Do you finish your "DUDS"? And where do they go?
 

I just finished sqaures for a quilt top , a large enough for a full/queen bed. I know just by looking at the sqaures on the wall , I will not like this any better once its done. Its been a long time since I made a quilt I really did not like. I usually use very small pieces for my scrap quilts. This time I used larger pieces as my scrap pile was just getting too large and smaller pieces would not help me to get the pile more manageable in a timely manner.
It seems like a bad idea to put money into the batting and backing that could be used for a more appealing quilt.
This is one of the situations where the tried and true methods should not have been abandoned.. SO my questions is what to you do with the DUDS? Do you finish ? What happened to your DUD?

I often will mix them with other orphans to make a quilt for the homeless, they don't care what kind it is, just as long as it is warm. Other times I go ahead and finish as I planned and donate it to the homeless or a women's shelter. What you dislike others may love! :)

Donation is great. Those going to soldiers are appreciated no matter what. Also local shelters for battered women or homeless families love them as well.

I am wondering if you mix in other blocks to make it more attractive. I agree it can always become a charity quilt. I've made up some ugly polyester (given to me) into dog quilts .... they curl up on them so they must be somewhat attractive.

or give it to your local Charity shop. some sewer out there might love the quilt top.

A while back I made one of the ugliest quilts on the planet. I truly hated that quilt! :( That had never happened to me before and I was at a loss as to what to do with it. But in the end, I did finish it and I donated it through my church to a family in need. After many weeks, my Pastor took me aside and shared with me that that quilt had become a family treasure that the whole family would snuggle up under on chilly nights. (It went to a young couple with two very small children.)

I can't tell you how happy that made me and how glad I was that I finished it. What I saw as ugly and useless someone else saw as beautiful and were busy using it to make memories.

So I would suggest that you donate the quilt (whether finished or just the top or blocks for someone else to finish). It might just become someone else's treasure! :)

You could cut it in half use some inexpensive flannel for the batting and some ugly fabric for the back. Practice FMQ or birth it and tie it. Then you could donate to the local animal shelter.

great story.I would finish it and donate it.

our senior quilting group takes donations of quilt tops to finish and donate to worthy community causes. and believe me, some of these have been real duds! they are still gratefully received for use by those with nothing.

I figure I only have so much quilting time in me, so I hate to waste it on something I really don't enjoy working on. In the past, I offered some for free on this board. It made me feel good to know they'd be finished and it freed me up to pursue quilts I do enjoy...

I would finish and give away. A few years ago my guild did a 2 1/2" strip exchange that we turned into 9 patches. Everyone did their own layout with the blocks. Well...I did not like the fabric colors, the blocks or the layout I chose
but forged ahead anyway and finished the quilt. As I was finishing the last of the binding, my middle daughter saw it
and fell in love with the quilt. Needless to say she ended up with it and the quilt has it's own place on the back of her
couch. It's their snuggle quilt that everyone uses every night to lay under while watching tv. What was ugly to me is
a favorite with her family.

Finish it, donate someone will love it!!!!!!

Do think you would like it more with black sashing? That often gives a piece a whole new look. I finish everything, whether I'm totally happy with it or not. Usually it looks a lot better when the quilting is finished. Having some time away from it usually makes me appreciate it more too. And donation quilts are always welcome.

I disassembled two and put the fabric back in my stash. They were just never going to get completed

I have a Blackbird Designs applique project I've been walking around and thinking about all morning. It is probably 3/4 finished. I'm thinking if any of my quiltie besties would like to trade it for something they are tired of.

I don't like UFO's hanging over my head so I seldom have any.

Like others, I'd suggest that you finish it up. If you still don't like it, there are many worthy charities that would be so happy to have it! :)

I have a quilt in my closet that will never see the light of day, ever again. It is my very first quilt and I did not take the advice of my sister-in-law, who told me to start with an easy pattern. I took a pieced block and altered it and appliqued it to a white square block and sewed them all together - no seams matched and no points were pointy. Put the top away for 30+ years. Then my BFF was selling her long-arm machine and called me the very last day and asked if I had any tops that I wanted quilted as she had some batting left. So, I hurridly gathered up this quilt top and a few others and she quilted them for me with an easy panto. It was just as bad 30+ years later, so put it back in my closet, without any binding. Guess that I should cut off the backing and batting and put some sort of binding on it and give it to somebody needy. But, just too embarassed.

Is it something you could use for a background and add giant applique over it?

Can you put the squares together and use them as the backing of your next quilt?

I have only one quilt not quite done and each time I look at it, I say what was I thinking? Have not done anything to finish, since I am able to burn my garbage, it may end up there or not. It is not a good feeling especially since I looked forward to it so much. Oh well. :( Live and learn.

