#PenguinPartyQuilt Progress Report: Learning From Mistakes

Well it’s the end of the month… and I’ve completed my Elm Street Quilts One Monthly Goal – (August Finish Link-up)! 8 Penguins complete! Sadly, I’d be much farther in this quilt had it not been for a huge error on my part. ugh.

Let my start by saing it was NOT a problem with the Penguin Party pattern! Elizabeth Hartman included clear diagrams and instructions. I just wasn’t paying enough attention to where I was going.

Week 1 I was able to pull my fabric, STARCH, iron, and get it cut into strips… saving the subcuts to when I needed them so I wouldn’t lose a bunch or ity bity pieces. At this point I realised that going Block by block would be a bit silly… chain piecing all of the identical pieces make much more sense.

Week 2 I wanted to get to work on the Penguin heads.
For this particular Elizabeth Hartman pattern, all 20 blocks have the same “head” section. So It seamed to make sense to sew all of the eye pieces, then all of the beaks, and put 20 heads together. That would save so much time in the future, right? Snowballing may be my least favorite quilting technique. But I sat myself down at the machine and chain pieced 40 Eyes (2 Snowball each) and 20 Noses (4 snowballs each). And then a kind lady from my Sew a Long pointed out that the eyes were upside down.

My. Heart. Sank.
But just for a few moments. I was able to analyze the blocks I had made, and figured out how to un-stitch just enough so I wouldn’t have to start the Eyes completely over. And there was just enough Black and White fabric left to fix the problem. All in all it was a good lesson in how to identify problems, find solutions… and re-read instructions often even if you think you know what your doing!

By the 15th of August all I had to show for myself was 3 completed components of the penguin faces. Not where I thought I’d be. Many people in this so long already had finished blocks, and they’re just so cute! but then others were still waiting to receive their fabric kits. So I pressed on.

Week 3-4 At this point I was desperate to finish at least one block! It would be good inspiration for me to keep going, and a good reference for what the blocks are supposed to look like when they’re completed. So I decide to only make 10 of the faces, and get to work on the little penguin families.

I’m following a layout suggestion in the pattern were you meet five sets of four matching penguins. Luckily I have 5 adorable penguin Fabrics to use! I constructed various pieces of the blocks, little by little when I had time to sit down and sew.

If I didn’t have to do things like work, commute, eat & sleep I’m sure I’d be much farther along by now. But I did it! I finished eight of the penguin blocks for the month.

AND with just enough thread! It literally snapped in my machine as I finished sewing the final seam on the 8th penguin! Thankfully I already have another spool of Aurifil ready to go.

I’m hoping the next 12 penguins will come together with a lot less drama. I can’t wait to see all the families together!