Travel Today: Mostly Plus Sign Quilt Progress, or Not...

The Plus Sign Quilt

Nearly three years ago a large group of ladies in the Relief Society decided they wanted to make a quilt.  Lissa chose a pattern that was simple squares.  We met several times during the fall to preview the quilt and learn how to make it.  Squares were suggested as 2.5, 3.5, or 4.5 inches square.

The quilt I chose to make has 2.5 inch squares because the lovely batik fabric I had was only able to be cut into 2.5 inch squares.  I have not made a quilt with such small squares but was up for the challenge.

Pile of 2.5 inch squares ready to sew

That fall and winter I cut out all the squares.  Because I had a sort-of coordinating fabric in a blue print, and quite a lot of it, compared to the batik,  I planned my Plus Sign quilt to have alternating blue print plus signs with the batik plus signs.

Because I did not have enough of this fabric to make a whole quilt I decided to make the quilt with a central medallion surrounded by two or perhaps three sashing rounds.  I knew I would have to find some more batik fabric to coordinate with the batik that was already on board.

Having finished cutting out the squares and planning the quilt, last year on our vacation to North Carolina, Virginia Beach, Virginia, and the Atlantic City, New Jersey areas, I decided to take along the sewing machine and fabric to see if I could complete the quilt before returning home in two weeks.

It was a great plan, which I mentioned to some dear friends.  To the person, they were against my plan!  Everyone said, "Leave the quilt and sewing machine home.  Vacation!!!"  Well, since I had it in my head that this was a good idea, off we went with machine, fabric, and plans in tow.

We finally got the sewing machine out in Virginia Beach, at a resort which was right on the Boardwalk, but quite high up.  They had a Monsters on the Beach event while we were there. Quite noisy even as high up as we were.

Beginning to sew

So, after setting up the little quilting sewing machine that I had been given by our daughter, I realized that I did not know certain things about the running of that particular machine so I went online for a manual.  That was somewhat of a trick but finally I found it, read the manual, learned what I needed, and set up the machine properly.

Third  row starting to sew.

With all the fabric squares set up in order and the pattern in front of me I started to sew.  On THE VERY FIRST STITCH the needle broke.  That did it!  I took the machine apart; packed up all the fabric, patterns, and overall plan; and I returned the sewing machine to the trunk of the car where it stayed until we reached home a week and a half later.

Plus Sign quilt as far as it got on vacation

This year I decided to try again, but brought my regular sewing machine, a very nice old HEAVY White 305.  Even with a pattern and plan it was not easy.  By the end of vacation I had almost half the central medallion sewn together.

Plus SIgn quilt with a few more rows, set up for more sewing

When we came home I decided I would work one row per day until it was done.  The first day I did three more rows.  When I was ready to do the fourteenth row I discovered that I had made a mistake on the very first row when we got home!  R-r-r-r!!! 

Having a great tolerance for error, I decided to let that error go, after all, the plus signs look lovely together, even if they are in the wrong position for this quilt.  Now I am trying to lay out the rest of the quilt to see if I can overcome the error or if I have to tear out those rows YET AGAIN!!!  The first few rows were torn out several times.