Awhile ago I came up with this really stupid great plan to make a King size quilt for my bed.
So I decided on this bowtie design. I figured I needed 168 blocks to make it 104" x 90"…and each block has four smaller blocks in it…and each smaller block contains 6 little squares (including the little corner squares). So I figured to make this whole quilt I’ll have to cut 1008 little squares . Totally do-able.
But then as I was lying awake in bed listening to my husband snore I realized…I’ll actually need 4032 little squares!!!!!!! I forgot to times that 1008 by 4. Yuck. And instead of the 3 yards of white fabric I bought I’ll need 6 yards. So much for my quick project!
74 comments:
Hahahaha! I do that all the time. Are you still making the quilt king size? Bless your sanity, if you are!
BUT, it looks amazing!
But it's very cute!! lol
I can't tell you how many times I've done that. It kills me. I usually end up making a smaller quilt...but if it's a pattern or fabric I love, i just have to bite the bullet and buy more. I feel your pain. Hey, at least it's a beautiful quilt, no matter the size!
Oh my word...that is sounds a little nighmareish. But, I bet it is going to be gorgeous though.
It looks great.
Lovely pattern, whatever size it turns out. I always triple-check my quilt math because oh, those errors! Last time I aimed for king size the project became a UFO for 10 years (!), then got resized to a lap quilt. Still have lots of bits and partial blocks in the "orphans and leftovers" bin, waiting to be put to use.
It might not be quick but it'll look amazing when you are done. Just think.....when your husband is snoring at night and you can't sleep, you'll be able to count blocks!
What an awful realization! Keep cutting though - it's beautiful
Bummer about all the extra cutting! Isn't it amazing what we think of or remember in the middle of the night
...but king-sized beds need quilty love too! Just zip that rotary cutter across that fabric a few more times. Says the gal who did the same thing and is struggling to get a quilt on her king-sized bed. You can do this and I'll cheer you on! That'll be a fabulous quilt! I hasve thoughts like that too while my husband sleeps peacefully.
Oh, I've been there. Better to realize it now vs. running out and not being sure why. Love that design!
I've done the same thing! In the middle of the night you get up and find the calculator. Nightmares can occur as a result!
Oh bless your heart. :o)
I have done similar. Something goofy -
When I am in the shower, I write on the shower door (steamed up) with my finger, and do the math. Silly huh?! There are days where I feel like I am in a math class all over again. :o)
Big project, but it looks amazing.
And it's better you realize now than at the end when perhaps you won't find the same fabric.
Regards from Barcelona,
Digna
http://elmondolivia.blogspot.com/
Very cool design! Math mistakes? I never make math mistakes. Right!
And this my friend, is why I struggle!
It is wicked cute tho ... probably worth the extra white fabric. Don't forget the other 'extra' you'll have to buy too.
Hang in there. It looks lovely so far.
I hear ya!! I do that often. Cant seem to add 2 and 2 together!
How I know the feeling!!
maybe should have made the blocks a little bigger?? oh man what a revelation. best of luck - looove the color scheme! Jenn
Allison, been there, done that. What you have done so far looks great. I hope you still plan on making it. Can't wait to see it completed!
It happens more often than anyone wants to admit! Or sometimes I'll forget about seam allowances and it all goes pear-shaped reaaaaaally quickly!
Here's what I would do: Move on. 4000 little squares of anything (even chocolate) sounds daunting.
:) Wendy, www.thefabricquarter.com
I'm sorry. I have a king sized quilt for my bed simmering in the back of my mind. I actually have all of the materials to get the quilt top done. But I keep getting caught on making things for other people (sister's wedding, sister-in-law's baby)! I would like to say I'll have the quilt top done by the end of this year, but I doubt it!
Good luck with the rest of your king sized quilt!
That's why I refuse to make anything bigger than a lap quilt!
~http://procrastinatingisfun-kathy.blogspot.com/
I totally understand! I am just thinking out the measurements for a baby quilt though. LOL!
I had it all drawn out with the measurements but decided to sleep on it, next day I realized my math was off. So glad that I didn't cut all my background fabric. Your quilt is going to be wonderful! I have that same pattern on my TO DO list.
You are incredibly talented with this quilting stuff! I know it's going to be just beautiful when you're done!
I'm so glad that experienced, seasoned quilters make simple math miscalculations. When I made one of my first quilts I made 12" square which I added a 3" sashing strip to each side. I'm thinking 12 + 3 = 15. Imagine my surprise when my gargantuan quilt was much bigger than I had planned. Duh! 12 + 3 one EACH side = 18 inch squares.
I soooo hate when that happens....and I'm not sure than I should admit that it happens often!! What you have so far, looks great...I really like this pattern and the fabrics that you have chosen.
Hahaha, could have been me!!!
In German we say: "Was man nicht im Kopf hat, muss man in den Beinen haben."
I'd translate it like that: If the head doesn't work, then the legs have to work.
Well... my legs have to work very much! *g*
It might not be quick but it will be pretty. Don't you hate coming to realizations like that when your loved one is snoring beside you? That always seems to happen to me.
