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  • Things are just not working out.....

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    Old 08-18-2012, 05:08 AM
      #11  
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    You're probably looking at it waaaaaaaaaaaaay too close. Just sew your blocks together. If they don't match perfectly at the edges, scootch them so the centers match and don't worry about the seam allowances too much. And don't forget, even if a few points get cut off it'll still be beautiful and nobody but you will notice anyway.

    You might look around and see if there's a quilt shop in your area that has beginners classes. It can be extremely helpful to have somebody show you in person how to do things. For that matter it never hurts to take classes if you get the opportunity. No matter how long you've been quilting you're likely to learn at least one or two new tips every time you take a class.
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    Old 08-18-2012, 05:11 AM
      #12  
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    Originally Posted by goldsberry921
    .............they did come out uneven. Long story short, I got a 4.5" square ruler, squared them off and put them together. The ones that didn't square up to 4.5", I set aside, I ended up putting 50 of them aside........

    Monique
    I do the very same thing.. I square up, use the ones that are usable and put aside the ones that are not 'even' - those uneven, wonky ones will usually end up matching and end up being the shams, pillow cases...

    Originally Posted by barri1
    I wouldn't trash it. I don't trash, I reinvent. I don't like wasting. I will repurpose..
    I agree with Barri- if you cannot salvage them for the quilt, make pot holders, a table runner, or even a wall hanging.. Dont trash it, RE-PURPOSE it..

    Originally Posted by kristakz
    A couple of thoughts. If it's the picture I saw, and your problem is that the points don't match, perhaps you could add some sashing between each block? Then the point matching won't be so important. You might still lose a few points, depending how you trimmed, but it won't be as obvious.
    Kristakz has a wonderful idea that so many of us do, Sashing and rick rack help hide many, many mistakes... Many of my quilts were intended to NOT to have the sashing... but in the end it was made with love, hard work and determination and a lil bit of tweaking to conceal the mistakes..

    Dont be so hard on yourself.. Keep striving to be better and remember we all learn from our mistakes... Hang in there.. Even the most experienced of quilters make mistakes.... IMHO mistakes add character....

    Keep on Quilting...
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    Old 08-18-2012, 05:17 AM
      #13  
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    You can also just it aside- do something fun , small and simple to get some good vibes going

    Now you understand why quilters have so many WIPs ( Work in Progress) - it is ok to let it sit until you decide to tackle it again, let it sit in a corner forever, cut it up, give it away
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    Old 08-18-2012, 05:26 AM
      #14  
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    The quilt in my imagination is always better than what I sew. Don't look at it as a failure but as a design opportunity. If your blocks don't match up you can sew it together as intended or maybe add sashing between the blocks? How about offsetting the blocks in a brick pattern? It may not look like you planned but it can still be a nice original quilt.
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    Old 08-18-2012, 05:33 AM
      #15  
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    I would take my squares to the local quilt shop and ask for help with it they may show you whats going wrong and help you succeed I always do this when i'm stuck and i'm stuck alot ... don't trash it go ask for help.
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    Old 08-18-2012, 06:30 AM
      #16  
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    I agree. Go ask for help and see where your oops happened. Use this as a learning tool. That way you won't make the same mistake again.
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    Old 08-18-2012, 06:33 AM
      #17  
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    Sorry that you are struggling this this project. I hope you can find a way to salvage it...or give it away to someone...always hate to hear of someone throwing something away. When I am squaring up pieced blocks, I usually put tape on my ruler for a registration point that will line up with a certain part of the block...that helps all the blocks turn out the same.
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    Old 08-18-2012, 06:42 AM
      #18  
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    JMHO, but I think you should go ahead and finish. Even if you hate it (and I seriously doubt if you will), someone will love it and appreciate your efforts.
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    Old 08-18-2012, 06:44 AM
      #19  
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    Would sure be nice to see pictures so we can see what you are seeing. I think you need to step back and think, which is of course what you are doing by asking for help. I have seen sewing and quilting for well over 50 years, I still make mistakes, there are many a time my blocks don't match....You may be trying 'too hard' to be perfect, this is certainally not a perfect craft.....we are all humans, not machines.....some of your pieces must be on the bias for them to get 'wonky' that happens.....AGAIN POST PICTURES SO WE CAN HELP YOU....
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    Old 08-18-2012, 07:54 AM
      #20  
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    Okay, I looked up the Shadowplay pattern and if it the same one it is like a giant tumbling block pattern. if this is the one, I would resquare my blocks to a smaller size and you should be fine. Get a square ruler that you can put a line on the center seam. Square the block smaller keeping the line and seam in the center.The blocks will be smaller but you should be able to recreate the original design but on a smaller scale. When you have the center sewn together, increase the size of the borders to go on the smaller center to get the quilt up to a bigger size. Good luck.
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