I've been defeated by a 4-inch snail's trail block

I'm really trying hard to make a 4" snail's trail block. The 6" blocks
gave me fits. No matter how carefully I cut and stitch, it's just
darned near impossible to make the points all work out. I unstitch,
restitch, recut, resew, redo ..... I'm gonna call this thing 'The Re-
Quilt'. Anyway, I am just defeated by the 4" blocks. I'm starching the
daylights out of the fabric. I'm stitching with my best foot on my
Pfaff and I'm being really careful. (In the interest of full
disclosure, this is a bad week and I've fallen a couple of times -- I
may be having some hand-eye issues)

I have been dubbed a "pointless quilter" by the ladies at the LQS. But
I haven't been this flummoxed in a long time.

Any suggestions or hints?

Sunny

try paper piecing.
j.

Throw it on the floor. Kick it a few times. Weather permitting, take it
outside and set fire to it. For Heaven's Sake, Sunny! Life is so brief
and so dear. Don't spend another minute doing something so annoying.
Here's the deal: You are not going to be invited to solo in the Easter
Cantata. Forget appearing on Anything with the Stars or getting the MVP
nomination at the SuperBowl. Accept it.
Quilting is supposed to be relaxing, creative, fun. It is good to
stretch a bit and improve now and then but let's not beat ourselves up by
struggling with the impossible. I dearly love/delight in the miniatures but
they will never be within my skills and eyesight. So. Cheer for those who
can . . . and find a quilt block that you can just wallow in the joy of.
Polly

If you don't want to paper piece the block - cut your triangles
oversized so that you can then trim everything when you square up -
let the edges really overhang. jennellh

On Mar 1, 11:08*pm, Sunny wrote:
I'm really trying hard to make a 4" snail's trail block. The 6" blocks
gave me fits. No matter how carefully I cut and stitch, it's just
darned near impossible to make the points all work out. I unstitch,
restitch, recut, resew, redo ..... I'm gonna call this thing 'The Re-
Quilt'. Anyway, I am just defeated by the 4" blocks. I'm starching the
daylights out of the fabric. I'm stitching with my best foot on my
Pfaff and I'm being really careful. (In the interest of full
disclosure, this is a bad week and I've fallen a couple of times -- I
may be having some hand-eye issues)

I have been dubbed a "pointless quilter" by the ladies at the LQS. But
I haven't been this flummoxed in a long time.

Any suggestions or hints?

Sunny

Just a word of comfort, Sunny! Some blocks which are said to be 'easy'
are actually downright difficult to make a good fist of. I have always
thought that a four-patch is one such. The small size is not what makes
it difficult. What makes point matching so very noticeable is that
being small the matching places look 'big' (if you can possibly see what
I mean).
If you do foundation piecing, and don't mind lateral thinking, there is
a reasonable substitute you could try. It doesn't have a four-patch in
the centre, it has a single square; but the spirals appear as if by
magic. Being FPP you don't have to cut accurately, and you are sewing on
lines, so the sewing is accurate. The block is trimmed off at the end,
so that is no problem either.
It is tricky to describe, so I won't do it here; but I'll let you have
some directions if you would like it. It is one of the mathematical
formulae blocks that I found and worked on for my Mathematical Quilts
collection, but don't be afraid, there is no Maths required. If you
want to get the general idea, try Googling: Baravelle Spiral. It can be
drawn on many base shapes, so look for the 'square' to get the best
idea.
..

In message
,
Sunny writes
I'm really trying hard to make a 4" snail's trail block. The 6" blocks
gave me fits. No matter how carefully I cut and stitch, it's just
darned near impossible to make the points all work out. I unstitch,
restitch, recut, resew, redo ..... I'm gonna call this thing 'The Re-
Quilt'. Anyway, I am just defeated by the 4" blocks. I'm starching the
daylights out of the fabric. I'm stitching with my best foot on my
Pfaff and I'm being really careful. (In the interest of full
disclosure, this is a bad week and I've fallen a couple of times -- I
may be having some hand-eye issues)

I have been dubbed a "pointless quilter" by the ladies at the LQS. But
I haven't been this flummoxed in a long time.

Any suggestions or hints?

Sunny

--
Best Regards
Pat on the green

J* wrote:
try paper piecing.
j.



Exactly what I was going to suggest!
Allison

hmmmm, i'm not following why the 4 patch is difficult.
could be its too early here and i'm not as experienced as most of rctq
but i have no probs with the 4 patch.
did i miss something?
j.

"Patti" wrote ...
Just a word of comfort, Sunny! Some blocks which are said to be 'easy'
are actually downright difficult to make a good fist of. I have always
thought that a four-patch is one such. The small size is not what makes
it difficult. What makes point matching so very noticeable is that
being small the matching places look 'big' (if you can possibly see what
I mean).
If you do foundation piecing, and don't mind lateral thinking, there is
a reasonable substitute you could try. It doesn't have a four-patch in
the centre, it has a single square; but the spirals appear as if by
magic. Being FPP you don't have to cut accurately, and you are sewing on
lines, so the sewing is accurate. The block is trimmed off at the end,
so that is no problem either.
It is tricky to describe, so I won't do it here; but I'll let you have
some directions if you would like it. It is one of the mathematical
formulae blocks that I found and worked on for my Mathematical Quilts
collection, but don't be afraid, there is no Maths required. If you
want to get the general idea, try Googling: Baravelle Spiral. It can be
drawn on many base shapes, so look for the 'square' to get the best
idea.
..

In message
,
Sunny writes
I'm really trying hard to make a 4" snail's trail block. The 6" blocks
gave me fits. No matter how carefully I cut and stitch, it's just
darned near impossible to make the points all work out. I unstitch,
restitch, recut, resew, redo ..... I'm gonna call this thing 'The Re-
Quilt'. Anyway, I am just defeated by the 4" blocks. I'm starching the
daylights out of the fabric. I'm stitching with my best foot on my
Pfaff and I'm being really careful. (In the interest of full
disclosure, this is a bad week and I've fallen a couple of times -- I
may be having some hand-eye issues)

I have been dubbed a "pointless quilter" by the ladies at the LQS. But
I haven't been this flummoxed in a long time.

Any suggestions or hints?

Sunny

--
Best Regards
Pat on the green

gmta of course, Allison.
j.

"Allison" wrote ...
Exactly what I was going to suggest!
Allison

J* wrote:
try paper piecing.
j.

So glad, Tutu!
..
In message , Tutu Haynes-Smart
writes
And if anyone can give you good, clear instructions, it's "our" Pat!
Best of luck, Sunny -- the Baravelle Spiral I made from Pat's book was
*such* fun and turned out really well, thanks to her excellent
instructions.
.

I can vouch for that too!! Mine was also fun and has a happy new home!

Cheers for now
Tutu
Cape Town, South Africa

--
Best Regards
Pat on the green

How very kind, thanks Sandy.
..
In message , Sandy
writes
And if anyone can give you good, clear instructions, it's "our" Pat!
Best of luck, Sunny -- the Baravelle Spiral I made from Pat's book was
*such* fun and turned out really well, thanks to her excellent
instructions.

--
Best Regards
Pat on the green