What in Tarnation?

I hope that's about as close as I'll ever come to cursing. I am one frustrated piecer. It seems I've lost a row of my Seeds of Kindness quilt.

In this picture, the right two rows are sewn together, but not sewn to each other or the quilt.

Here's what I've been doing to keep it all straight.

I have all my unsewn charms in a plastic folder, arranged by colors. When I'm ready to add a new row, I separate and choose colors somewhat randomly, but use twice as many reds and greens as anything else since that's what I have the most of.

Once I have laid out a row, I carefully take it off the design wall and pin a note to it. The note reminds me what direction the first piece goes as well as where on the quilt it will be attached. So it's a small (1-1/2" square) piece that has a square on it representing the pieced part of the quilt with a line where that row will be added, plus an arrow to show me the orientation of the first piece. Simple, huh?

I was brave (or stupid, as it now seems) and laid out 4 rows at once, knowing I couldn't possibly mix them up. Not with my foolproof system, you understand.

When we got home from piano/violin lessons today, I was eager to see how my new rows would look. After all, I had two more rows to attach to my quilt!!

I realized there was a problem at once. I was missing row 1/4. I had 2/4 and 3/4 sewn together and had started on 4/4 (you see how this works?). Because row 1/4 was missing, row 2/4 and the last row of the quilt did not fit together because the pieces were oriented the same direction!!

After searching the house extensively (which was futile from the first, because I always put everything back in my special SOK tote) and realizing that I'll probably find it as soon as I make all new plans for these rows that are already sewn together, I am posting this picture as a stopping place for now.

When quilting gives you lemons, make an apple core quilt.

~Joan, who is not feeling a whole lot like herself and isn't pleased with the poor woman she is right now.

PS: I'm working on this tonight until I can't keep my eyes open any longer. I heard a rumor that my WH is playing bridge with the munchkins, so I'm a free woman.