Getting discouraged
08-13-2009, 10:35 AM
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2009
Location: West Virginia
Posts: 389
I have been quilting of 2 years and quilting helped me keep my sanity. But it seems I am just bad at it. I love the activity the comraderie and freinds I've made but I just am not getting better. I am in the process of ripping out my 3rd quilt top. Nothing was straight or even. I've seen quilters throw stuff together and it's awesome. Maybe I should stick to pot holders............... :thumbup: :thumbdown: Karen from WV
08-13-2009, 10:47 AM
#4
Super Member
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Colorado
Posts: 8,966
Awww, Karen, don't give it up. I've worked on quilts for many, many years -- and most of the quilts had major problems and they took me forever to do. Then, I took a class last year. OMG!!!! I learned more than you can imagine! Things that I had been doing a certain way for all that time, I learned how to do differently -- and BETTER. Have any places around you that you could take a class? Plus, the tutorials on this board are so excellent.
08-13-2009, 10:52 AM
#6
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: SW IA
Posts: 900
Karen, Terri and Chris are right - patience is the key (as much as we want it done yesterday, we know it's hard to be patient!)
One thing that helped me a lot is that I go beyond the 'duh' of the mistake and really try to look at what happened and why - that's how we learn (and I'll be learning this my whole life, I promise :wink: ) Consistent seams were an early problem for me; I tried every trick I came across, which tended to be part of my problem. I finally chose one foot, one mark as my guide and my seams have been much better since.
I highly recommend getting an Eleanor Burns book, either from your LQS, the local library or online. Her instructions are great for beginners; her pieces tend to be oversized so you can 'square them up' to be perfect and her patterns tend to make it easy to be successful. Her website is http://www.quiltinaday.com You can also see a lot of her videos on her website and on http://www.quilterstv.com - the videos along with a book will help make the techniques clear.
One thing that helped me a lot is that I go beyond the 'duh' of the mistake and really try to look at what happened and why - that's how we learn (and I'll be learning this my whole life, I promise :wink: ) Consistent seams were an early problem for me; I tried every trick I came across, which tended to be part of my problem. I finally chose one foot, one mark as my guide and my seams have been much better since.
I highly recommend getting an Eleanor Burns book, either from your LQS, the local library or online. Her instructions are great for beginners; her pieces tend to be oversized so you can 'square them up' to be perfect and her patterns tend to make it easy to be successful. Her website is http://www.quiltinaday.com You can also see a lot of her videos on her website and on http://www.quilterstv.com - the videos along with a book will help make the techniques clear.
08-13-2009, 10:53 AM
#7
Junior Member
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Connecticut
Posts: 289
I agree with Ducky. I started by taking a class. You do learn things a better way, not necessarily the correct way, but it works to your advantage. And always remember, that 1/4" seam is VERY important! If you don't know how to do that for your blocks, your whole quilt will come out wonky!
08-13-2009, 10:57 AM
#8
Super Member
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Central Washington State
Posts: 5,997
Karen!
Do NOT give up!
The first thing that I can almost always assume when I hear discouragement in someone's post ...
you are being too hard on yourself.
Why are you ripping the top out?
And, something else (as one hard learner to another).
FORGET RIPPING OUT for at least ONE project.
It is my experience that when someone makes a mistake on an operation, they will immediately stop ... fix the mistake, pick up the next block (feeling like a jerk and worst, stupid), make another mistake, stop, fix the second mistake .... it is a most defeating activity.
My suggestion:
Make yourself absolutely sew twelve seams WITHOUT stopping, without fixing, without doing anything but this:
when you realize you just made a mistake, pick up the next piece and try not to make that mistake on the next one.
and do that twelve times (I like that number <g> if you want to work on five, then fine ... my cattle learn an operation/habit/direction if I do it three times in a row ... don't know if that translates to the human brain, but I digress <g>)
If you keep stopping and fixing something as SOON as you think you did something wrong, you are teaching your brain to stop every time, every few stitches ... if you drove a car, like you are trying to put a quilt block together, you would still be starting your driver's license test ...
When I am teaching others, I encourage them to sew a straight seam consistently .... that is the only thing you have to know to make a fine looking quilt.
Now, that I have given you my best big sister chat <g>
what are you trying to accomplish?
We can help you! I know we can!
Do NOT give up!
