I've been trying to quilt for three months. I do well in class, can do the things I learned at home and have them work, but I can't even finish my first two quilts because I don't know how to save them. Now I am on my third, a super easy, no body should screw up block, and I am scared I'll fail again. I'm half done and it looks okay, but...How many quilt tops have you been unable to finish for this reason?

What do you mean by save them?

Save them??

I don't understand.

maybe if you tell us just what the problem is???pics help- we could help you figure out what the problem is---before you mess up again-
you said the one you are working on is looking ok---so why be afraid that will change?
we can help- if you show us/ tell us what the problem is

i'll bet she means that she's so unhappy with the way they have gone so far that she believes they will not look good if she takes the time to finish them.

i have more tops-in-progress like that than i care to count or say out loud. :lol:

if i'm so unhappy with the progress of a project that working on it is more misery than fun, i don't hesitate to set it aside and work on something else. i pull them out to work on when i've finished something on a positive note but can't decide what to start next.

sometimes i take them apart to use differently. sometimes i finish them a little bit at a time. in the end, somebody will like them - even if i don't. :-)

I agree! Maybe wait until your skills are a bit better so you can figure out what the problem was and correct it, or take it apart and re-use what you can. Or finish them as is and donate them - many charities will be happy to have them, even if they are not perfect.

maybe start something small, like a table topper or wall hanging. something you can finish in a short amount of time. Sounds like just need to get your confidence up. Im sure you'll do just fine,, take it one step at a time

I've been there!!! Took several classes and everything was fine, then get home and either forget what to do or put it aside too long and REALLY forget everything !!
This is all part of the learning process though, at least for me it was.
Let us help you- that's what we're here for. I wasn't a member of this board at the time. Now I'm always getting help!! :D

Maybe you can salvage your first two and make a smaller lap quilt or table runner/placemats. Don't be so hard on yourself! You will learn as you go and no one but you will notice the imperfections. My quilts look nice but are nowhere near some of the beauties I have seen displayed on QB or at shows. Quilting is supposed to be fun, do it for the love of creating. :thumbup:

We all had to start at the beginning...keep practicing...maybe find a friend who can help you...keep taking classes...hopefully in time you will be able to go back and finish the quilts to your liking...and remember to have fun!

I would try and push myself to finish them. My mom's favorite saying was "there's nothing more discouraging than a half finished quilt" (well she said 'garment'). If you don't like the way the top is coming out, just think of how freeing that will be to complete them. You won't be worried about messing them up because they already are (to you). What great items on which to practice sandwiching, quilting & binding! Try different battings on each to see what you prefer. You can think of any $$$ you may need spend on these rejects as tuition for a hands on class. When you're done, just donate them to a local charity.

post pics of the "problem" quilts and tell us what you think is the problem. there will be one person if not more who can help. I understand about getting frustrated with something not working right. I would just keep plugging along and call them your "this is how I started" quilts and every year add to the pile with a new quilt and see how far you have come. you should see my first one. I call it my ugly quilt, it is sooooo ugly that it will make your eyes bleed looking at it.

Try not to be too hard on yourself. All of us have quilts that we made when we first started that we now think are soooo ugly. Don't compare yourself to someone who has been quilting for centuries!! Everyone here is ready and willing to help and answer your questions. Each quilt you make will teach you something. Don't give up and all of us have ufo's that will probably never be finished. Most of all have fun, and we are here for you.
Sue

Post pictures so the wonderful quilters here can help you. Learn from the first two so you don't make those mistakes on the third one.

We are our own worst enemies. They may not be as bad as you think. Perhaps your expectations are too high. We all want to make a beautiful perfect quilt the first time, but it doesn't happen.

I guess I should have posted pics, but of course haven't taken any! It could be a beautiful quilt, so I agree that I will just wait on it for a while, and retry it. Maybe take it apart bit by bit to resew. I have done two toppers and a tree skirt, and after I finish my pinwheel and easy star quilts, I'm going to do just that. Just feeling down. Thanks for the boost up. I'll try to post pics after work!

