3 Dudes Pattern...Grrrrrrr...I give up!!

**Gayle8675309** · August 15th, 2013, 06:48 PM

I've been working on a queen sized 3 Dudes quilt for awhile. Well today I got to the part where you sew the squares together...GOODNESS are there a LOT of seams to match!!! What was I thinking???? I HATE matching seams.

My first few tries were terrible, so I'm giving up for today. I have a feeling that I'm not going to finish that quilt.

On the upside I started a Double Slice Layer Cake quilt...so far, so good.

**teasipper** · August 15th, 2013, 07:28 PM

Sorry you're having problems with the 3 Dudes. I did too! Fortunately for me I tried a baby quilt first and I'm glad I did. I would not want to do a very large quilt in this pattern. I'm sure with a lot of patience (which I do not have) you will triumph over this not so easy quilt pattern. funny thing though, It looked so easy when someone else was doing it. It is very interesting once it is put together. Maybe - don't worry too much about seams matching. Not all of my seams were quite as well matched as they should have been, but it didn't look all that bad. Good luck with finishing your quilt.

**Alana** · August 15th, 2013, 07:54 PM

I had a hard time too with mine but I used a very small quilt. It's a good lesson in patience and seam matching for sure. Don't give up though. After all it has put you through so far, you must stick to it and defeat the demon quilt!!!!

**Murphy** · August 15th, 2013, 08:07 PM

I did this quilt, my third quilt. It was a challenge! I did a LOT of easing!! I will tell you that I was in the 3 dudes quilt shop a couple of weeks ago and told one of the guys that I did this quilt. His response "oh that's an easy one" . . . I bit my tongue and resisted the urge to laugh hysterically

don't put it away permanently! You will be so happy when it is done
!

3 Dudes Pattern...Grrrrrrr...I give up!!-callys-quilt.jpg

another trick, pin where the seams are supposed to match and ease way before you hit it! I used a high loft batting which totally hid any stretching that occurred with all that easing

**Gayle8675309** · August 15th, 2013, 08:08 PM

I think I'm going to just sew my squares together with stripes horizontally and then vertically and skip the step of sewing the two squares together and cutting diagonally. I think a quilt with opposite stripes going will look ok. I just hate to waste all of that fabric, so I want to get something out of it.

**GrammaBabs** · August 15th, 2013, 08:14 PM

See now here's where I get into trouble..... It would NEVER bother me with this pattern if the "seams matched" ornot.... I didn't think it was meant to be like that... for me it was about "strip piecing"... cutting blocks... then putting them RST with the seams "juxtaposed"... fancy word for going in different directions... I think... stitching around all 4 sides..cutting crosswise, then mixing them up and ending up with a bit of a wild design!!!! if they are a bit off.... just square em' up... That's my weird way... but when I post things,, people always say... "wow, wish I could do that!!! LOL... it boggles my mind....

Relax GF's it's meant to be fun,, unless you want to win ribbons,, and I just don't have the attention span for that kind of dedication...

**Hulamoon** · August 15th, 2013, 11:30 PM

It wasn't my favorite either. I haven't sewn my blocks together yet though. It was actually my first ufo. Poor thing sitting on the bottom.

**Granny Judy** · August 16th, 2013, 12:01 AM

I'm with GrammaBabs... I didn't worry or fuss over the seams matching.. Just sewed and squared up b4 joining all together. I did get a little fussy with the last quilt using the 3 dudes method for strip quilting.

3 Dudes Pattern...Grrrrrrr...I give up!!-dscn6616.jpg

The first and last row is the same fabric strip.. 5 strips sewn together. I did match the Focus Fabrics seams so I could get the X's. Bonus pattern is the O when the squares are joined. I didn't put the little tip of a triangle in the center.. just the opposite.. it went to the outside...

Don't give up on you quilt... and don't worry about those seams not matching.. I don't think the 3 dudes cared either..

**Hulamoon** · August 16th, 2013, 12:43 AM

That's where I got frustrated. It seemed all over the place. I might try it again with the 1st and last the same

3 Dudes Pattern...Grrrrrrr...I give up!!-p1016580.jpg

**tortugaquilter** · August 16th, 2013, 12:55 AM

I just had left over fabric to use up and used the pattern to make quilts for Project Linus. Maybe I should have worked harder at lining things up. I had fun. It was quick. They were colorful. Hopefully someone liked them. That all being said, I doubt I will ever make another one. At the time this pattern was all the rage and I just wanted to try it, but it doesn't really create a look I am crazy about.