Monday, December 10, 2012

The Good, The Bad, and The Terrible.

I tell you what, I am super pooped after this weekend.  It was, basically, ridiculous.

The good? I finished my MSU quilt.  See?


I loved it, was so happy with it.  (Thanks USGS hand models.)

The bad?  My house hates me.  More to come.

The terrible?  My MSU quilt hates me.  I put it in the washing machine on Saturday morning, no big deal.  Threw in some color catchers for safe measure.  I pull it out and drape it over some chairs to dry.  Then I see it.  6 white strips are blue.  OMG.  There's someone from best buy in my house talking to Richard so I back slowly away and start cleaning before I have a mental break down, since Christmas is only two weeks away.  

It's the fat-quarter snowflake fabric I bought from a quilt shop.  I would have never guessed that fabric would be a traitor!  As soon as I find the rest of it, to the garbage can it will go.  I spent the day alternating between trying to avoid it to preserve my sanity and fixing it so I didn't feel like my heart was ripped out.  I found synthrapol at a quilt shop about 45 minutes from me.  The closest one, and they are closing!  Horrible.  Since I've started quilting I have seen 3 shops go out in my general radius and I feel terrible every time.  

I took it to a laundromat and used the synthrapol but I couldn't figure out how to work the giant washer so that it would give hot water, because of course they are not fancy and you can't pick your settings.  Great.  It still came out with 6 blue strips.  I brought it home, nearly defeated.  Richard rallied me and we tried scalding hot water in the bathtub.  That was terrifying because green water was everywhere.  I abandoned ship after about 5 minutes and threw it back in the washer to rinse with about a box of color catchers.  We pulled it out and as a last ditch effort we grabbed a tide-to-go pen.  It lightened it, but not enough.  It took a whole pen per strip and it's still blue.  Now, I'm defeated.  Pam said I could rip them out and reverse applique new strips in.  I can barely think about it, but I know I need to make a decision swiftly.  

On Sunday, Richard dragged me out to find a Christmas tree.  I used to love finding Christmas trees.  Get all pumped up with adrenaline, name them even. Now I dread it.  It's cold and they are never good enough for Richard.  And it's seems to always be raining.  I think this Christmas was a giant fail for me from the beginning, so I'm going to blame past events.  Like buying all our gifts for a sponsor child and finding out that the information was wrong and everything was actually asked for by another child that is sponsored by someone else.  My sister's gifts?  She didn't ask for anything because she already bought herself stuff.  So I cut her a check.  Richard?  He bought himself golf clubs.  My mom cut us a check.  Richard's parents?  They bought us a ping-pong table.  GREAT!  We are never, ever going to use it.  Ever.  And to fit it into our basement we have to move my treadmill to an area of the basement I loathe.  Double fail.  The worst part is that Richard wants this monstrosity and I can't tell him how mad I am because he doesn't know about it!  Hopefully this holiday season swiftly turns in a better direction.  

Has anyone had this problem?  Not necessarily a fabric bleed, but more like a fabric absorption   Any words of wisdom before I go mad?


4 comments:

  1. Stacey! Things gotta get better...your MSU quilt is a beauty--I can't see the blue. Hope your Christmas is wonderful!!

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  2. i used a BOX of Color Absorbers on the Red, White, Blue and Pooh quilt and i STILL thought it had a slight pinkish tinge to it - i kept washing it and washing it till i could live with it - but i used COLD water, NOT hot or warm, and less detergent and new Color Absorbers each time ... i think it went through the wash cycle ten or eleven times before i was happy enough with it to let it go ... unless the fabric i am using is from a kit or is a precut, i ALWAYS prewash because i have been bit in the butt one time too many ... but, you know what? your Dad is gonna LOVE that quilt because it was made with love by his baby girl.

    ping pong tables (and pool tables) are great for laying out quilt blocks ... they hold lots of laundry, too.

    p.s. - i think the quilt is gorgeous - i love the quilting, too!

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  3. You may have already made a decision, and since I don't know exactly where the blue strips are this may not work, but could you appliqué a small, MSU logo or words or something over the blue section? Or put key game stats on them? And, I agree that he will love it because you made it, regardless.

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  4. OMG Stacey! I hope it got better. Dianne is right you can lay out a whole lot of quilt blocks on a table that size! As to the quilt you know my suggestions. I would go with a white paint pen. It may be stiff for awhile but that should soften over time and if not, I'm with the others that you dad would love it anyway as it was made with love by you!

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