Can anyone relate????
 

I saw a quilt at a shop that i loved, so i bought fabrics that i love and came home....issue is, it is all free style cutting, there is no pattern...the pieces go in all different directions, different shapes...etc.

I desperately want to do this, i usually make my own patterns, but this particular style has no real pattern...its more of a fly by the seat of your pants kind of thing...cut here...cut there...make it all fit together.

It's exciting to have this challange ahead of me, but i never realized how much i think inside the box... my husband is like...just start cutting and see where you wind up...I don't know if i have this in me to do it.

Can anyone relate? How do you get past the fear of messing up lol???

Thanks
Kimberly

I had this issue last night. I am working on a Take 5 quilt for one of our granddaughters. The pattern instructions say to turn each one a certain amount of times to make it look "scrapy". I started to go bonkers, because all my working career it all had to line up. I still can't get the idea of letting it go with the flow as they say when it comes to my quilts.
I have to remember...Perfection is NOT an option, nothing is to be Perfect it's disrespectful to Wakan Tanka.

Finally after several breaks, a dinner of leftover Tuna casserole, I finally got it the way I want it.
But no peeks until I am done with the other 2 and Curtis Ray's turtle quilt.

You are much braver than I would be! I'm a pattern girl myself. I'd be beside myself having bought all that fabric and finding there was no 'pattern' to follow!

i knew when i was picking out all my fabric that there was no pattern... I really thought i would have no issues with it...now here the fabric sits on my cutting table and i'm nervous, didn't really think it would be hard for me lol

Whenever I am afraid of a 'pattern' or technique, I go to my scrap bag, pull out the crappiest pieces I can find, and make a practice block. Why not try that as a gentle baby step into the world of 'letting go'.

This is not brain surgery......it is just fabric! GingerK has great advice....do a practice block or quilt then just jump in~don't over think it:) We want to see how you progress. Quilting is suppose to be FUN!!

This is why I can't do the "paper bag" technique when I do a scrappy quilt - I just can't relinquish that control!!!

I will def be trying it this way...thank you for the great advice

I feel like that type of person. I like measurement and some sort of direction when I quilt. That thought of just sticking stuff together worries me, but quilts like this tend to be so beautiful. My sister can through together a quilt with random pieces and it ends up looking far more technical than it actually was.

I say go for it! I still haven't found the guts yet to do it myself. haha

Making a practice block of fabrics you can bear to use up will help.

Also, sit down and think your way through this hang up.
1. What will happen if you use the fabric you bought?
2. If you worry that you'll " make a mistake," what is the worst that will happen?
3. And if that worst happens, what is the worst that will happen then?
4. What will you feel if you totally hate what you've done? How can you get rid of that feeling?
5. What is the worst that can happen if you feel bad? And after that, what will be the worst?

Walk yourself thru this "what is the worst...." process. Decide how much you can live with and still be safe, whole, healthy, happy, and a good person. Usually this little exercise will help you see that the worry and hesitation is way out of bounds of the reality of the outcome. So you will have spent some money in a way that wasn't (choose your adjective.... wise/smart/responsible/unselfish...) Using this, you likely can come to a "so what?!" place and go for it!

Good luck,
Jan in VA

Listen to Jan!

Also, when you started this thread you said you were excited! Then you overthought it!

Grab that excitement back and make that gorgeous quilt.

Sounds like something I would like to do.

Sounds like you can't mess it up. If it is not exactly the way you thought it would be it becomes a "design element', That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Just do it. When I make scrap quilts, I sew pieces together, and it all comes together. It can be fun, and a major challenge to think outside the box. I have never made a quilt from a pattern I haven't designed..

That's me, too. I think I am so much inside the box that I'll always be a traditionalist quilter.

I can't wait to see the finished quilt. Tiaboo and chasing hawk

I have trouble with wonky blocks (it messes with my sense of order) Figured I would have trouble with Twisters but ended up loving it.I'm pretty sure this would be to much for me. Good luck and would love pics

This is where design walls come in handy ---- near your sewing machine! What pattern did you buy???? I'm so curious!

Chasing Hawk -- I've got a Take 5 on my machine now..........you can't hardly make a mistake...just use the design board or lay it on the floor. You can switch those blocks around.

Go for it and see where it takes you not where you take it!
have fun and post some of your progress as you go. This sounds exciting.
peace

@ post #2 Chasing Hawk: Please, info about Wakan Tanka?

