never, I suppose, but if I ever use striped or plaid fabric again, I will be much more precise in my cutting and sewing. On a small scale it's not a big deal, but if you look closly at the plaid, it looks like the fabric is off kilter. The fabric is straight, it's just the pattern that's off kilter... Lesson learned.

When I took this quilt to my guild for "show and tell" and to ask how to finish the binding, the first comment I got was, "My. It's so... Big!" :-/

Oh yeah. I eventually made a pillow to go with it. (Leftover log cabin squares.)

Some Background

I am not an expert in any craft technique. At all. Not even a little. I love craft projects however, and have some skill in various areas. I'm one of those knows-a-little-bit-about-everything kind of people, as opposed to an-expert-about-several-things kind of person.

Now that the disclaimer is out of the way, the main point of this blog is to share projects I'm working on or have completed and discuss crafts in general. I want to increase my skill level in three main areas: knitting, crocheting and quilting. I'm interested in learning new things, exploring new materials and would love to have feedback from the community in general. Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you found something interesting while you were here!