Month 2: Floaters/Slats Border

[Jo H.]

Is anyone else awake this late??? :shock:

Okay... I admit to being math challenged but I am stumped and need to have another set of eyes see this to see if I really am as batty as I'm beginning to think I am.

I need to put the floaters on so that I can put my lattice on and be finished with this month. But, I always like to add up the math to make sure it adds up before I cut and I'm losing my mind. I know that the pattern is correct but I'm stumped at why I can't figure it out.

Here goes.

Month one block unfinished size is at 21-3/4 inches by 21-3/4 inches. CHECK

Month two has an inner and outer border and the slat border. After adding all of these to the center, the unfinished block should measure 24-1/2 inches.

Here's my dilemma:

The inner border says to cut the border 3/4 inches
The slat border is cut to 1-3/8 inches wide
The outer border is 3/4 inches wide

Now for the math part:

If you add 21-1/4 (removing the 1/4 inch for the seam) plus the above borders and subtract the seam allowances, I do not come up with what I should end up with which is the 24-1/2 inches unfinished size. What am I misunderstanding?

I even cut a very small sample of the two borders and the slat and the sample cut at the above measurements didn't make the make my block 24-1/2.

Now I know that lots of people have already finished this month and that the instructions are correct -- so p.l.e.a.s.e. help a sister out and show me the error of my ways. :?

[Jill B.]

Jo Jo are you leaving the last 1/4" seam allowance "ON" ready for the next border.....

[Margo C.]

OK....I know that you are going to want to fire me from doing the pattern proofing, but I have to admit to you that I am seriously deficient in the math department!
(Please don't tell anyone!)

This is how I work it on paper...I convert the numbers to 8ths and work with finished sizes then add the last seam allowance back in the formula.

3/4=6/8 minus 4/8 (seam allowances) =2/8
1-3/8=11/8 minus 4/8 (seam allowances) =7/8
3/4=6/8 minus 4/8 (seam allowances) =2/8

So the finished size of the 2 slat borders should be 11/8 x 2 = 22/8 = 2-6/8"

Add the finished size of the 2 slat borders to the finished size of the center. 2-6/8 + 21-2/8 = 23-8/8 or 24"

ADD THE 2 OUTSIDE SEAM ALLOWANCES THAT WERE SUBTRACTED = 24-1/2" finished size.

With that said...I usually skip the math part and just make my fabric fit. For next month it's really easy to adjust the background fabric to make it fit!

I'm going back to bed now!

[Jo H.]

Thank you Jill and Margo. There is a reason you know why people are not supposed to drive a car when you are sleepy! Same goes with trying to do math way past my bedtime.

Margo, working in 1/8ths is a great idea and makes it so much easier. I've cut and pasted your comments above so that I can refer back to them on other projects.

Okay, must watch Sunday morning, have my one cup of coffee I'm allowed, and then to work on my block.

[Eileen K.]

You all just made my head hurt!! :shock: :shock: :shock:

[Eileen K.]

The only thing that I noticed is that you said Jan. finished at 21 3/4" and then further down you said 21 1/4". If you took 21 3/4" and took the 1/4" off that does it work? I didn't figure it I just read what you had written.

[Margo C.]

Ritzy, the second number 21-1/4 reflects the finished size which would be 1/2" off the unfinished size of the center which was 21-3/4.

Did I mention that I really am not comfortable with math??? I'm not going to try writing directions for any more quilts! I'll leave that to the trained professionals!! :roll:

[Jo H.]

Oh Margo, I think you're just 'shy' cause your math is perfect! Thank you for helping me.

[Margo C.]

Oh Margo, I think you're just 'shy' cause your math is perfect! Thank you for helping me.

I may have figured this one out, but math makes my head hurt and my belly ache!!! ops:

[Norma H.]

For me coming from Denmark, where we use cm and meters to measure,in the beginning it was a real challenge to work in inches. I like math and have been wondering how you all do the math as I thought there might be a better way than mine. I make everything to 1/8's to figure it all out and now I can see that's what you do too. With the quarter inch foot it's more easy to work "in English" than it is to work "in Danish"

[Norma H.]

Margo--IMHO, Just like you did, eighths and unfinished sizes is the only way to calculate. Adding in the 1/2" for the seam allowance is automatic thinking for me. I seem to have to adjust something in this fashion quite often.

[Jo H.]

Well, hubby asked me to sleep on it before I made a decision about the borders and I did and I still hate it so today, I'm unsewing everything I did and starting over. I figure if I'm going to be working on this for the next 10 months, I'd better not start disliking something this early in the process.

[Margo C.]

Well, hubby asked me to sleep on it before I made a decision about the borders and I did and I still hate it so today, I'm unsewing everything I did and starting over. I figure if I'm going to be working on this for the next 10 months, I'd better not start disliking something this early in the process.

WHAT???? :shock:

What is it that you aren't happy with JoJo? It looks wonderful!!

[Jo H.]

Margo,

The pretty golden fabric on each side of the black is distorted. I loved this fabric but didn't have enough to cut it on the straight of grain so I starched it heavily thinking it would stablize it enough but unfortunately it did not. I've already started unpicking it so I wouldn't just settle for it that way. It is really noticeable. I found a local store that has some of that gold fabric left so I'm leaving in a bit to go buy some so I can cut it properly.

It's discouraging when this happens but once I get over the unpicking and start resewing, I'll feel better. Right now, it's really disheartening.

[Margo C.]

It doesn't show in the photo, but I understand what you are saying. It's better to deal with it now, and love every inch of the project when you are done!
It won't take long. I thought you were going to re-do all the lattice! :roll: