"Surf's Up" by TQSWizard 

When was the last time you read a quilt pattern all the way through before beginning the project?  Are you like most of us, so excited about the project that you just dive right in imagining that you will understand it all as you go along?  Sometimes this strategy works and everything turns out just fine.  On other occasions it may be another story.

Take the quilt pictured.  It was intended as a baby quilt, but the maker was too anxious to get started before noticing that the surfboard appliques were quite large.  Once the top was sewn together the quilt was large enough to fit a twin bed.  What was a project that would require just a couple of weekends to complete actually involved several months.  Lesson learned.  Next time you purchase a pattern and are ready to begin working, be sure to stop and thoroughly read ALL of the directions.  It may just save you lots of extra hours of sewing.