After a few bad words - I would probably be designing several borders to put on that quilt. LoL Judy C
WOW! I am sure that I would have not been able to figure that out while laying in bed.... hahaha
I know, but bow ties are sooo cool!
your quilt will be amazing! I too and a crazy lady of the king size quilt kind! I started on my journey and went omg I need an crazy amount of squares lol but it will be an heirloom in the end! well it better be lol.
mines made up of little half triangles, all varying fabrics
http://ravenscauldron.blogspot.com/2011/03/quilt-in-making-and-emerald-alice.html
pop on over and see my crazy mess lol
x Courtney
Hahaha. Funny that you were laying in bed when it came to you.
I'm making my last king size quilt for my bed. Never ever ever ever will I make another I'm planning to croak under this thing.
I hate when that happens!
I don't even know how to do quilt math....so there I've got you beat.
Oh dear! do you have one of these cutting rulers?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEqU4TFIlHk
I have one that I borrowed from my mom. i loved it so much i had to buy her another one so i could keep it! you can stack several strips on top of each other, and line up another stack of strips above it and boom-boom-boom, hundreds of squares!
OK...I don't know if anyone else has mentioned this, but Camille had these little Bliss mini charm packs that were about that size....I have one of them.....
My husband always laughs at me when I mess up on math (and I say always because it happens a lot!). But then he says I wish woodworking was as easy to fix as quilting when you make a mistake...and then I feel better! Keep going!!! It looks great!
Well its going to be a great quilt no matter how many squares! :) I had a similar bad math experience when I posted directions for my quilt along. Thanks for being human like the rest of us!
Well you could always do your 1008, and use that as the center of the quilt, and add other kind of borders on it to make it king size, it would look fantastic.
Oh, no. It's so cute, though. I would probably sigh and just do it...
Just think, if you were making a hexagon charm quilt that size you'd need 3554 hexies and have to stitch them all together by hand. It could be worse!
I thought I was the only one to do things like that!!! It will be stunning when you get finished!
Wow... it will be stunning.
It will be beautiful. And if itmakes you feel ANY better, I do the 'oh crap' when Im in bed when the hubs is snoring too... xoxo
"I'll make a pillow for his birthday. Let's see, I'll cut 1 1/2" squares, it should only be a hundred or so. Oh, wait- 400 squares??"
I was committed... in so many ways. This "quick little project" turned into a three year late gift. HA!
Yikes! Good luck with that. Looks great so far.
might be a little late, but you could make it easier on yourself by just doing a snowball technique for the white, instead of sewing 4 blocks together...
Okay, it's good to know I'm not the only one who miscalculates!
I am so with you on the math thing. I start out with what I think I need, then, something always happens. I think the quilt fairy comes at night and moves all my blocks around. That's my story and I am sticking with it. lol
Your quilt is going to be a show stopper. Love it.
I want to make a quilt for my CA King bed too. I haven't figured things out yet. I will have a fat quarter bundle and 4 charm packs. That's the start. The planning comes next. I've been looking at paint colors instead! I'd better get to work. Your quilt is going to look beautiful! Keep up the good work.
Oh, you are scaring me - my very first "real bed" quilt is gonna be a king size...and it's going to be Moonglow, by Jinny Beyer. It wants 27 different colors, and I have NO idea how many pieces and parts that translates to and I'm scared to even look. All I know is it's gonna be like eating an elephant - one bite at a time! I have all but the backing, binding & 6.5 yards of black.....maybe I'm procrastinating, but I'm not looking too hard for that black :)
I hate it when that happens!
Sounds like lots of blocks... I'm not sure I will tackle a king size quilt...
Urgh!
It'll still be fab when it's done at least :o)
Oh my, that's going to take you forever! I also started off intending to make a king size quilt and ended up with a foot quilt!
Amazing the math problems that are worked out while someone beside you is snoring. They should play zzzzz... tapes during math tests. I never calculate the number of pieces until AFTER the quilt is all done!
Math. It's challenging for us creative quilters! That's why I check, double check and usually buy WAY more fabric than I need. Hence my overflowing closet.
Your quilt is beautiful! Love the fabrics! Bummer about the miscalculation...this is why I don't like math :)
Maybe it was just denial :)
ROFL! Love eamylove's comment on playing zzzzz tapes during math tests.
It's very lovely though. :)
hahaha...I do that all the time. Love the pattern!
hmmmm, perhaps NOT quick, but oh-so-very-cute. indeed! keep on keepin' on~~~~
Ah the joys of being mathematically challenged! I'm always doing this, my soloution, get someone who can do maths to work out your quantities! ♥
I hate it when that happens!
It's going to be amazing though!! Baby steps.....plus netflix and almond m&m's will help it seem quicker.
Been there, this is my crazy experiment. So nuts. What was I thinking. So many small squares.....http://bluecrabquilting.blogspot.com/2009/09/its-done-its-done-its-finally-done.html
You lost me when you hit the quadruple digits. I wouldn't attempt a project that required me cutting out 1,000 of anything, so for even attempting this and living to talk about it, you are my own personal hero.
This will be one super, awesome, fab-u-lous quilt!
I loved this blog.
I am currently making a blanket for my couch. You are giving a lot of work but will be beautiful. But I love it even make necessaires.
Eusa
www.euemeuspaninhos.blogspot.com
maciel.eusa @ yahoo.com.br
ohhhh.... counting counting counting... hope they work up quick!
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