Wednesday 19 March 2014

Read this if you need a laugh

Well if you remember, a while ago I finished a Lizzie Kate design as a travelling pattern.  Here it is...


I decided I would like to finish it as a small pillow with patchwork as the fabric border round the piece.  So I took these fabrics...


...and did this with them.


Too big for the design so let's cute them into quarters again and make each patchwork square 1cm when stitched together.  So as you can see, you end up with this...


...which then you take and sew together on your machine and it ends up looking like this...except it shouldn't!


So I bet you can guess what I am going to say now.  Does anyone know of a good tutorial so that I can learn to do it properly or failing that can explain to me how to do it properly, in words of one syllable.  Now if that pathetic attempt at patchwork doesn't make you laugh, nothing will.  Even I laughed when I took it away from the sewing machine!  Heeeeeeelp!!!

14 comments:

Caitlin @ Naughts Cross Stitches said...

Your squares weren't even to start with. As you I'd celebrate and say it wasn't meant to be straight. Send me an email and I'll see if I can explain it to you

Jo who can't think of a clever nickname said...

What are you looking at me for? You know I can't sew a button on straight!

I think I'd be going for the old "colour the aida in with felt tipped pens" fall back and make my own brightly coloured border.

Jan said...

Who says the squares have to be perfectly straight? This is a work of art right - and like they say art is in the eye of the beholder....

Linda said...

Looks like the way I sew Sharon. Like the colors.

Linda

Pull the other thread said...

Love the colours of the fabric. Haven't really done patchwork so not sure I can help you but as a previous commenter said I think the squares may not have been straight to begin with.

Unknown said...

HI,
I'm sorry not help here, bright colors I especially like the bright pink one!!!!

Anonymous said...

love the colors ♥ your squares need to be even ^_^

Annette-California said...

I hope Caitlin can help you with your squares and sewing them together. I have done it but putting it into words would be looong.
But let me know if you still need some help - no problem.
I really like the fabrics you pulled though. love Annette

The Knitting Cross Stitcher said...

Great fabric combination.Never having done patchwork I am impressed you have had go.

Christine said...

I don't think it needs to be straight. The stitched design uses deliberately mismatched fonts so why shouldn't the border have mismatched squares? You could always sew a row of little buttons on top of the places where the squares don't quite align in the middle to disguise it a bit if you wanted, the outer edges will take care of themselves once its made up.
As others have said, if you make sure your squares are absolutely square and exactly the same size as each other another time it should be easier

Justine said...

I honestly can't see what's wrong with your patchwork - it looks great!

Pam in IL said...

I love the colors of the fabrics you chose. I think you could still use the patchwork as is. However, if you decide to do it over, make sure the squares are the same size to begin with and then make sure to stitch the same size seam on each square.

Shirlee said...

I'm behind in my blog reading & assume you've already gotten help with this, but I have to applaud your first attempt at patchwork ... especially since you didn't really know how to go about doing it ... & your fabulous idea to frame the L*K piece with it : )

Astrids dragon said...

Hey, at least you tried! Better than me! I think it looks fine, especially if it's going to be a pillow? The stuffing will smooth it out, won't it?