Sometimes you just have to get 'er done.

This quilt has been in the works for a few years now... And I got on top of finishing it a few months ago (well, finishing the top). I was making good progress with some commitment when I hit a snag. I'd made a mistake. My very last block in the very last row was the wrong one. There are two block styles in this quilt and I used the wrong one in this spot. And all I had to do at that point was sew the rows together to finish the top. Annoyed with myself and frustrated, the quilt top sat for weeks at that juncture. Because all I had to do was make a slab, draw a foundation, sew a new block, remove the old one, attach it, and then sew the rows together. It sounds like a lot of work, but it wasn't. I was just in a mood about it.

This week I found myself in a real need to sew. After a few weeks of a bad cold that wouldn't go away I longed to get to the machine. Those are the moments when I usually start something new or default to random improv. Instead I forced myself to make that last block. And it took me about 30 minutes, if that. Not counting a break for Hot Wheels with my boy.

Then I was struggling to get the rows sewn together. With all those slabs, the angles, and some skinny bits on the edges each row is bulky and lining things up was tough. Not to mention that I kept the freezer paper foundation on each block because of the crazy amount of bias edges. Then I caught Bari J. Ackerman on a Periscope broadcast extolling the virtues of glue basting (a la Christie Fincher). Bingo!

I've used glue basting before for Paperless Paper Piecing in a class with Christie. And I've heard of other people glue basting for regular piecing. It did not occur to me to use it this way. I'm so happy I saw that Scope because it totally made it easy to get this top together. A thin line of glue in the seam allowance instead of pinning (or hoping for the best) holds the fabric in place, once heat set. Then you can go ahead and sew your seam.

And get the quilt top done.

Right now this top has the temporary name of Shh....