Is Happy a Jinx Name?????

I am going to quilt my Happy Quilt in a quilt as you go method, quilting each row individually. So yesterday, I got Row 1, the Sunshine Row, all pin basted and ready to quilt.  And this is where my fun day began.  Once I finally decided on a pattern for the Sunshines, I used a blue water soluble fabric pen to draw the lines.  First sunshine looked great - I am excited. And then.....the rest of the story:

1. Moved on to the second sunshine, and I grabbed a blue highlighter pen (same blue color case as my water soluble pen case) instead of my blue fabric marking pen and 3/4's around the first square before I realized my BIG goof. I immediately tried to wash it out, came out of the yellow just fine, but would not wash out of the orange fabric.After trying every kind of stain remover and detergent in the house, there was nothing to do, but make a new block. Fred now has a nice blue highlighter - I don't even want it near my cutting table ever again. 

2. In the process of taking it out, wouldn't you know I cut a slit in the background fabric of one of the good blocks.  It is less than half an inch, but  right in the seam line.  Sigh....another problem.  I ironed some fusible pellon on the back to keep it from raveling any more and hopefully hide the cut.  You can still see the slit but I think it is secure. I need to mark it with a safety pen so I can be sure I quilt over that spot

3.I cut out the new sunshine block and started sewing it together.  Of course I had my machine set up for quilting, so I had to remove the autofeed foot, remove the machine quilting thread and bobbin, and then set it up for machine piecing. 

4. I had the sunshine block nearly complete - to the stage of sewing the "rows together, and dang, the points were way off.  What in the world happened???? I had been so careful to make sure I had true quarter inch seams and straight seams.  So I go back and look at my instructions - I had cut 2 1/2" squares for the points and should have cut 2".  Well this could not be fixed.  So I had to cut out a whole new block and start over.

5. Got the new block cut out and sewn together  then had to stitch it back in the row.  This was complicated by the fact that I had already started quilting the row and had it basted to the batting and background....and this was not a block on the end of the row.  The block on either side was attached to the quilt sandwich.  The first side was no problem but the other side was like sewing in a tube. I was almost half way across, and wouldn't you know, I ran out of bobbin thread.


6.After refilling another bobbin, I finally got the replacement
block sewn in.....and then, I guess I had stretched the fabrics and was getting a pleat when I tried to smooth it over the batting.  So I had to take each seam in a little so it would lie smooth.

7.Then reset the machine for machine quilting, marked the new block with a blue water soluble pen and got to quilting.  All of the sunshines are now quilted  and I am back on track.  But..to my dismay,  I am seeing some bleeding  of the yellow hand dyed fabric I used for the backing through to the quilt top.

Geez Louise - this is not supposed to happen.  I always pre-wash my fabrics!!! 

 No panic....I will just put a whole box of dye catchers in the washer when I wash this quilt and if that doesn't work, well you know, bright sunshine sometimes gives the sky a yellowish tint - right?

For now...its time to enjoy a good cup of coffee and contemplate on how I will free motion the background.  Tomorrow is another day......