Okay...I jumped into a group that is making quilts for charity...all went well except at the end of the gathering, I was tossed a quilt to go home and bind...so, since I am the only one tossed one, I am thinking this group must be really burned out or something...only to bring home a mess! I couldn't leave my usual 1/4" of batting around the edge due to having to even up the edges as best as I can...then used the strips they sent w/it. Only they were not all even too...they were cut straight but, not all the same size...so, smartie me decided to press and sew it on right:)Little tricks and it worked...ha! Only when I decided I didn't want to 'hand' whip down the binding on the back, I sewed around deciding to stay exact 1/4" from the edge of the backside of the binding...duh! Didn't work...it is not even on the front...so, here I sit...ripping it all out to hand whip anyways to make it right....I just might be done w/this group already!:)I flunk my test!!LOL Skeat...........who selfishly wants to quilt something else now!LOL

I threw one little tiny fit when I joined the guild and saw the quality of quilts being made for various childrens charity. The fabric was the ugly no one wanted, the blends, the cheap, the stiff yucky batting, the doesn't matter how it looks type quilting. I was ashamed to know I was part of it something so cheesy looking. Now the kid quilts are made with kid fabric, nice soft batting, and decent machine quilting. At first everyone said the guild didn't have the funds for nice fabric and batting. I suggested that several $250 guest speakers not be invited to lecture until we could afford them and the fabric. I noticed the quality level of sewing went up along with the quality of the supplies. No one wanted to mess up the good stuff!

Thanks for the motivation...and, you are sooooo right!! So, I made a phone call and good direction:)Sounds like you were so right on track!!

I have a sneakin suspicion that whoever "tossed" you the kit knew the kit maker and figured that you would turn on your heels and head home (which you did). Your guild mate - at least temporarily - escaped having to explain substandard workmanship. Sounds like you rose to the occasion and fixed the mess.

The person who turned in the mess may just be a beginning quilter who believes that the work is OK. She (or he) may not have a QB to lean on or may not really care.

The only good news is that you learned a lot from this - the least being: If someone tosses you something - lob it back. Aim for their head. Kidding!!!

I really like the machine binding method demonstrated in this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wprg5vzkuGw

Were they testing you ? I think I would have asked what was going on when they tossed the quilt to you :roll: You are a better person than me :lol: