The Fifth Row

Roll, Roll, Cotton Boll is the very first quilt that I have ever done, "on point," or on the diagonal. So I was happy and excited to get to do my first one as a Bonnie quilt to have her expert instructions. And, I'll admit it, I was a little keyed up about it too.

Bonnie said to sew the blocks into rows on the diagonal, working from one corner in towards the center, and then work from the opposite corner into towards the center again, such that you then finally join the two large pieces of the quilt top together. Sounded simple to me! And there was a neat diagram too.

This is Bonnie K. Hunter's diagram from her instructions in Part 7 of RRCB on her quiltville blog:
http://Quiltville.blogspot.com
and it is used here with Bonnie's most gracious permission. Thank you, Bonnie!!!

Sewing the Center!

So I began sewing together the blocks and setting triangles, being very careful to not mix anything up. Slow and steady; check and recheck, as I went. I was doing beautifully although my progress was painstakingly slow. When I got to the second corner's group of rows I was more confident in the rhythm of assembling.

Then I discovered that I seemed to be TWO SETTING TRIANGLES SHORT!!! How could that be? I had counted and recounted them when I had made them. None were on the floor or under the machine nor on the shelving unit. And I had TWO CORNER CAPS EXTRA!!! How could that be? I had counted and recounted them when I had made these also. Hmmmm. Too weird, I thought. 

I began to study the diagram. Counting diagonally, there are ten rows in all. I had assembled them as two groups of diagonal  five-row units. But the two fifth rows each have one corner cap and then one doubled setting triangle each! I had mistakenly tried to put the setting triangles onto both ends of both of the fifth rows. It was late when I was figuring it all out, so I went to bed feeling confused and muddled. Additionally, all that hauling the heavy rows around to assemble them had given me a minor muscle knot in my back under my shoulderblade.

Husband Wonderful rubbed me down with some Absorbine Junior lintiment and I popped a couple of aspirins and went to sleep. The next morning my subconscious must have sorted it all out because I knew exactly what I needed to do to make it all right! When I was fresh, it was easy to understand my error.