Want to watch my head blow up? Give me a math problem.

It isn’t like I enjoy having my short comings posted here each day, but pounding out words right now seems easier than adding up numbers.

Between Ken and the interweb I can learn all sorts of things. I find it amazing that I can google a question and 2 billion responses come up in a matter of nano seconds. AND, I can ask Ken the same question and get almost as many responses. Then it is up to me to filter through these options to find exactly what I need and more importantly — what I understand.

Backstory –
I have decided to make fitted sheets for the bed in the van. The bed is an odd size and in two pieces so I can’t just go buy one. So, I think how hard can that be for a quilter like me? I am an expert at cutting up fabric up and piecing it back together. The catch for this is, I never use a pattern, or follow directions when I make a quilt; especially written ones.

I might be able to follow a video, better yet, sitting by someone doing it helps, but even that is hard. My learning style is to jump in and wing it. Good news is I am persistent. I will try, fail, try again, fail again, try again, cry, try, cry, fail, yell fuck it, try again, and then TA-DA… I have something that works, and can walk away with my head held high. (most of the time).

All this to say, the actual task of making a fitted sheet is giving me more problems than you would think.

First challenge — the vans bed is in two sections and one sheet over them won’t work, (or will it)? We have to take the bed apart each day if we want to use the van for anything other than sleeping. So, I need to make two sheets…(or do I)?

Then I need to figure out how much fabric I need — including seem allowance and depth and well the math stuff. Lucky for me I have Ken to help me here. BUT, I need to understand it, so I can “see” it, so I can “do” it.

Then, worse than folding a fitted sheet, is sewing one, with elastic and such in the corners….and…. without warning, BOOM!
The lights just went out.

This isn’t as bad as that one stupid quilt I tried to paper piece and ended up in tears over. (Yet.)

I like to think of myself as a skilled and useful member of society – and still, nothing can shut me down faster than math.