Sister's Choice Quilts

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Simply Sophisticated Months Three and Four, and Nicole Has a Hissy Fit

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Today was one of those days when I should have stopped while I was ahead.  My plan was to get caught up on some of the Block of the Month projects I have joined, since heaven knows I haven't been keeping up all that well.  I must have a dozen blocks to  make in all to get current.   The blocks above are the Simply Sophisticated BOM blocks for Month Three.  Cute little square in a square block, which went together like a dream.  I even made one in black and white for the applique quilt I am going to make for my future grand child if I ever have one.

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I should have been happy with that, and just turned off the Bernina and shut the door of the sewing room.  Go read a book or something.  Run the vacuum.

But I didn't.  I thought "well, that was nice, I believe I will move on to Month Four".  Month Four is the block Card Trick, which most of you are probably familiar with.  I have always wanted to make a Card Trick quilt, but have never gotten around to it.  My friend Lisa, who has a much better imagination than I do, once told me that she doesn't care for that block and would never make an entire quilt out of it.

Let me just say that for every seam I sewed correctly on these blocks, I sewed two or three the wrong way.  I am completely covered by little threads produced by all the seam ripping.  You know the Paul Simon song "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover"?  Just substitute the words "50 Ways to Sew a Block Cattywampus" and you will have my story in a nutshell.

Finally, after WAY too much time had gone by, the blocks were finished.  Pressed to death, fabric stretched all out, and crummy points.

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And I HATE them.  They are ugly and executed poorly.  Every single thing about the blocks is just wrong.  That baby diahrrea colored solid fabric does not add one single thing towards making me like it any better.

Just so you know, the problem here was all Operator Error, by which I mean my lack of satisfaction with these two blocks has nothing to do with the pattern, and everything to do with my inability to follow directions and my lack of spatial awareness.  I even pressed the seams all in the wrong direction.

 At the end of this project, if I have any fabric left over, which I think I will, I plan to make two different blocks and substitute them in the place of these.

The one in black and white doesn't annoy me as much, but it gave me plenty of grief too.  You would think by the time I got to the third one, I would have the technique down, but you would be wrong.

Ok, I am going to go have a glass of chardonnay now.

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34 responses to “Simply Sophisticated Months Three and Four, and Nicole Has a Hissy Fit”

  1. Oh, you poor dear. I can feel your pain…we’ve all wrestled with a block or two in our time. I must say, I’m not real crazy about the colors in the first “card trick”….but I rather like the black and white one.

  2. Oh, you poor dear. I can feel your pain…we’ve all wrestled with a block or two in our time. I must say, I’m not real crazy about the colors in the first “card trick”….but I rather like the black and white one.

  5. I’m doing that BOM too and I’ll never look at the gold color the same way again. You described it perfectly and now every time I look at it I will think of it as baby diarrhea! Nancy in WI

  6. I’m doing that BOM too and I’ll never look at the gold color the same way again. You described it perfectly and now every time I look at it I will think of it as baby diarrhea! Nancy in WI

  7. I was not overly fond of this block either when I made mine. Not enough contrast. Good idea to maybe replace them with something else when it comes time to put the top all together. I may end up doing that too!
    I have never really liked the card trick block, but seeing yours in the black and white, has made me take another look. I like the high contrast of the black and white.

  8. I was not overly fond of this block either when I made mine. Not enough contrast. Good idea to maybe replace them with something else when it comes time to put the top all together. I may end up doing that too!
    I have never really liked the card trick block, but seeing yours in the black and white, has made me take another look. I like the high contrast of the black and white.

  9. Your blocks are just fine!!! Dont be so hard on yourself. I love the black blocks your doing. And a little wine heals all. lolol

  10. Your blocks are just fine!!! Dont be so hard on yourself. I love the black blocks your doing. And a little wine heals all. lolol

  11. Your black & white card trick ROCK!!! I agree, I don’t care for the baby diarrhea either.
    Sandy in Nebraska

  12. Your black & white card trick ROCK!!! I agree, I don’t care for the baby diarrhea either.
    Sandy in Nebraska

  13. I really like the card trick block but I only have ever made one -in my sampler quilt.
    I have a couple of quilts over time that I just never was fond of- no matter how I changed it – for one reason or another the colors just didn’t work for me-
    Others often don’t see the things that we don’t like in our own work- don’t be too hard on yourself – you always do lovely work…
    Sometimes the best solution is to leave it and go and enjoy a good book and a glass of wine..
    Regards,
    Anna

  14. I really like the card trick block but I only have ever made one -in my sampler quilt.
    I have a couple of quilts over time that I just never was fond of- no matter how I changed it – for one reason or another the colors just didn’t work for me-
    Others often don’t see the things that we don’t like in our own work- don’t be too hard on yourself – you always do lovely work…
    Sometimes the best solution is to leave it and go and enjoy a good book and a glass of wine..
    Regards,
    Anna

  15. Nicole, about the Card Trick blocks…Have you ever seen the “Star Spin” or “Spinning Star” Amish quilt? If you Google Spinning Star quilt it should bring up a picture of it. As you will see, it is like the Card trick blocks except there are 8 instead of 4 points to it, and the blocks are 16″ Log Cabin blocks made with 1 1/2″ strips Last March I took my first quilting class and not knowing anything about piecing quilts I signed up for this quilt. Little did I know what I was in for!!! I made mine a king sized bedspread, it took me 2 months to finish and over 2 months to get it back from the quilter. I suppose ‘Ignorance Is Bliss’ sometimes as I didn’t have too much trouble with mine but I distorted my blocks a little bit when pressing them. But as I look at it on my bed I wonder how in the heck I made that thing go together. Truly, I would never make another one. I do like the look of the 8 pointed blocks better than the 4 points but the mechanics of putting them together is the same. They are all very confusing. I have to tell you though that I love the black and white blocks you made. They are wonderful.

