So I wanted to make DH a wall size quilt for Christmas using this Rectangles Behind Bars pattern http://www.judysisneros.com/FloraFauna.htm (I was planning on make it a square with one of the "behind bars" thingies). I started on it, cut everything and sewed [IMG]http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r...n/DSC06075.jpg[/IMG] this strip set and about a quarter of the blocks, and then realized I'm lousy at sewing 1/4" seams (yes I have a 1/4" seam foot but sewing perfection is not something I'm good at). So now I need to either rip the seams out of every piece and re-sew them, or buy more fabric, cut everything again and re-sew...or just choose a simpler pattern (or plan D, just give up which sounds really tempting right at the moment)?

I was really hoping to get this quilt done by the end of the month and there's no way that's going to happen. I don't know how I'm going to find time to do this and the six million other Christmas gifts I need to make in the next two months (did I mention I have a 3 year old and an 11 month old??).

Well I have to say It looks great to me I would call it pigs behind bars!! LOL

I like it,

though I would have left my fabric whole and just put the strips in the top and sewed them down, You could use some fusible web or something to keep them in place and then just top stitched them down. that way you also get an accuate look on what should be hidden behind the bars.

I don't think I have ever read that pig pen bars have to be spaced evenly.
I kind of like the random look! Looks like you planned it that way!
Keep going.
:D

I would take measurments of what you have and trim so it has square corners and add more or less bar pieces to get to the right size.


I love the pigs :D not in the bacon business are you...pigs look to happy :wink:

I like it just like that... the bars don't have to be symmetrical--it's pigs!! Make your won rules and proceed!! And congrats on taking this on with two wee ones at home. Wow. clap, clap, clap, clap!! :wink:

I would just continue on and after you are done with all the blocks then square them up to match in size. There are no Quilt Police here and therefor no "hard" rules :wink:
Sharon

I really like the way it looks!! Thought you had planned it that way until I read the thread. :D :D

Gosh it's cute and it makes me smile. I hope you can see that too. I started quilting before my daughter was born but then stopped. I've only just started quilting again (my daughter is in college.) I wish I had kept it going instead of stopping. It's great to have a creative outlet.

i'm not sure what the problem is: did you want it to be square? did you want the spacing even? it looks fine. it's a pigpen, after all. :lol: :lol:

if you have any piggy faces left and the quilt really annoys you (it shouldn't), you could try cutting out a face and appliqueing it so it looks like it's trying to squeeze through the bars.

never give up. don't let those pigs win!! :lol: :lol:

Looks great, how cute, someone said it's a pigpen and it doesn't have to have the bars perfectly spaced. I think it add's a lot more with the random spacing. HE WILL LOVE IT!!!!

It looks a lot like Ricky Tims convergence quilts, where all the bars are different sizes. If you are afraid of the blocks not matching later, just put a border on this one and, quilt it and bind it. You will have a smaller wallhanging, but finished is better than perfect.

I have to admit, I wasn't trilled about pig fabic, but now that I see what you did, I love it.

Maria

I think it's cute!
Keep going. Unless you tell no one will ever know it's not the way you planned it!

Quilting is doing it your way.

I like what butterflywing said about appliqueing a pig so he looks like he's squeezing through the bars. :lol: :lol:

I think it looks great! Especially with a 'farm' theme, the bars look great uneven- like you purposely planned it that way! Even the fancy farms have uneven picket fencing, some slats are spaced apart more than others.
So don't do a thing!
Regards,
MaryAnna

I would absolutely keep going and not worry for 1 second about the spacing of the bars! That is a darn PIG PEN! We have very fancy fencing on our farm and not all of them are spaced evenly....If it really really bugs you, do what BFW suggested about the appliqued piggie...that would be really cute and different!

I would continue on making sure that all of the blocks have a few uneven spaced bars...it will tie it all in together!!! Like what was suggested, put a sashing strip around all of the blocks and it will look great!!! :D :D :D

** the farm down the road from me had stalls just like that...the bars were uneven in front of the feed troughs, so they could stick their heads out**

I think it's cute just the way it is.

When I looked at your photo, I thought it was a Ricky Tims convergence quilt, too. I think it's cool!

Renee

I love it! I'd have thought it was intentionally planned that way, if I hadn't read that you thought it was a mistake. Look at that cute little porker on the bottom, just eyeing those bars , trying to figure out if he'd be able to squeeze through!

Looks fine to me. If someone was driving by at 55 mph, would they see your "mistakes"? If not, don't worry about it. LOL

That is so cute!! I wouldn't have known anything was suppose to be wrong with it either!!! Keep going!! I love Amma's suggestion, just keep on as you are, making sure there's some uneven ones through out it! :D

Hog gates are never uniform after a little time in the hog house. Hogs beat them all out of shape. What you have going looks good to me.

I'm with everyone else!
I like it and see nothing wrong.
So what if it doesn't look like the pattern you were referring to? My guess is hubby will love it. I would!
Besides! When I looked at sort of the middle of your photo, I saw one little piglet making a charge for the opening ... it is NICE to see a whole pig ... and he IS doing what pigs do - - look for the opening! LOL
I wouldn't change a thing because I think it is PERFECT!
If you really think you can do a better job than the good one you have just photographed, then make another project, but I wouldn't change one thing on this masterpiece ... not one thing!

You have the bars parallel, that's what matters. I looked at the picture, said "ooh pretty", and then read where you said it was "messed up". I think it looks perfectly fine with the varied spacing. Until you said it wasn't "right", I didn't know.

I find it hard working with smaller pieces like that too. I hope you keep it because it is really cute as is.

It looks just fine, in fact I think it is better with the different sizes.
I like the applique idea too.

I love it! I thought it was suppose to look like this. It is your interpretation of the other pattern! Your hubby will love it too!

Well I like it just the way it is too!

It's way cute! Go ahead and finish it the way you started and just know it's the way it's supposed to be--unique. Sometimes our "mistakes" end up being the best art and the things we remember with a smile.

My grandmother taught me to sew and quilt, and she said, "Only God can do Perfect, so just work around or through your mistakes and say it was on purpose." That was years ago, and I still think of her saying that every single time I sit at my sewing machine.

Personally if it was perfect as you want it it wouldn't look like a pig pen to be. I LOOOOOVE the way it came out very primative. If you are unhappy with it send it my way I will give it a good loving home. :D

I think it looks great just the way it is....I thought that you had intended for it to that way. It's cute!

I like the way it looks too and unless you had said something I would not even have noticed.
For the next time you want to try a project like this take some of the advise from the group-particulay keeping the background all one piece and adding the bars on the top.
Unless your husband is a quilt critic-leave it as is.

I LOVE it! I would leave it be. It's so cute as is. I'd love to see the finished product.

I was curious so I went to the link you provided and if you look close (and you need to look close) her's aren't "perfect" either. I've saved that link to my Favorites. I plan to go back and try one out myself when I get through with what I've got going - or when I want a new project to play with.

Keep going it looks great.

Ditto to what everyone else said. I didn't know what was messed up when I saw it, until I read what you wrote. You'll have it finished by the end of the month!

I like the way your quilt looks. Pigs are not neat animals. It perfect

Use the three foot rule: Hang it up, walk back three feet. If you still hate it, use it to lay the little one on when you put him/her down. Besides, husbands like anything you give them. G

I really like this just the way it is. I hope you go ahead and finish it!

Keep going!!! It looks great!! I love those pigs behind the bars, brings a smile to my face!

I really like it as well. It looks so happy! You cant help but smile when you look at it. It does not look like you messed up or made a mistake. I honestly and truly love it. Keep going and I am positive your DH will be thrilled with it as well. :)