The first thing that I can almost always assume when I hear discouragement in someone's post ...
you are being too hard on yourself.
Why are you ripping the top out?
And, something else (as one hard learner to another).
FORGET RIPPING OUT for at least ONE project.
It is my experience that when someone makes a mistake on an operation, they will immediately stop ... fix the mistake, pick up the next block (feeling like a jerk and worst, stupid), make another mistake, stop, fix the second mistake .... it is a most defeating activity.
My suggestion:
Make yourself absolutely sew twelve seams WITHOUT stopping, without fixing, without doing anything but this:
when you realize you just made a mistake, pick up the next piece and try not to make that mistake on the next one.
and do that twelve times (I like that number <g> if you want to work on five, then fine ... my cattle learn an operation/habit/direction if I do it three times in a row ... don't know if that translates to the human brain, but I digress <g>)
If you keep stopping and fixing something as SOON as you think you did something wrong, you are teaching your brain to stop every time, every few stitches ... if you drove a car, like you are trying to put a quilt block together, you would still be starting your driver's license test ...
When I am teaching others, I encourage them to sew a straight seam consistently .... that is the only thing you have to know to make a fine looking quilt.
Now, that I have given you my best big sister chat <g>
what are you trying to accomplish?
We can help you! I know we can!
08-13-2009, 11:00 AM
#9
Super Member
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: East Coast
Posts: 2,221
Gosh, I'm there with you!
I'm new to it, did a machine table runner in a class, am trying a hand-pieced sampler on my own and am still on the FIRST BLOCK! I'm on my 6th try now. <sigh> At least I can say I'm learning from it and expect to improve.
What I'm finding might work for you:
1. Measure, cut, then re-measure.
2. Draw a thin line to follow for every seam allowance. re-check the measurements.
3. Unless you're strip piecing by machine, check every piece as you fasten it to another, so you can rip before it causes problems across the whole quilt top.
4. I was taught to iron seam allowances under the darker fabric, but that gets bulky where four corners meet, especially when it's on an angle. Use your judgment rather then blindly following a rule, but consider the consequences when you make your decison.
5. Line up your seams when sewing two pieced pieces together, rather than lining up outer edges.
6. Basting rather than pinning works better for me re keeping the pieces in place while hand sewing.
7. Decide which imperfections you can live with. Most people won't notice or care about small mismatches in seam intersections.
8. Seek feedback from others. Sometimes there's another method that works better.
I'm new to it, did a machine table runner in a class, am trying a hand-pieced sampler on my own and am still on the FIRST BLOCK! I'm on my 6th try now. <sigh> At least I can say I'm learning from it and expect to improve.
What I'm finding might work for you:
1. Measure, cut, then re-measure.
2. Draw a thin line to follow for every seam allowance. re-check the measurements.
3. Unless you're strip piecing by machine, check every piece as you fasten it to another, so you can rip before it causes problems across the whole quilt top.
4. I was taught to iron seam allowances under the darker fabric, but that gets bulky where four corners meet, especially when it's on an angle. Use your judgment rather then blindly following a rule, but consider the consequences when you make your decison.
5. Line up your seams when sewing two pieced pieces together, rather than lining up outer edges.
6. Basting rather than pinning works better for me re keeping the pieces in place while hand sewing.
7. Decide which imperfections you can live with. Most people won't notice or care about small mismatches in seam intersections.
8. Seek feedback from others. Sometimes there's another method that works better.
08-13-2009, 11:00 AM
#10
Super Member
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Georgia
Posts: 2,524
Hang in there.
If you enjoy it that is what is important.
Don't try to judge yourself by what you think others are doing. I can tell you the pictures here cover a multitude of wrinkles & puckers. I've posted pictures & I have to admit they don't look half bad in the pictures but in real life oh my.
If you feel comfortable doing only pot holders do that to build up your confidence then move on to placemats & table runners then bigger.
Have you tried totes? Most are pretty easy especially after you have done one.
If you enjoy it that is what is important.
Don't try to judge yourself by what you think others are doing. I can tell you the pictures here cover a multitude of wrinkles & puckers. I've posted pictures & I have to admit they don't look half bad in the pictures but in real life oh my.
If you feel comfortable doing only pot holders do that to build up your confidence then move on to placemats & table runners then bigger.
Have you tried totes? Most are pretty easy especially after you have done one.
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