What mistakes (design changes) do you leave as is and which do you change?
#11
Super Member
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Illinois
Posts: 2,140
I very rarely fix my mistakes on family quilts. That means you can definitely tell the progression of my quilts. The first ones don't have enough quilting & have a couple wrinkles even in the top. As I went on, they improved. My current quilt has some seams that switch directions partway down. On top of that, I decided to applique the letter "K" (for Kahlan) onto a few of the blocks as a Hidden Puzzle because one of the pieces of my Irish Chain had a small tear in it. Turned out to be needed for a few other blocks because the repro fabric didn't always survive the pin basting. It's frustrating, but the quilt is for a 3 year old. I'm not about to spend another 100 hours to make it show-worthy. After it's been through the dryer a few times, no one will notice but me (my home is a Quilt-Police-Free-Zone). And she loves looking for the K's (they are the same color as the background square so they kinda blend in).
For client quilts, if it's something I think will bug them, I'll pull it out. If it's some tiny thing that only I'll ever notice, I leave it in.
For show quilts, nothing less than my very best is sufficient. Uneven stitches? Pull it out. Seams don't nest perfectly? Re-do it. It means it may take me 4-5x longer, but what else can I do? All those tiny things will be noticed by the quilt judges.
For client quilts, if it's something I think will bug them, I'll pull it out. If it's some tiny thing that only I'll ever notice, I leave it in.
For show quilts, nothing less than my very best is sufficient. Uneven stitches? Pull it out. Seams don't nest perfectly? Re-do it. It means it may take me 4-5x longer, but what else can I do? All those tiny things will be noticed by the quilt judges.
#13
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2012
Posts: 903
I will spend the time to lay out my blocks "just so" on my board, but almost always manage to get them sewn together in the wrong order - I will leave it, and then usually start improvising the rest of the way through. It always turns out just fine.
#14
If I've got a block wrong, that will be fixed. If sometimes points or seams aren't perfect, that often is left.
But each quilt is different, and one I'm working on now, it has kalidescope blocks, and I wanted them to be near perfect - so some got sewn 2- 3 times!
I learned doing home construction - there is never an easier time to fix a mistake than when you first notice it. I try not to think of it as "wasted time" but just part of the process.
But each quilt is different, and one I'm working on now, it has kalidescope blocks, and I wanted them to be near perfect - so some got sewn 2- 3 times!
I learned doing home construction - there is never an easier time to fix a mistake than when you first notice it. I try not to think of it as "wasted time" but just part of the process.
#15
Super Member
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Illinois
Posts: 2,140
Oh, I think I misread the question. If it's only an issue of mixing up the order of pieces in the block, I subscribe to the motto "one block that's different is a mistake, two or more blocks that are different are a design." I would just repeat the change elsewhere in the quilt top & call it a day. It's nice to change things up once in a while & sometimes goofs are the best/only way to find a new way to do something. I love things that are different from the "norm" and would go with it & figure it was just meant to be that way now.
#16
You and I are quitting twins, ha ha! I do the same thing all the time! I don't guess I will ever learn.
#18
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 335
I am not a perfectionist...that being said...I do like my work to be of high quality but I don't like ripping so unless it is a tragic mistake that is really visible I tend to ignore it ...or cover it up....another words quilt it out...one of the first quilts I made had a bad mistake right in the middle of the quilt....so I cut out a tulip appliqué and sewed it on right over the mistake....the best compliments I had on the quilt were that they liked the tulip....so make lemonade out of lemons if you possibly can....LOL
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