I am fairly new to quilting. Let me be honest. I've started three but only finished two for grandkiddos for Christmas last Valentine's Day. They were real tacky but the kids loved them.

I woke up this morning resolved to correct the 36" square Trip Around the World that I really messed up on--the pattern part. After about 30 minutes, I realized fixing it was folly. I am beginning to hate it a lot. So, here you are, my fellow but far superior quilters who always seem to have a supportive word or an idea for even the worst of us. Here is what I thought I would do and I am hoping you have other suggestions--but ones that are not too complicated.

I thought I would put all 30 strips of 8, 2" blocks already sewn together into a big sack, shake the hell out of it and just sew together whatever strip comes out next until I get my 36" inch "quilt". Anything more creative or less destructive that you can think of would be appreciated. I am going to start promptly one hour from now and will check this board before I start. I thank you in advance. I promise to make this my first submission to the picture part of this list-serve.

Now, I am going outside to cut weeds with the hedge trimmer to wear off a little aggression. Thanks, folks.

This made me chuckle, been there done that!

I kept misplaceding squares and seam ripping them out to fix, so I decided to just made a random jumbled mess. This did not work...
I still found myself trying to create a pattern! or trying to make it so no two like squares were side by side. It ended up being a bigger chore than the original plan! I think quilting makes me a little OCD.
Yes yes, best thing to do is walk away, and come back to it later.

I have found that sometimes that works great just take the next one that you pick I did that with 72 6" nine patch that I have done in a swap and they were all colors and I thought I do not want to put that much time in sorting out the colors so just started sewing and I really looks good so just start sew and see what happens. I will be watching to see what you do.

Looks like you have a creative deviation from the pattern. You are the artist of this quilt and what ever you make you meant to do that.

Sounds like you will make a new version of the lasagna quilt. Sounds like fun and take lots of pictures.

Some times I just don't want the stress of matching seams so you can off set the next row by half a block so no seams have to match. send up a cry of HELP if you need us. Someone will give you just the right information you need:)

Don't be discouraged. I find that patterns that come so easy to some people can drive me nuts going together. My advice would be to put that out of sight for now and start something that you can get excited about working on. Find a pattern that there is almost no way to mess up. Someday, after some successes, you will want to dig that back out and do something with it. You could always just do a postage stamp or something random. Another idea is to finish it just as a throw or wall hanging so that you do not have to work on it long. I find that frustration makes the process NO FUN! I want to enjoy making quilts and it is such good therapy when you do enjoy it. Sometimes when I begin to struggle with a project I can not get to the point where it is enjoyable again. For that reason I have some UFO's lying around. No worries... someday I will do something with them. I have gone back and made something small out of some of them already. Your skill level will progress as you work. Don't be discouraged! This board is the best place for advice. When you get stuck post pics and ask for some more expert help. Sometimes the ideas people come up with astound me! I love the fence rail pattern. It is so easy, but it can look complicated when set together. You can strip piece and it goes so quickly. I did a trip around the world baby quilt and I found it really difficult to get right. My daughter thought I was crazy because they were so easy to her. If you aren't frustrated to the point of not enjoying the process finish it in a more random way. If you are, start something else. The quilt police won't come get you for having a UFO, or we would ALL BE GONE!!!

Cut all the pieces up. Then start sewing until you have the size "quilt" you want. Trim the overhang. sandwich, quilt and bind.

Now you have a "Crazy Trip Around the World". :)

Good luck. It's too much fun quilting to let the mistakes we make get the best of us.

It's okay to just throw it away or stuff it in the back of the closet.

I just threw away two yards of black fabric, the fusible web fused to the back of the fabric and a $10 pattern. I took a class on an interesting technique and because I don't have a quilt shop handy I bought black fabric from Walmart. The technique involved freezer paper and it absolutely would not stick to that fabric and after trying to stick it to that fabric it wouldn't stick to any thing else either.

I considered attempting to salvage the fabric and fusible some way but I decided my time is too valuable to fight with cheap, crappy fabric.

The moral, if you really hate it, toss it and start over.

Great advice here!!!! Quilting is our pleasure not our pain!!! You reminded me that my very first project was 2 Around The World pillows with 1" sqs. The pattern said it was for beginners. I somehow got them done & didn't even know to quilt cross hatch~ yep, I stitched around evey one of those little squares. Now I look at them & think NO WAY would I want to make them now! Walk away if you must; it's allowed!!! Tossing all the squares in a bag is actually a really cool idea tho. Do whatever will bring you pleasure.

:thumbup:
I've done this. Or you can insert another fabric between the rows if you need to make it bigger - also no matching of seams.