Posted on by Texas Quilter

OMG – Alexander Bean Pot and The Gopher Story

Well, I am just too much the Optimistic Quilter and need to remember that!!!

I did finish all 64 blocks for Alexander Bean Pot quilt for part of my OMG. (See previous post).

I started on the sashing yesterday and of course I made boo boo’s in cutting decisions. What else? I knew I would be making small 9 patches at 2 3/4″ for the cornerstones and strip pieces of red/white/red at 5 x 2 3/4″.

BUT when Ms. Know-It-All added her favorite 1/8″ extra in the strip cuttings – 20 strips of Red and 15 strips of the Lights, it became a BIG BIG MISTAKE. I tried to make the work out but now I have some 9 patches that will not be used in this quilt.

I put it aside yesterday and this morning started correcting the dumb thing I had done. I quickly trimmed the strips to 1 1/4″ BUT when testing them I found out the Light fabric was flaring when I was sewing the strip together making the 9 patches not square correctly.

To correct this issue I cut the 42″ strips in 10 1/2″ segments and checked each one individually. OH THE FUN OF BEING A PERFECTIONIST!!! (Note: I cut strips WOF and then sub cut to 20″ to prevent problems with curved strips).

Here are the steps I took to get back on track!

And here is how the sashing and blocks will look like:

So I did complete my OMG of completing all 64 blocks this month! BUT this will not be a flimsy for a few more days.

I made 64 blocks instead of the 20 blocks in the pattern so I assume I will make about 90 9 patches and over 130 5″ Red/Light/Red strips (above picture).

A lot more work to do on this one!

GOPHER STORY: One good thing for Clay today. He got the Gopher that has been evading gopher traps and gopher bombs and a shotgun blast for the last 3 weeks. At one point he took a chair by the hole with a shot gun and was determined to blow it away.

Note the gun barrel on his leg! That did not work!

So Clay, the retired Lt in the SAFD, became the Engineer and took 3 weeks of his life to do Research and Development (R&D) and designed and built his own Gopher Gun! This morning he was able to test it when his favorite gopher had a fresh hole dug!

He set it in the opening of the hole before breakfast and just as we sat down to eat we heard the gun go off! Bye bye 👋 Gopher

Have a great weekend! Linking to OMG

Nanette

Linking To:  My Quilt Infatuation; Confessions of a Fabric Addict; Finished or Not Friday ; Em’s Scrap Bag; BOM’s Away;  Sew Fresh Quilts; Crazy Mom Quilts;  Oh Scrap; Scrap Happy Saturday; Slow Sunday Stitching  Quilt Fabrication Mid Week Makers; Peacock Party; Design Wall Monday. OMG

20 Replies to “OMG – Alexander Bean Pot and The Gopher Story”

  1. I was watering a small strawberry 🍓 patch (it was a small I fought deer, slug, snail 🐌 and …) so up came a (?) gopher or mole I used my shovel to wack it as hard and fast as I could …… I ended up with cold 🥶 muddy water all over me and the vermit got away
    ❤️👵🏻

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    1. He is so happy to have finally got him!!! He worked so hard in designing and making the Gopher Gun. If we were younger I would go for a patent and find someone to make and distribute it! Those Gophers can undermine the yard – we live in the country in sand and so he watches for them all the time! Sorry about the muddy water – I can visualize your predicament! Hugs

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  3. For my Dear Daughter quilt, I made a similar sashing with cornerstones. I cut a piece of WOF 9 1/2 inches wide then I sub cut into the sashing pieces, it was all straight of grain so would not stretch. The stretching came in the corner stones.

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    1. Hey – good idea! I may do that on the next cutting – So far I have been able to come up with a way to get them absolutely perfect! I really liked Dear Daughter – don’t know if I downloaded it or not but a beautiful quilt!

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  6. Oh, I love these blocks! I looked back through your posts, and saw that they measure 4.5 in. finished! Wow! The fabrics and colors are so great. And your hubby is a gopher-getting genius.

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    1. Thank you so much Sylvia – I made a lot of progress today with the Beans – Heck those 9 patches are 2 3/4” square! Hubby is such a marvel! There is not anything he cannot fix! He also did a lot of building around our 5 acres – so we are spoiled with an 800 sq foot Studio to play in! Hugs

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  7. Hi Nanette! It seems both you and Clay have the perseverance gene. Him with the gopher that wasn’t going to dig another hole in your yard, and you with the 9-patch and strips needed for the quilt. Thank you for showing a closeup photo of the design – I just adore the fabrics. I had no idea about the dots from a distance – oh so very pretty. You made your OMG for the month – the rest will fall into place in due time. ~smile~ Roseanne

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    1. Yup big time! This morning he had a problem with the voltage regular with the Gopher Gun and had to take it apart (which he was not happy about) but all is fixed again! Thank you for the wonderful comments on my fabrics! I will have progress for your To Do Tuesdays! Just need to remember to link up!
      I changed my process for the 9 patches and like it and they are coming out perfect! Of course it takes a little longer to make the strip sets, but that is OK – my quilt should come out great but it won’t be finished in a few days like I thought! (What a dreamer I am)! Hugs

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  8. I have moles and they drive me insane. YEARS ago, in another yard, we had moles and one day hubs was out doing something with a shovel and he noticed the ground moving. He STABBED that shovel in where he saw movement and killed one mole (course, we know there are tons where you see one!!).

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    1. They are naughty little things and undermines the ground. We live on 5 acres but only have 1 cleared – Clay stays on top of the creatures! BUT down the road there are people who do not and their yards look awful!

      It was so funny when he sat there with the shotgun and when I heard it go off I just knew he got it but that did not kill it! The Gopher Gun did get it!!!!! Yea. Hugs

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    1. It really made progress today! I am leaving the strips with the 1/8” sewing a red and white, then I press the seam and trim and then add the 3rd strip and trim it – may take a little more time overall, but the 9 patches are perfect!

      Hope your weather is not too bad! We are having some nice cool mornings and decent temps in the afternoon, EXCEPTION – Saturday it was over 80 degrees – makes me want to head North. Hug

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