My "ugly" ones are still warm......and here, we usually put our quilts between the top sheet and the bedspread, so a work of art is usually covered up anyway. That being said, I still like pretty quilts, and I still like knowing that I've done a good job. Please finish your quilt or donate it to someone who will finish it.

As Miss Piggy said, "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and it may be necessary from time to time to give a stupid or misinformed beholder a black eye."
Not everything does turn out. I have seen some hideous quilts at the thrift store one day but they are gone the next time I go back - someone must want them.

I'd finish it. I probably would do a simple quilting and don't worry about how pretty the backing is and I'd put the binding on by machine as to save more time invested. If someone in my family didn't want (which would be rare) then there are many out there that need something to keep them warm. If you don't like it give it away or donate it but don't just let it sit there or toss it. You do have all this time and money invested in it so do something with it.

I read somewhere about cutting apart an ugly quilt into blocks then putting back together using sashing - breaks up the ugly factor and gives it a whole new look. never mind - just re-read the original post and see that you don't have the blocks put together yet - so .........try sashing! Or on point!

You can also use it in the car during the winter months. One never knows when the car is going to break down or where you will be when it does. It would provide needed warmth for such occasions! Of course, you can also donate it to some shelter, but i would definetley finish it.
Could you please post a picture of your "dud"?

Think this is a great idea and one that I would use.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I did a QAYG and HATE it. A friend is visiting and saw it and started raving about how bright and cheery it is... I will bind it and she will get it! Happy ending to a not so pleasing project.

I firmly believe that not every quilt needs to be finished...and some don't even deserve to be finished. Some are just so bad that their only value is that they teach you what NOT to do in the future. Once that message is received, they've served their purpose as far as I'm concerned. They are worth no further time, resources, or concern. To not finish is not quitting, it is often times the best decision.

I totally agree with finishing if you can, or giveing it to someone who wants to finish it. There are so many people who would like, no who NEED a warm quilt. Some people in other countries use them for walls in their little houses to separate the kitchen from the bedroom. Check with church groups. Many of these make quilts for sending to charity, and will take anything.

If you finish it yourself, remember the batting can be pieced, and the backing can be all leftovers, ugly fabrics, or anything you want to get rid of. To me that would be very freeing to see some of my ugly fabric LEAVE.

I sure know how you feel about "wasting" the batting & backing on a quilt you really don't like. Where is the law written that you HAVE to finish it. Why not put it into a thrift store bag & let another quilter discover it & may love it while you don't.
It's hard to spend so much time on it when your heart isn't in it. Nobody will put you behind bars for it & somebody else may finish it.

We sometimes forget that we're in charge of that top.

Or you could use flannel for the center and a sheet for backing. It could be used for the beach or a picnic to lay/sit on. Or do a PIF and offer it up. I'm sure someone would be willing to pay for shipping or even buy the blocks.

Get your quilt out of the closet and give it to a local charity. No matter how bad you think it is (and it will not be as bad as you think it is). You'll feel much better that all that effort years ago has not been wasted (not least for the learning experience it gave you). Someone is going to love that quilt! No one is ever going to know it was you that made it anyway.

Well as pointed out what one may think is ugly-others may just love. Perception is the point of view of others/ourselves..and all of our perceptions are different as we are ...

Thanks for starting this thread. I, too, have one of the Ugly quilt tops. I am trying to salvage it and love the idea of putting appliques on it. Fleece/flannel would make a wonderful backing and no batting needed. Thanks for the suggestions......off to my sewing room.

I use them to practice my FMQ and then I use them to sleep under myself !!

Take your nicest squares nd combine those witn some neutral/solid color large pieces to make a pieced backing for future. See for instance pictures from www.filminthefridge.cöm and www.ohfransson.com

Donate the blocks to the local guild or church quilting group. They will finish and give to someone in need. Then, they get used and you don't spend any more resources (materials, time) on it. I've done that more than once with something I didn't like enough to finish.

Slice it. Have a odd number of blocks, then slice it diagonally all the way across several times. Insert strips of a solid or blender. I saw a Moda Bakeshop baby quilt done this way, but it could be done larger.
http://www.modabakeshop.com/search/l...y%20and%20Kids

ugly quilt tops
 

When I belonged to a guild, our "charity" was to make quilts and donate them to "David's House" a house similar to the Ronald McDonald houses where families could stay while their children were in the hospital for sometimes a very long time. I was trying to reduce my "stash" by using up fabric that had been given to me: namely mustard gold print with a red calico print. I believe I used 9-patches, however, I reached a certain point on the quilt where it told me "enough - quit", so I wound up with a smaller crib size quilt, that I considered somewhat ugly, if not bright. Imagine my surprise when the following month there was a picture of a baby and this "ugly" quilt. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and I was happy that the quilt had found a home.