Welcome to Day 26 of the 30 Quilt Blocks in 30 Days Blog Hop. It happens to be my day to show off my project and it’s also my daughter’s birthday—Happy Birthday Emily!
I hope you’ve been following Carla each and every day in April as she features a blogger and their project using one of her free block designs. She also has a giveaway going on that you can enter every day. Thank you Carla for designing these wonderful blocks and for hosting this blog hop.
These blocks are quick and easy to make. They would make a great quilt project for a beginner quilter or for charity quilts. Pillows make great projects for beginner quilters or for gift giving.
You can find the pattern for this block here. You can find a complete list of all 30 blocks and project designers for this hop at the end of this post.
In less than 2 hours, I had 4 blocks cut out, sewn back together, and had started the quilting process. Tu-Na Helper shakes his head over that idea (cutting up perfectly good fabric only to sew it back together again).
I accidently cut all the rectangles 1/4″ wider than directed.
I had a few blunder’s along the way and I learned some things in the process.
Which way to orient the blocks? This way…
or this way?
My mama always says, “You don’t want to hear the word “oops” from your surgeon but it’s ok if it comes from a quilter.” At least our mistakes are not life threatening and most can be fixed.
I pressed the seams toward the dark fabric and alternated pressing the rows so they would interlock making it easy to match the few seams that needed to be matched.
I grabbed a can of spray baste, the top, and a piece of batting and made quick work of connecting the two. I laid a piece of blue painter’s tape from one corner to the diagonal corner to help me sew that first seam as straight as I could (oops, I forgot to take the picture). After completing the first two rows of diagonal quilting, I remembered something…….!
My quilt sandwich was missing it’s bottom! I had forgotten to add the muslin backing onto the batting. It’s nothing that a little more spray baste can’t solve so I added it now.
I then went back to quilting.
Once I’ve stitched the first seam, I use my guide to help me stitch lines that were 3/4″ apart. Once I’ve completed stitching all the lines going one direction, I reposition the tape on the other two corners, sew that first line, and continue stitching using the seam guide.
It would only be seen whenever I remove the pillow cover for washing. Since Tu-Na Helper rarely does the laundry, I would be the only one to know that my backing is missing two rows of quilting.
And now YOU also know! Oops.
The crosshatch is my favorite quilting method for small projects.
Doesn’t it look pretty?
Tu-Na Helper helped pick out a nice, plump, 20″, pillow insert.
Even though the label says I can cut it off, I still feel like I’m breaking the law in doing so.
In just a few hours, I had a new pillow for my living room.
If you look closely at the picture on the wall of my entry behind the couch, you will see that I have oranges, yellows, greens, and reds in my house.
I made an envelope-style back. I accidently cut the back 1/4″ too small. Oops! I fretted and fumed. While I was quilting the top, I planned on how I should piece the back to make it fit and look good, too. Luckily for me, the top shrunk 1/4″ during the quilting process making my back pieces now the perfect size.
The two color back is a design element. I didn’t have enough of either of these two fabrics to use for the back so I had to make it this way. I allowed for a 5″ overlap.
This block is called Catching Z’s. I think the name is very fitting.
I caught Tu-Na Helper “trying out” his new pillow.
Be sure to visit Carla’s blog, Creatin’ in the Sticks, to enter the giveaway for some fantastic Tula Pink fabric.
Here’s the block schedule with direct links to all the project designer posts for this hop. The links for the Blocks take you directly to Carla’s tutorial for that particular block.
| Date | Project Designer | Block |
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What I Learned Today:
- Read directions twice so I only have to cut once.
- It’s a good thing I am not a surgeon.
- It’s ok if quilting mistakes happen; they can be fixed or become design elements.
- Sometimes things have a way of working themselves out.
- Do not cut out the back pieces for a pillow until the quilting is done and the front has been measured again.
Question: Tell me about a mistake you’ve made. Oh, I’ve made plenty but somehow all my other ones (not included here) have been forgotten. Mistakes are what usually makes me fold up my projects and tuck them away to finish later. I need to learn to look past some of those mistakes and keep on working.
Completing this pillow, completes one of my goals for the 2018 Quarter Two Finish-A-Long. My original list can be found here.
Thanks for stopping by and do come again.
