Misery Loves Company

My English Paper Piecing is continuing and I must admit it is a labour intensive procedure.  Imagine trying to put a price on something you have made with this method.  You could never ever be recompensed for the time, that's for sure. That being said, it is relaxing this slow stitching and it is nice to do hand sewing not involving counting or following a chart. 

I ran out of glue and began basting the edges.  This takes a little longer and I'm not sure if there is any added benefit over the gluing. My first two blocks worked like a charm but my next couple required several pieces to be unwrapped and then stretched and coaxed into place.

On the Facebook Farmer's Wife SAL group, I've been eagerly reading fellow quilters' messages about getting these blocks together.  Some seem to have smooth sailing and others seem to be like myself...having to redo and unsew and work a lot harder to get the block pieces aligning like they should.  Several have posted that this project is too hard at this point in their lives and are bowing out.

 I must admit something that is terrible and that is I've taken much comfort in the fact that others have been having trouble with some of their blocks.  The lady who admitted she spent 5 hours on one block I could have hugged because so did I!  What kind of bad person does that make me!

It just proves the old adage- misery loves company, I guess.

However, in my defense, it is from these brave people posting about their problems that I'm actually learning.  These women, through their trial and error, have worked out strategies to correct further mistakes.  For instance,  having only a 1/4 inch seam seems to be making the block edges a little too scanty.  Some have increased this to 1/2 an inch. This is good to know as I've been coming up too short in some cases as well.  I've also quickly learned to not do the assembly line because I'm learning something new with each block. 
 And I do have so much to learn but just imagine how good I'll be at EPP by the time all 99 blocks are completed!

                                            
                                            I'm toting each blocks' pieces in a baggie.

 Organizing all the bits and pieces for each block is essential. My little folder I started with quickly became inadequate.   Hubby found a large 3 ring binder in the basement that I could fill with plastic sleeves and keep each block and pattern in.  All 99 blocks and their little bits can easily fit in this one.  It is enormous. 
 

Other quilters who like myself were determined to use the freezer paper method, have broken down and ordered the special templates recommended for making this quilt.  These are made by Marti Michell's company and cost about $100 to get all the sets needed and of  course, this is an expensive venture.  I'd read how much easier having these plastic tools made the drawing and cutting and improved the accuracy so I've broken down and ordered the templates too. Hubby wouldn't dream of tackling a project without the proper tools so he is thinking I was crazy to try it without the templates.  So many people are saying they are happy they did.  Well, I shall see.

Meanwhile, in regular life, our 26 year old Amana Fridge has given up the ghost. People say they build fridges to last only 5 or 6 years these days which seems scandalous.
 Sears can't deliver the new one till early November so we've had to buy a little bar fridge to see us through.  Coping without a dishwasher was a piece of cake, however, I've really missed the fridge.

Several people have asked about the candle with the ring in it...both daughters have retrieved their rings and they are surprisingly nice.  I'm still burning my candle and as soon as I reach mine, I'll post a photo of all three rings.