If it is the sewing that is bothering you then do as suggested and make a practice block from not liked scrap fabric. If however, you aren't sure of the design graphics in this new style quilt, then put the design together from construction paper. That's a lot quicker and easier than the sewing. You can glue the colored construction paper to a newspaper backing and make a paper quilt very quickly.

"worse-case scenario" is also how i try to think in order to get myself to cut up the lovely fabric i have.

about getting started...how 'bout spending a little more time with the inspiration quilt. look at it. touch it. talk about it with the store staff. perhaps that might put some of your fears to rest. best-case scenario is that the store will still have the fabric if you feel you have made a "mistake" and have to purchase more.

There is no pattern to this quilt, i started working on it last night, i have two blocks done, I will post pictures of them after i charge my camera lol

It can be hard letting go of what is familiar to us, there is a certain amount of comfort in what we know. Maybe start letting go with something a little less intimidating, like practice blocks and work your way to the bigger projects.

I agree this will get you going!!!!

Some pics of what i have done so far
 

This is what i was talking about when making this quilt. I must admit, it is getting easier as we go along. lol, on to block 6 lol

It is going to be a cute quilt, I love the colors that you chose.

I have been designing as I go with my quilts. I have to remind myself this fun and I let the colors and fabric take charge. I learn with everything I do. If I tried to stick to a pattern, I'd put too much pressure on myself to be perfect. I am having a blast.

cutting the fabric the first time is the hardest with a new project. Once I get that done, I can roll along. Have fun and don't worry about making something bad. Its all good.

No pattern then no mess ups to worry about.

Looks great so far... I'm sure you will have fun with it.

I did a Turning Twenty for a Christmas gift and in July I had it all up on my design wall just the way I wanted it... since I live in two houses during the summer months, I didn't get back to my project for a few weeks.... only to discover 99% of it had fallen to the floor... I made myself crazy trying to put it back the way I had inially organized it... so I know what you mean.

Great color combination. I like how it's looking so far. Please continue adding pictures, I'm dying to see how the finished quilt looks.

OOOOOO I like that. Yes it is hard to let go. I did the mystery train quilt and had a hard time making myself do the paper bag method. My eyeballs almost burned at some of the colors I was sewing together but in the end it looked good. I am not an organized person in the rest of my life but I feel like my quilts have to have order.
What patterrn? method is that??? Is there a tutorial or something to get me started Looks like a great way for me to use up my scraps. That is kinda what I have been imagining to do with my scraps.

Middle of the Road Approach
 

Try a middle of the road approach. I ran into this situation and am using a pattern to make a huge center block and for the sashing / borders, I look through books to get ideas and go from there. The end result is original but yet I have guidlines with which to work. Kind of like in dressmaking and costume making where features from several patterns are used. Good luck and most of all: Have Fun !!

As your completed blocks indicate this will be one gorgeous quilt. Enjoy the journey. Looking forward to see both completed quilts, yours and Chasing Hawk"s.

I really relate to this. I tend to be such a perfectionist when I sew, that I find myself continually telling myself, "You're not doing brain surgery." It helps.

Great advice, Jan! I will try to remember that. It could be applied to a lot of things.

It drives my husband bananas when I start a new project. He was a precision engineer, head of the engineering department at one of the National Laboratories. His way of approaching a project is to figure out what you want, design each and every nut and bolt (millionth of an inch precision) and never deviate from the original design. I, on the other hand, have a general idea of what I want to do, how I want it to look, and (God willing and the creek don't rise) it usually turns out okay. Not always what it was supposed to look like when I started, but more than acceptable. He's been "planning" a trip to Europe for about six years. If it were up to me, we'd pack our bags, buy tickets and leave tomorrow. That's how I ended up in California. We had a blizzard in Missouri and I wanted someplace warm. I packed my car with clothing, shoes, camera, gassed it up and left. Started looking for a home in San Diego and over two weeks time I worked my way up to San Francisco. I've been here 12 years now. I met him about a year after I got here and just can't leave now.

Yes I can relate. But did you concider taking a picture of the quilt at LQS and put it on the pc so you can look at it and make a pattern of you own. I have done this alot. I am still an amateur at quilting and will never know enough to concider my self an expert. I learn something new about quilting every day. Have fun with it. I know you can do it!!

You go girl!!! Great advice from other quilters. I have never been in this situation yet, but I'm sure my day will come.
Good luck and would love to see the finished quilt.

can anyone relate???
 

Just remember you don't make mistakes just new creations .. That is what I tell everyone I was never taught how to quilt just read & did what looked right .

I really like working in that manner sometimes. Would love to see a photo of the quilt you are going to make.