Toooo Long up on the High Ridge Alone?

This is what I do in my spare time. I buy sheets or duvets at The Company Store outlet in LaCrosse and cut them apart and put them on my long arm quilting machine. Then, I quilt them, bind them, and sell them. If there is enough material, I make pillow cases with the binding trim to match. Now, this all sounds nice and easy, BUT the pillow cases in the picture made me think of those IQ tests that we used to take in grade school many long years ago. You know the ones where they gave you one figure, and you had to match it with three others that were in different positions. I used to think that was fun. Well, I must of failed that part. I can't believe that I can even make a children's puzzle. I had the most difficult time making the two pillowcases. I had Jake help me figure how much material to keep aside for the cases. Then, when I went to work on making them, the cats were heading in the wrong direction and the pillow was about half of the right size. Tear apart. Now, back had to be pieced to make them the right size. Then, sew again, and the cats on the border were heading in the wrong direction, and the trim was on the wrong layer. Tear apart. Jake came in the house in a foul mood because he couldn't get the Bobcat started even though he had many new parts on it, and it had run the last few nights. He came upstairs after he had a pop, and we talked our way through what I was trying to do. Obviously, being a mechanic, he is not spatially challenged like I am.

Well, they are made, but they are not the same size, and the backs are pieced. Guess they will get a "reduced" price due to challenges faced by the machine operator.

Dont get me wrong, the pattern for the cases is really magic. It works like a dream in the right hands. These are not the first ones that I have done. I don't have any idea why I couldn't do it on the kitties. I really thought the blanket was cute with the cats on it and thought because of the cats that it might sell, but who knows, now.

It is a wonderful blanket however, which I know since my friendly neighborhood blanket tester was up there laying on it when I turned around from taking the close-up. In the close-up you can see that I write words that pertain to the theme of the blanket. Now, if the pillowcases hadn't been such a fiasco, I would be very proud of my product.