The Sashing Incident (and more penny whistle)

A number of you commented on my sashing for the Signature Quilt. (picture on the previous post)
There is a story that goes along with how I came up with that sashing. I was going to make regular sashing with cornerstones. (some of you know that I don't really like having to match corners though)

So I cut the vertical sashing strips first.  The plan was sew them on the sides of the blocks and make the rows. I put in a movie and sat down to sew. I picked up a block and a strip and put them right sides together. Whooops!  They don't match!  OH NO! the strips are too short.  (!!! memory fail!!!! )  Yep I cut them 12 inches and the FINISHED block will be 12 inches. I needed 12.5 inch strips.  I stopped the movie. Ironed more fabric, cut LONGER strips and went back to the machine (ad the movie) I sewed a row.  Then two more.  I didn't cut enough strips.

So I decided to start on the sashing. I had pulled out some 4" charms to use as cornerstones. Hmmmm. One of the packs was all orange toned. Everything from dark orange to white will tiny orange designs was in it. FUN!
So, I thought. I sewed some sets of 3 charms. I sewed a set of three to one of the 12 inch oops strips. I repeated. I grabbed a row and measured against the two strip sets -- a little short. Okay so I added a set of two charms in the middle.  Hmmm just a little too long. GREAT!   I can trim those off after I attach the strips.  I sewed a couple more  of these horizontal strips then had to go to bed.

The next night I finished it.  OH, when I attached the horizontal strips, I matched the center seam of the sashing strip to the (rough) center of the block row.(middle of the middle square of the middle block!) I didn't pin, just held it in place and sewed.

Now, when I used the "oops" strips that were too short, I invented a name for that.  I call it rescue piecing.

Rescue piecing [res-kyoo pees-ing]:  Using those "oh crap I cut it wrong" pieces to make something that makes the quilt even better. 


 I think this sashing made the quilt better, based on reader comments.