I worked on a quilt yesterday. I have all the blocks done and was sewing them together excited that they fit (yeah) and that the seam allowance was right on. All good things. Last night I stood back to look at it and was thinking ah.. now all I need to do is make the binding, better go pull the batting out and it dawned on me. One whole row was upside down. I have little bunny blocks every other one in two rows.. one was going the right direction the other the wrong one. HOW DID THIS ESCAPE MY ATTENTION? I KNEW THEY WERE THERE.. I was so bummed I walked away as I was not going to rip that seam gentley. This is not the first time I have done this either. Thankfully its not quilted or I would toss the darned thing in the trash. Any suggestions on how not to keep making this mistake? I am frustrated, ok much better than last night but still.. I was DONE, sigh..

Pretend you meant to do it that way....???

I have done this many times, and the best thing is what you did, walk away from it for awhile. I would take it apart and do it over. But that's just me. I know I wouldn't be happy with it other wise.

Oh yes, it has happened to me several times. I have had to tear out all the seams to get it right. Now, I take my blocks to the board, and take one row at a time, I flip it right sides together right at the board, and take one pin and pin it before I remove it from the board, go to machine and check one more time. I think we just get carried away when things seem to be going so well and not pay attention to simple details. Good luck!

But of course it has, we wouldn't be human if it didn't. You did the right thing. Put it down and take a break. Then look at it with fresh eyes in a day or two. Perhaps it won't look so bad when you come back.

Yep, happened to me too. Thank goodness I also saw it before I quilted it.

My Maternal Grandmother always said, "To be a good sewer, you Have to be a good ripper." Over the many years I have been sewing, this has been true, much to my dismay. I also believe that every "mistake" I make is a Learning experience to shift to that memory bank and remember not to do again.
We all have made many of the mistakes people talk about, and once we have we have learned from them...
Happy day & happy ripping.
S

I'm great at putting things upside down!! In fact, I like to do it so much I generally do it once, pick it out and then do it again!! The second seam ripping session is not fun at all.

I think you are asking how NOT to make this same mistake again.
I take my rows when completed and put two pins side by side in the end that stays at the top, that way, even when it's right side down, where you cannot see the print, etc. you know you have the right end going in the right direction. I also look again to make sure I put the pins in the right end.
I may second guess myself but it saves me grief later. Hope this helps. Sorry you have to rip out, but snip or rip every third stitch and take out from the back so you don't distort the front of your fabric.
Sometimes I can pull out like one long gathering stitch, but this can run the risk of stretching.

I've done that before. It's because I was looking at it so much and didn't notice it. I ripped it out and re-did it. LOL

Have a family member who hasn't seen the quilt before look at it. They will see things like that right away.

Lots of great comments here. You will appreciate the quilt much better once you fix the strip. :D

I was once told, quilters dont make mistakes.. they are ' Learning curves'...

I have some plastic block markers that my sister gave me. I always pin them in the same place on the block. Upper left corner. If you had something like that, even a piece of paper, it might jump up at you and say "hey we should be in the other direction".

I have done this more than I'd like to admit. I usually find it happens when I sew for too long and am tired but don't realize it. Makes me go ggrrr for awhile, then I rip and re-do.

Me too, but the rip and re-do is done another time or I might make the same mistake twice! :thumbdown:

I think it's happened to all of us. You did the right thing. Walk away and fix it tomorrow.

I have done this so much and ripped so often, that now as I put a finished block on the design board, I pin a sticky note saying which row & which block # it is. And I take a block at a time to sew them together, making sure that I am getting them in the right order. It takes a little longer but it saves time on the ripping. :wink:

I have done it too many times to count. Sometimes we just don't SEE things until after the fact. Or when we're all done and post a picture of the completed quilt and THEN we see it!

I always ask my husband to look at things as I progress, he has an eye for "uh oh's" because he has not been on top of it.

When I get as far as you have on a project and discover how much I need to rip out, I want to throw the whole thing away:thumbdown: until I calm down enough to begin the ripping out process.

When I noticed that I had sewn the last row on wrong after I already had the borders on, I managed to get most of the wrong border ripped off before I realized what I was doing.Grrrrrrrrrrr

I always try to lay my blocks out in order, then pick them up 2 at a time and sew them together or pin the whole row together and sit and sew.

Then do the next row. Lay out all rows in order then sew 2 rows at a time together. until finished and I usually get it right that way.

Well this happens to all quilters not only 1 time but many times. Take one more look and say its really alright for some bunnies to go in the opposite direction. If that works leave it . if not bite the bullet and RIPPPPPPPPPP lol jolo

Oh yes, have done this many times. I found that taking a picture of the quilt all laid out is very helpful. Especially with the digital camera. I download the picture on my computer and the mistakes just jump out at me. For some reason, they are easier to spot in a picture. It works for me. But must add my last quilt ended up with 3 blocks upsidedown. I still don't know how that happened. Those darn imps again!!

i have done that before and i just walk away from it for a day or 2 and then come back and rip it out and re do it. sometimes i think i do it because i know i am getting close to getting the quilt done and i get in a hurry so i am not paying attention to what i should be doing

I put a "mistake" in almost every quilt I make - but a whole row would stand out. When you are relaxed in front of your favorite TV show just do some "un-sewing".

It puts a new spin on the term "Getting ripped"!!!!!!!!!!!

Last Spring, not long after I got back into quilting, I had posted a progress picture of a quilt I was making. Very lucky for me another member noticed a couple of blocks I had backwards!! I had never noticed it!!
:)

I have done it too. That is why I have a seam ripper.

That's why my seam rippers wear out!

Don't feel bad. Just today I was sewing on the binding and several places didn't get completely caught in the seam and of course I didn't notice until I was hand stitching it to the back grrr!

Yes, I have done it also and had to rip some blocks out. I guess look 3 times to be sure it is ready to sew on correctly. It is easy to do and I blame it on me when I am tired.

We all learn from our mistakes!

Before I sew the rows together, I generally lay the pieces out and leave them for a bit. Next time I go look at the layout, I have a clear mind and I usually pick out the "odd ones."

If it is a directional top, I mark the sides of the rows that need to be sewn together. It is easier to check each set of rows than end up with a wrong row and the top done.

In the meantime, better make friends with your ripper.

Been there more times than I want to count!

Do use my low cost design wall - a flannel backed table cloth. Sew my blocks into strips then arrange the strips on the design wall. Helps me see things like that. But I'm still a pretty good ripper!

I do believe that my seam ripper is my best friend!! We dance quite often together... Penni

Do you use a quilting design board? This helps me although I have done the same thing, even with using it.
I made my own with a 4x8 insulation sheet and covered it with flannel. I cut it down to 48 x 60 now cause my storage area accomodates that size better.

how about putting a pin in the top of the block, or using a design board, taking them off one at a time..good luck

Thank you everyone for your 'yup been there stories'. I never knew before joining this group you could wear out a seam ripper.. yet have surely done it prior to this just didn't.. KNOW.. now I know I am not alone on goofy stuff like sewing blocks. egad ROWS upside down. I am thankful I did not quilt it and then notice it. I would never have been able to gift it then. I can go with slightly wobbly borders, binding, funky quilting even (this I do NOT enjoy) but an upside down ROW was more than even I could blow off.. besides mortification is a marvelous motivator. At least I know if I had gifted it to another quilter they would have smiled and maybe tsskk tsskk'ed but never tossed. Smooches to all of you.

I so the exact same thing. I always double-check one more time when I sit down at the machine and get ready to sew. so far I haven't made a mistake.

sorry I cant help. Penny

Love it. I may have to use your quote in my profile!