I'm finishing my first FM quilt and i found it to be harder than I thought. My lines are really not straight and flowers are distorted. Is this acceptble for a charity quilt? I am learning but also embarrassed.

Yes they don't this is how it was meant to be and we are our worst critics whoever receives it will know that you put a lot of care into making a quilt for comfort for someone in need of something of their own

Everyone has to start some place so they can learn. I think it would be just fine for a charity quilt. Most times people don't see the mistakes that are glaringly obvious to us the quilter. There is no need to be embarrased as we all had to learn and to start somewhere....we learn as we go. Our mistakes are what creates experience. The more we do the better we become.

So true. Don't point out or apologise for your mistakes, and probably no-one will even notice. I've found that friends who don't sew are just in awe that I could make a quilt, and there's absolutely no need to explain all that's wrong with it - just take the compliments graciously :-)

Agree with all of the above, AND it's for charity. How could anyone complain about a quilt you are giving to a charity???

My daughter sleeps under a quilt that the dark blue bled into the yellow and I swear she doesn't even notice. It is her favorite quilt! Your quilt will be loved and appreciated!

Agreed, we are hard on ourselves! It is a charity quilt after all! You are kind give of your time and talent! The quilt will be loved!

DITTO :!:

I'm making my sister a quilt. I want to MQ it but my skills are lacking.
She said " Oh don't worry, you can practice on mine b/c I won't know the difference"
Now this is a woman who loves nice things but knows nothing about sewing. She sees the fabrics and the love!!! :D:D
Hope her non-quilter viewpoint helps!!!

Yes I think, when you do it yourself you just automatically strive for perfection.. Impossible, but we are our worse enemy when it comes to our work. I used an old fabric that no one seemed to like, it had horses and duck and deer on it. I did several different styles of quilting on it, I used an old plain sheet for backing, I practiced on it. It is in my living room because I was using it for warming calves... hahahha.. you know I get more compliments on that silly "practice" quilt.. No one sees what I saw.. and after it was washed most of the things kinda disappeared.. You can not see the lines that are not so straight, or the flower that is kinda out of kilter. Be proud and ssssshhhhhhh on what you think is not perfect.. never tell..

We are our own worst critics!

Hey my quilts aren't perfect and this last one I am working
on had sooooooooo many problesm but I love every one I do of course I haven't free motioned any yet and most of sid
is all over the place as well but I'm not embarrassed cause I know I learn from each and every one .....I am sure your quilt is beautiful.....

I recently showed an awful looking attempt at some hearts to DH and told him I wasn't happy with the way it turned out. He said, "What's wrong with it?" Proving that I'm my own worst critic. I'm sure it's the same with you.

We're our own worst critics! Many times after I've let a quilt sit overnight, I look at it the next morning and realize the quilting isn't nearly as bad as I thought it was.

How bad is the quilt - really? If the lines are a little crooked, that's no big deal. You say the flowers are distorted - are they really that bad? If the quilt is still square and lays pretty flat, I'd say go ahead and donate it. Picture a little girl getting that quilt - can she lay it on the floor or on her bed and smooth it out and is she smiling? If so, go for it. That's the kind of quilt that charities need.

If not - if the quilt just doesn't lay flat or is all catty-wampus - then reconsider its use. Those are the ones I cut up into smaller quilts and donate to the animal shelter for use in the kennels. Their residents need comfort too!

I now go back to some of my early quilts, which I shed tears over at the time because I thought they were so bad and I was so disappointed and cross with myself - and I have a hard time remembering what was supposed to be wrong with them!

In am sure its nice,you should see my first quilt I did on the QM its awful, maybe one day will get the nerve to post it. My DH use to say if we didn't make mistakes we would never learn or we wouldn't be doing any thing.

Thanks everyone. It was intended to be charity as it was a practice quilt. The back looks cool because the thread matches and gives it an arsty look. Definitely was a learning experience. I'll post it just tomorrow show my confidence. :mrgreen: :thumbup:

I made one that gave me fits took it apart several times I would have throwen it away but they already knew about it, so gave it to her and she placed it on the crib rail .The quilt police were off the job on that one never would have passed

There is always a quilt police on duty somewhere. :thumbdown:

That's how I learned - my Linus quilts and a couple of drag arounds for a toddler GS.

I can't thank you enough for posting this. I can piece tops like crazy but have NO confidence about tackling FM work. I'd love to say I did the whole thing. Now, thanks to you, I am going to DO IT! And, whatever the result, it will be my beginning. Kudos to you for inspiring me!