Karen, Tu-Na Quilts
Linking to:
2018 Finish-A-Long at She Can Quilt when it becomes available
Finished or Not Friday at Busy Hands Quilts
Can I Get a Whoop Whoop? at Confessions of a Fabric Addict
Thank Goodness It’s Finished Friday held at Celtic Thistle Stitches
Show Off Saturday at Sew Can She
Main Crush Monday at Cooking Up Quilts
Monday Making at Love, Laugh, Quilt
Tu-Na Quilts, Travels, and Eats 
Your pillow looks great. I also love the cross-hatching quilting pattern. I think it looks so impressive! My biggest mistakes are all cutting errors. I know it can make for a design choice, but it still is frustrating to think I goofed again!
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I love the oranges. Lessons learned are great.
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Oh, the mistakes I’ve made! The most recent was yesterday when I was quilting a wall hanging and didn’t notice that it picked up a scrap of fabric until I had finished. There was a dark brown patch quilted right onto the back of the beige, pink, and blue backing fabric! Oops.
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I make so many cutting errors. I’m also finding spots where my seam alliance shifted on a fabric, after I’ve started quilting and can’t really fix it.
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Your pillow looks great! I’ve made all kinds of mistakes while sewing and quilting and I generally fix them right away. The frustrating ones are the ones I don’t notice until I take a photo of the finished project. I hate when that happens! I am usually bad to point out the flaws, but recently watched a video from Angela Walters that said we quilters need to stop pointing out our mistakes to those who don’t notice them. So I’m not going to say any more about my little “oops” moments!
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Hahaha. I’m gonna use the surgeon line.
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A great pillow! I love paper-piecing – when I first started, when trimming for the quarter inch seam, I also trimmed the fabric that I needed !
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Hi Karen,
What a great finish for that block, and what a fun block. Perfect for Ta-Na Helper to nap on. Heck, I make mistakes all the time. That’s why a seam ripper was created in the first place, and I would hate to deny it a job now and then. No one will ever see those couple of missing quilting rows, and I agree – the crosshatch pattern is one of my very favorites. And it’s in my wheelhouse! ~smile~ Roseanne
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Sleeping with the new pillow! The Best!
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Which oops shall I list….the other day I sewed a row together and the muted grey block was sewn on backwards. Yes, thank goodness we can redo things. Wow! on your cross hatching.
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Nice! You could link that up with 2018 color challenge. 😉 Happy birthday Emily! Mistakes? Many! But I’ll never tell! haha…
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Oh, Karen, your pillow looks so inviting and it’s fun to see Tu-Na Helper enjoying it. A fantastic way to use the Catching Z’s quilt block. Thank you, so much, for your post in the 30 Quilt Blocks in 30 Days Blog Hop and Quilt Along. You always inspire and have great ideas.
I always have a flaw somewhere. I’ve learned to call them my designer tweaks. I need to put my mark in it somehow. lol
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I love that what we do as quilter’s can be undone. It gives me great freedom to try new things. The cross hatch quilting looks great, and it certainly seems nap approved!
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I have a quilt top that’s been finished, and waiting for quilting, for quite some time. The other day I was looking at it and realized I’d flipped a few of the blocks. Oops. However, there’s enough movement in the quilt that they are noticeable unless you know to look for it. I’m not tellin’ what quilt it is, by the way, and I’m just leaving it as is. I love your pillow, and apparently Tu-Na Helper does too!
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Your block-pillow came out beautifully, despite the Oops….
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You had me giggling while reading today! Sometimes it seems a project is just doomed from the start. I’m glad your pillow was able to “correct” itself and turn out so lovely! Tuna Helper is certainly in agreement! One big blunder I made early on was using too many layers of fusible interfacing and the darned quilt top is so stiff is almost stands against the wall on its own. It is nicely tucked away for some future generation to wonder about.
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I love your Catching Z’s pillow. All your “oopsies” were fixable, that’s the best part. I hate it when I cut a rectangle 1/4″ too small instead of too big. Your crosshatching looks great! I need a new pillow, I may steal your idea!
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That is so cute as a pillow. I almost had a heart attack when I saw you cut off the label from the pillow you bought. Glad to hear I am not the only one who looks around to see if the pillow police are coming after me! hahahahaha
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I love this design and the name for your pillow! I’ve made too many mistakes to even mention in this little block. Happy Birthday to your Emily! My Emilys birthday was the 21st.
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My mistake was not realizing how to mark satin and silk for a trapunto ring bearers pillow, I committed to providing for my brothers wedding. Panic set in. In sharing my panic with a crafty coworker, she said use the purple quick air erase marker, put the pillow in a dark closet until I get it finished. WHEW! Saved! Thank you for sharing today.
