In Theory and Actuality

I tried my triangle theory. I only got one side of the triangles. So when I do this with the real fabric I'll essentially have to do it twice; cutting one set at 60 degrees and the other set at the opposite 60. So that will be rather time consuming, but seeing as I'll already have some sewn it will also skip a step.

So here are the strips (made with leftovers from the flip flop quilt), an inch and a quarter wide.
I used my pincushion as a standard so the size was evident. (I have enough biology to know that pics "in the field" need something to give a sense of size.)Cutting at sixty degrees, notice the acrylic ruler, I seriously adore it.One strip, three quarters inch wide-ish.One half of a triangle. In the actual I'll have to cut mirror images as well and hook 'em together. These are little by the way. The squares on the ruler are an inch.
And for those who missed it: the flip flop quilt. The flip flops have ribbon straps and really fit Jenna's feet. The best part though is the quilting, if I do say so myself.

The Triangles

On a Scrabble board there are triangles across the white surrounding the colored squares. I've been... dreading is probably the best word, the task of cutting out the triangles, seriously they're small. Last night I finished cutting all the white stripes out and starting brainstorming on the triangles. I think I can presew strips of white red white blue white etc and then just bias cut at sixty degrees and have the squares of triangles if you will. (I don't expect that to make sense to everyone.) The issue once again is seam allowances. The white and colors will already be sewn, but I'll need seam allowances on all the other sides. Last night I couldn't quite think my way around it, especially as it needs to be just under 3/4 inch. But I'm thinking this is totally the way to do it. I may have to pick up some more white but I'm heading into Thornton tomorrow anyway, the kidos are playing with Grandma and Grandpa. And being as I am on JoAnn's mailing list I get coupons emailed to me all the time.

As Promised

And that's just the squares. 225 to be exact. And the stack is four and a half inches high. I still have to cut the triangle parts that go in the white around the colored squares and I'm working on my pile of white strips. But, the squares themselves are all cut. I think I could be to piecing within a week or two, it really just depends on how motivated I am once the kids are in bed. Honestly sometimes I'm not all that super motivated.

Resolved

So double meaning here: the white issue is resolved. Essentially I'm just going with half an inch, really one tenth of an inch is not a huge deal, that's what I'm telling myself, maybe when I'm poised to cut I'll decide that it needs to be .416 of an inch, but let's hope I can handle the difference.
And the second resolved meaning: I'm finishing Lily's drapes tonight so I will be all cleared to go scrabble crazy and consequently I will have pictures to post. Right now I could take a picture of my huge stack of squares, but I'm thinking that I'll hold off on that 'til I have the extra 20 brown ones cut; just so it's more ridiculous looking. Because really it's a lot of squares.
So essentially, exciting pictures to come. (cause honestly, how boring is a blog of quilting progress with no quilting progress to show.)

Fractions and Shark Tents Don't Mix

I got all my squares cut last night. I cut while watching Monster-in-law of all things, an old recommendation of Aunt Ann's. It had it's moments, but all in all, I'd have been fine missing that one. Anyway, next up was the white for the betweens. But it was late-ish for me and I didn't trust myself to cut this one; the measurements got cloudy and I was thinking that I must have done the math wrong. So I'm now trying again and still having no luck. Part of the issue is that I'm trying to figure this all next to two kids having a great time in the shark tent laughing hysterically. Nothing so terrible in and of itself, but coupled with the fact that I'm trying to convert measurements in sixteenths of inches to twelfths so that I can multiple it all by a factor of six and two-thirds and then add half an inch, it all gets muddled. I'm having unit trouble I suppose. I will likely have to go metric. It really is easier for figuring, being ten based and all that, 'cause really twelve is just weird enough to cause me all sorts of problems, actually I think it may be the sixteenths. So, if anyone wants to help out...
the border is 1/16 and the squares and 12/16 (notice how I'm trying to simplify with the 16 not 3/4). I need to keep the same ratio, the square finished will be 5 inches visible, with an additional 1/2 for the seam allowances. The border needs the same extra half inch seam allowance.
I expect I'm just overthinking it, but really, unless I can get a moment to actually think this through Nathan is going to have to do it when he gets home, and I'd feel a bit like a dork. I can get as far as it's just one twelfth of five inches and then add half an inch, but .4166of an inch before seam allowances is as far as I can get before someone starts shouting and it's really frustrating me.

Here We Go

I'm all washed and ready to cut. Last night I cut the pink and had enough. That means I'll also have enough of the light blue as they are the same measurements. The red and dark blue remain to be seen. Basically it's all just squares except for the little triangles that flare out from the colored squares, but those shouldn't be too tricky really, I'll just have to pay more attention to make sure I don't cut them backwards or something. That'd be lame. But before too long I will be cut and ready to piece it together.

Three Days In, and Already a Problem

So I had planned on getting eight squares across, but am only getting seven when I cut. Which doesn't sound so awful, but it throws off all my figuring. I cut all the brown and I'm twenty short. I have 154 and need 174. Who realized a scrabble board had so many brown squares. Anyway, not the end of the world just a little annoyance seeing as all my fabric could be off. And then there's the debate do I cut them all and go once, it is thirty minutes away, or do I go as I finish a color and know how much more I need, lessening the chance that JoAnns will no longer carry my color. So that's where it stands now. In other news, I've washed the pink and am ready to cut it next.