Category: Trivia

An Excuse To Be Fussy

Barbara taught me a new term: “Fussy Cut”

Definition: To fussy cut is to target and cut a specific motif that’s printed on fabric, rather than randomly cutting yardage as we normally do.

I Spy quilts are made by cutting and sewing together all sorts of novelty and pictorial objects.

Attic Windows and Kaleidoscope quilts are other places you’ll find fussy cut fabrics, but the cuts can be used for any purpose:
* Center a specific print within individual patches or alternate blocks of a quilt
* Cut directly on printed lines when motifs do not follow the fabric grain

Some quilters like to construct a window template to help them visualize the print that will be seen when they cut a specific area of cloth. Make a simple preview window by cutting a chunk that’s equal to the finished size of your patch from the center of a piece of letter or legal sized cardstock — tape cardstock together for larger shapes. Mark around the shape you like, and then use your rotary ruler to add a 1/4″ seam allowance around its edges. Cut with scissors or a rotary cutter.

Get a Good Deal the First Time (be sure to get a smile)

Sally taught me that when you sign a contract for a TV show you need to read the fine print and get in on the residuals!  Mary Ann did it, but the other castaways got nothing.

This is from IMDb trivia http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0057751/trivia

“It has long been stated that the entire cast of Gilligan’s Island never received residuals beyond the first four reruns of each episode. This was true for the entire cast except Dawn Wells. When the show was picked up by CBS and Dawn was cast to replace Nancy McCarthy, she was married to her agent at the time. In her original contract she was to be paid $1200 per week plus the residual contract the 6 other castaways received. Her husband/agent said that should the show become successful Dawn would not benefit from receiving such a limited residual option. Believing the show would flop, the CBS executives humored Dawn and her husband and put a clause in her contract giving her long-term residuals should the show ever syndicate. As a result from that clause Dawn has made literally millions of dollars as the years have gone by from syndication of Gilligan’s Island. This was never public knowledge. Dawn and series creator Sherwood Schwartz are the only individuals to profit long-term from the series.”

Fish or Frogs. But Not Both.

From Lava:

I learned that if your kids go to the fair and win two goldfish and you put them in your frog pond, two years later you will end up with hundreds of little goldfish and then you have to decide if you want to let your frog pond turn into a fish pond. It’s one or the other because the fish eat all the frog eggs.