Intertwined, It Just Keeps GROWING!

I wrote about all the Oops! while working on my youngest son's wedding quilt, Intertwined, in my last post.  Boy has this quilt not turned out quite like I planned.  No, it wasn't the pattern's fault.  Jean wrote up a great pattern, and I like it so much, that I may make this again, one day.  All the problems have come from me, redrafting her pattern, and making several stupid mistakes.

Well, I mentioned in the last post that I made the Half Square Triangles/HST's (512 of them) the wrong size.  See, my mistake.  I'd already cut the center strips the correct size.  Oh well, I cut new center strips, to match my HST's ( I was NOT going to trim down 512 HST's).  (Once the HST's are made, the blocks go together very quickly).

The original blocks were supposed to be 9.5" unfinished (9" finished). My new blocks should have come out at 10.5" unfinished, (10" finished) but, they came out 10.25" finished.  How did that happen?  Yes, I have 1/4" seams (I checked).  See, it keeps GROWING!  This quilt top should have finished at 88" x 98" with the borders added.  Instead, it finished at 94.25" x 105.25".  That is a LOT of growth! 

Here is the finished top.  Sorry for the bad pictures.  It was bad weather outside, and I didn't have any other place to put this huge quilt top.  This is on my queen size bed.

finished wedding quilt top

finished wedding quilt top

finished wedding quilt top

As I mentioned in the previous post, I'm using all my 'mistakes' on the back of the quilt.  Well, another 'mistake' was made.  I was planning on using the white on white on the back of the quilt, but, I didn't have enough.  I don't remember where I got that material, and, since I got it almost a year ago, I didn't figure I could find it again, anyways.  I'm in a rush, too, to get this to the long arm quilter, so that it will be finished before the wedding.  Ok, change of plans.  I decided to use the Kona black on the back instead.  Oops!  While figuring out about how much I'd need, I found that I didn't have enough of the Kona black, either.  Hubby and I made a quick trip to Joann's and bought the last of the Kona black. 

Well, if the front of the quilt kept growing, then the backing had to grow, too.  I had LOTS of extra blocks, and center strips from the front of the quilt to use on the back.  I also had a few extra HST's, that I turned into pinwheels (I love pinwheels).  I used EVERY 'mistake' on the back!  I finished the backing last night.  It's HUGE!

backing on my queen size bed

I should have gotten a picture from the side, since you can't see all the colorful strips on the front.  Oh well, I'll get good pictures when it is quilted.  I like the back as much as I like the front of the quilt. 

Oh yea, EVERY STITCH of the quilt top and the backing were sewn on my 1959 Singer Spartan hand crank sewing machine.

1959 Singer Spartan hand crank

This quilt will be delivered to the long arm quilter on Friday.  She has some great ideas for the quilting and the threads for this quilt.  I'll start making the binding soon.  I have great material for the binding.  (Oops, no picture of the binding, sorry).