You mentioned taking some classes. Does your LQS have a time when people can come in, bring their sewing machines and sew for an afternoon or evening? Mine has every Monday set aside for this and one of the class instructors is on hand to help if anyone needs it.

This is a wonderful idea. I had a quilt that I could just not move on from and I was so depressed about it because it reeked of failure after so much hard work. I took it to my Quilting Queens retreat and asked them to help me with it. The ladies were so helpful and so generous with their time. It is now a beautiful quilt that does not wave at the borders and does not sag in the middle. Get help from someone.

I always tell myself that my quilts are utilitarian so looks are not so important. Once completed and left in the basket for someone to use, people start going gaga over them and I feel better about their looks!

Don't give up on yourself or your quilting Some times you just have to take a breather from a problem -clear your mind and vision of this one Get on to something easier -this will give you confidence in yourself and in no time you'll be saying-my first 2 UFO's are finished and show us how pretty they are :-) :-)

Thanks for the encouragement everyone. I feel better about it now. I'm sure something can be done, just need to find out what,lol. Definitely not giving up on quilting though, I just moved to an easier pattern, and so far things seem to be going ok, just waiting for the other shoe to drop. I guess I will get over this someday.

Don't give up. You can do it but it takes practice. We all started out the same way!

Glad you are feeling better...I have taken out more quilts than I can count...my hubby has been known to tell me he thinks I like taking out quilts more than making them!! :-)...and, if it is too frustrating, I do put it up, and start something else...my local quilt guild also has a monthly friday night "sit & sew", and we all take up whatever, and we all brainstorm...and, most of the time, we are the voice of reason for each other, and what one thinks they have "ruined" turns out to be just fine...
Take Care,
K

We were all beginners at one time! I'm sure our first one or two was not perfect. You need to finish them. I sometimes don't like the quilt but I finish and sometimes because of the quilting, it will make a difference in how I feel about it!

With a limited budget, I started out making table runners. I would make three or four of the same block and put in sashing. I got the experience without too much expense and a fast project to see my results faster. Good luck, baby steps and you will be there.

piney

Ami Simms has a book, "How Not to Make a Prizewinning Quilt". You should take a look at it for a humorous view on quilts that don't turn out as we want them to. We all have them! Just keep at it and you will get one that you like. You have friends here on the board.

Give yourself a break! You've only been quilting for 3 months. Finish a quilt and consider it a victory, no matter how you think it looks! Don't expect a blue ribbon quilt with your first attempt, just enjoy the process and give yourself credit for how much you are learning.

And I have to say, I have plenty that are in various stages of progress. Sometimes things that were obvious flashes of genius in my mind just don't quite work out that way when I start to put them together, unfortunately.

I have one quilt that I just pulled out of a box this week that I started about six or seven years ago. When I was piecing it, it went through several evolutions, all of which I was excited about as I worked on them. It got so far as getting partly quilted (by hand) before I realized how un-stunning it really was. The design wasn't great... The construction wasn't good (at all!). In fact, it was bad. In fact, I hated it. A couple of years ago, I even tried to give it away to my sister. She took it, then later gave the darn thing back.

So, it's been sitting in a bag, being ignored all this time. The thing is, it was supposed to be for my daughter, and she doesn't know better so she likes it. So I pulled it out this week, determining that by golly, it's going to get finished. I came up with a new plan for quilting it, which I feel better about, and will try to ignore the pointless triangles and mismatched seams.

Long story, but the point is, we all make things we're not crazy about. But as a beginner, just be forgiving to yourself and if you don't love it, try to just chalk it up as a learning experience. And keep coming to this board! You will learn SO much!

Best wishes for many years of happy quilting to come! :)

WAITING TO HELP, POST PICTURES

I bummed on my scrappy triple irsh chain so I put it away to take apart and do something else with later so I know how you feel. I deided that would be the last quilt top I would give up on. I made a deal with myself to finish future tops no matter what they turn out to be. I'm also discovering that applique will hide a lot of stuff!

If you go bare foot then there won't be any reason to wait for a shoe to drop

:-)