  16. Nicole, about the Card Trick blocks…Have you ever seen the “Star Spin” or “Spinning Star” Amish quilt? If you Google Spinning Star quilt it should bring up a picture of it. As you will see, it is like the Card trick blocks except there are 8 instead of 4 points to it, and the blocks are 16″ Log Cabin blocks made with 1 1/2″ strips Last March I took my first quilting class and not knowing anything about piecing quilts I signed up for this quilt. Little did I know what I was in for!!! I made mine a king sized bedspread, it took me 2 months to finish and over 2 months to get it back from the quilter. I suppose ‘Ignorance Is Bliss’ sometimes as I didn’t have too much trouble with mine but I distorted my blocks a little bit when pressing them. But as I look at it on my bed I wonder how in the heck I made that thing go together. Truly, I would never make another one. I do like the look of the 8 pointed blocks better than the 4 points but the mechanics of putting them together is the same. They are all very confusing. I have to tell you though that I love the black and white blocks you made. They are wonderful.

  17. Oh Nicole…we’re not laughing at you…we’re laughing with you. And you just wanted to throw the seam ripper and plunge the scissors into the sewing machine. I’ve “been there, done that.” Nothing more frustrating than a block that just won’t come together. When I have that much trouble I usually don’t like the block even if I do like the fabrics. Hopefully, tomorrow will be better.

  18. Oh Nicole…we’re not laughing at you…we’re laughing with you. And you just wanted to throw the seam ripper and plunge the scissors into the sewing machine. I’ve “been there, done that.” Nothing more frustrating than a block that just won’t come together. When I have that much trouble I usually don’t like the block even if I do like the fabrics. Hopefully, tomorrow will be better.

  19. I’m with you on that block…I just didn’t have fun with that one…it’s never been a favorite of mine…but it’s done…I may switch those 2 out with something else before I put it together.

  20. I’m with you on that block…I just didn’t have fun with that one…it’s never been a favorite of mine…but it’s done…I may switch those 2 out with something else before I put it together.

  21. Darlene Zimmerman and daughter have an article in American Patchwork, April 2008 in which each of them does a card trick quilt. I used their pattern and loved it. They have good instructions and various size options. It is tricky(card tricky) to visualize and I had to lay it all out before I sewed any of it together.

  22. Darlene Zimmerman and daughter have an article in American Patchwork, April 2008 in which each of them does a card trick quilt. I used their pattern and loved it. They have good instructions and various size options. It is tricky(card tricky) to visualize and I had to lay it all out before I sewed any of it together.

  25. Sorry you had such a time with the Card Trick blocks. It isn’t one of my favorite blocks, but mine went together pretty easily and I will definitely be keeping mine in the quilt. I love how your black and white ones turned out.

  26. Sorry you had such a time with the Card Trick blocks. It isn’t one of my favorite blocks, but mine went together pretty easily and I will definitely be keeping mine in the quilt. I love how your black and white ones turned out.

  27. Oh, I so agree, the BOM is just horrible for the colors! Yuck! The black and white ones are great though! I, personally, have always liked the way the Card Trick pattern looks, but now, I am scared out of my wits over it. I was going to give it a try soon, even checked the book out from the library, but now I know if fabulous Nicole has a hard time with it, no way in heck am I gonna try it! Actually, no, dad gum it all, now I HAVE to try it!!! Ugh, truly though, substitute that block for something else.

  28. Oh, I so agree, the BOM is just horrible for the colors! Yuck! The black and white ones are great though! I, personally, have always liked the way the Card Trick pattern looks, but now, I am scared out of my wits over it. I was going to give it a try soon, even checked the book out from the library, but now I know if fabulous Nicole has a hard time with it, no way in heck am I gonna try it! Actually, no, dad gum it all, now I HAVE to try it!!! Ugh, truly though, substitute that block for something else.

  29. Some days are just like that. There is really nothing to do but move on. I have that moo fabric and I love what you did with it. I always love seeing how other people use the same fabric

  30. Some days are just like that. There is really nothing to do but move on. I have that moo fabric and I love what you did with it. I always love seeing how other people use the same fabric

  31. I love your black and white blocks. I think the card trick blocks works with those fabrics. And I love the star blocks. But you’re right; there’s something about that other card trick block that doesn’t work. I think it’s the fabric with the floral postage stamp squares that’s the problem. It just doesn’t work. I think another fabric in its place would make a world of difference.

  32. I love your black and white blocks. I think the card trick blocks works with those fabrics. And I love the star blocks. But you’re right; there’s something about that other card trick block that doesn’t work. I think it’s the fabric with the floral postage stamp squares that’s the problem. It just doesn’t work. I think another fabric in its place would make a world of difference.