Plus One

 With COVID...or, more particularly, its variants...raging on, it's still important for us to "play it safe". That being said, it's also important to keep those who live alone in mind. I have a neighbour whom I consider to be a very close friend. I very much enjoy her company, and have since I met her...long before the death of her husband. Pre-COVID, we would go quilt at a local hall with a large number of other ladies. With the lockdown, however, that became impossible. Even when the hall eventually opened up this past Fall...with safety guidelines in place...neither of us was inclined to go back. So...because she lived alone, and according to government guidelines, she became our "plus one". We re-instituted Wednesday quilting time...just the two of us. 

It was interesting when we came together today. Turns out we were both working on pillow covers. I was continuing to work on the Edyta Starr pattern called Lucky Charm for one of the ladies on the loop.

She wanted the fabrics to be winter-themed. Here's what the first corner of the pattern looked like finished.

When I got two sections done, I laid them side-by-side...just like the pattern called for... and then flipped left to right so it looked like a starburst. I asked my friend what she thought of each version.

Turns out we both rather liked the starburst version. I completed the other two corner pieces, and, before sewing the units together, I texted photos to our friend living on the loop to ask what she preferred.

Turns out she liked the starburst version as well. Okay then...I'll sew the blocks together :)

Well...once I finished, and tried to iron the seams...twirling appropriately, of course...I learned why Edyta did NOT sew the blocks together that way!!! The centre, where ALL those seams came together, did not iron down well. There was a significant wad of fabric on the wrong side...

...and the denseness of all those seams did not help the right side look particularly good :(

Photos were sent and after several quick texts back and forth with the friend on the loop, it was decided that we would go back to the original pattern design. I would NOT have been pleased to hand this off to her. So, the next time I have time to sit and sew, I will be reconstructing this pillow top. But right now...it's getting late, and SW and I have a road trip planned for tomorrow. More about that tomorrow, though :)

And on that note, I wish you all a very good night!

TTFN