Oh goodness - we have all felt that way. I echo one woman's post - don't point out anything - you will be surprised just how well received the quilt is.... We are our own worst critics! You will get better and we do learn from our mistakes. That quilt will be well loved by someone!

My quilt guild finds it very easy to complain about charity quilts. I lead a quilt demonstration at the library each year & we show how to make a quilt from start to finish. So I pre make parts of the pattern we are showing. This year we did 9 patch. Our Community Projects chairman made her worker day ladies take out all the Christmas and Halloween fabrics because they weren't politically correct for donations! They don't have to give a quilt with Christmas fabric to a Jewish child, but why deprive the Christian child of it?

There are no bad quilts!

Someone (maybe on this board?) once said, "If you can't see your mistakes while riding by on a galloping horse, they aren't mistakes!" I like that idea!!

People who have artistic talent are so hard on themselves, but people who don't have that talent see things differently. When my son, now 20, started playing at piano recitals, he was so hard on himself if he made any errors. I always told him that most of the people in the room didn't even know where middle C was on the piano. When they heard him play they were so in awe of his talent, a few mistakes wouldn't even be noticed.

I like to believe it is the same way with quilting. The quilt you made will be seen as a miraculous work of love and artistic talent by the lucky recipient.

Stop fretting and enjoy your God-given talent!

they are not mistakes you just did it in a whimsical design does not have to be straight or even just easy and loose whimsy is a definite style :lol:

Don't give it away. You will regret it later. Keep it so years from now you can see how much you have improved. I love to look at my first quilts. Good memories of the quilting journey. Don't be so hard on yourself. Everything takes time. Use it as a throw in family room or in a camper or in your car. Keep it for the Memories...

Don't ever be embarrased we are our worst critics. I was told by a great quilter that every quilt has a mistake in it, gives us something to talk about. :wink:

I just gave a baby quilt that had a wonky side because the quilting was driving me crazy. I just threw it in the washer and dryer and wrapped it up. Everyone at the baby shower oohed and ahhed over it. I know that it will be used because the mom already told me so. We are own worst critics. We don't need the quilt police, sometimes we are when we don't need to be. Just give it with the heart you intended to.

You wouln't want to see my first attempts at FMQ on my domestic machine. I should have received the award for the worst FMQ'r. PRACTICE, PRACTICE AND MORE PRACTICE. Before you know it you will be FMQing with the best of them!
Keep at it!! :-)

Quilting is an art where you learn and gain experience with each new project. A wise older quilter shared a great truism with me one day when I was distressed with blocks that didn't match up. She told me experienced quilters intentionally put errors in their work to remind us that none of us are perfect and the only perfect work is the Lord's. I love that story and remember it each time I sew. Who would know if your errors were intentional or not??

I appreciate this topic. I am afraid to FM my charity quilts because I am not that good at it. BUT I will FM quilts I give to my friends. I have to laugh that I am more afraid of what a stranger will think when they get the charity quilt than what my friends will think!! I could keep a psychologist busy for awhile with that one!

Sounds like a certain PL co-coordinator I no longer give quilts to~~~~I got verbally reamed just because I made a quilt with a Bible story book panel on the front....AND how dare I make quilts with POLY knits???? They were cute, bright quilts and I made a bunch for teen boys at her request.....Well, those polys will almost certainly outlive the cotton ones after upteen trips through the washer and dryer!
Those you give a quilt to will NOT care that you practiced FM!Q--they will not even notice mistakes. I had some big boo-boos on some quilts while teaching the GKs to lay out designs and to piece, but nobody noticed the goofs but me!
the funny part was that even quilters did not notice!

Quilts are donated for a cause. Not for the way they are made. Give the quilt,they'll never notice the stitching being that way.

That is so bad! People must be insecure and have problems with how they are perceived.

Debbie, maybe the flowers look my mine do today, wilted and a leaf falling off, the roses are half opened. It is a gorgeous quilt no matter what the quilting looked like. I think it will be loved just the way it is, don't beat yourself up, it probably looks a lot better than some other ones. (oops, I meant Gracey)

You started and that is what is important. Don't let a little mistake get you down. Just keep up the good work.

I like that quote and have laughed at it many times while remembering it. I was trying to remember it when I read yours. Thanks for posting it.

Do you think the person who posted it here made it up herself? I'd like to make up a sign for my sewing room and give her credit. :)

I wouldn't worry about it if you are not competing. We all have to learn sometime.

My daughter told me that the "glitches" in a quilt are what makes them one of a kind, unique, and gives them character. She should know, she volunteered me to do my first quilt for a friend. Turned out wonderful if you didn't know where the glitches were. Free motion is even better. You can always pretend you meant to do it that way.