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Oh Karen, this was such a fun read. You bring meaning to lots of wrongs do make a right because your pillow turned out gorgeous, it has a modern retro look and looks perfect on your couch. Thanks for the tips, funny but useful. The 30 day blocks are wonderful to make and what a great idea to make a pillow.
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I made a beautiful Mariner’s Star and everybody loved it . It wasn’t until after I had quilted it and saw it on the wall I realized I had sewn some of the right hand sections to the left and the pattern was off.
No one noticed but me – every time I looked at it! It bothered me so much I appliqued pieces on to the quilt to fix the pattern. Now I love it too!
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Great question. Years ago I had tried a EPP project. The book came with a printed hexie sheet. I put it on top of the fabric and cut out all the hexies. It would have helped to read the book first. The strip of hexies I made were a lot smaller than they should have been. It is now in a UFO box. If I ever need a doll quilt, I will have one partially done.
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Very cute pillow. This is going on my to do list. I love orange and this one will go nicely with one I made a few tears ago. Thanks for playing along.
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I love reading your blog…I am trying to learn that I do not need to be a perfectionist with my sewing projects…….my 10 years of 4 H sewing and having it judged is still on my mind. The pillow looks great on your couch…love your decor…..
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The pillow is a great idea for these blocks, yours is beautiful. Love that it has alread y been successfully “head” tested. The crosshatch quilting gives it such a crisp look. Thanks for hopping with us.
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Pretty pillow and passes the sleeping test.
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That is such a cute pillow and I sure like fast! I’ve made SO MANY mistakes…the new quilt for my quilt along has been ripped more times in just two blocks than probably the entire rest of the quilt!! Fingers crossed I don’t jinx it! Easy quilt; just a rather inattentive piecer at present!
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The name is very fitting. And mistakes are okay.
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Love your pillow! I have done too many mistakes to talk about! Either I redo or find a way to camouflage the error!
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Great pillow. Love the cheerful colors and glad to see it passed the “zzz’s” test. Thanks for sharing.
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Glad you had a pillow tester – I mean how can it be a decent pillow unless it gets tested?
That orange and the coordinating print are gorgeous and I love the crosshatch quilting – I am inspired 🙂
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Lovely cushion, and so quick to make too. Of course we all make mistakes from time to time, some hide it and some tell it warts and all 🙂
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Your pillow looks great – even with the oops. Both oops sound like something I would do. Love that it has already been put to good use.
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Luckily, most of my mistakes can be taken care of with my seam ripper.
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Love your colors and the pillow! The seam ripper is my best friend–stotching wrong edges together, wrong size seams, or even right to wrong sides. Usually get it right eventually. 🙂
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Oh, the mistakes I have made…. I have a very close relationship with my frog…rip it, rip it, rip it….. unsew, re-sew.
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I have been reading your blog for quite some time and really enjoy it–I’m from Nebraska so not far from your home state. Your pillow is so pretty–glad to know other quilters make a few “Oops!” once in a while too!
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Your pillow turned out so pretty! I make a few “oops” here and there so it’s good I’m not a surgeon either. 😁
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How nice to get such an instant seal of approval for your pillow. My mistakes are many and varied but I try to pass them off as design decisions if they can’t be rectified 🙂
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I enjoyed your post and reading about the name of your blog. Your pillow turned out wonderfully. I like the crosshatch quilting that you did. After all of my years quilting, I laugh at the mistakes that I make most of the time and say out loud that if it is not fun and I am not learning, then it is not worth doing! Thank you for sharing!
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Your pillow is awesome (despite all of the oops’s). I have made every one of those mistakes, and then some. I have learned that you can always fix it somehow, or if you can’t, just change the plan to suit the mistakes! Thanks!
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Great pillow and it seems to work just fine. Yes, it is a good thing we can fix our mistakes, most of the time…and this time it worked out just right. Love the crosshatching – it really is a terrific quilting job.
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Hi Karen: I love the fabrics you used in this project. It’s a great, fun post and the photos are great as well. I agree that these blocks would make great charity quilts and I have some of them on my radar for that already…not this one yet so thanks to you now I do.
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Pretty Z pillow! Love even the name 😉
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I also love crosshatch quilting, and I worry every time I cut the tag off of one of my pillows! Great pillow and we won’t tell that there are a few rows of quilting missing on the back!
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