I just thought of something else- it never fails- when I'm super critical of my work and then look at it some time later I usually have forgotten what was wrong with it!

Also- nobody in my entire family quilts so they think I'm a magician with fabric lol :)

I've been quilting for 36 years and have never made a perfect one yet. But each one is beautiful in its own way and has kept my loved ones warm. We have a saying in our family: "There is no such thing as an ugly quilt."

One thing that goes a long way towards fixing all these problems is to measure and trim all your individual units before sewing them together. (From one inaccurate cutter and seamer to another.)

I first learned to sew clothes and my sewing teacher taught us that when pieces don't line up correctly or seem to fit correctly you just engage in some "creative sewing" to make them fit. I have always applied this to quilting and have no concerns when things don't fit or my seams are off. I just engage in some creative quilting and make them fit!

Have you seen quilts at a quilt show? I see some that any one of us could accomplish. Then there are the show quilts. Some of these take ladies years to complete. I just want to enjoy this wonderful hobby. I do the best I can and if not perfect that is ok with me. My DD just came by and saw the scrappy quilt I made. She loved the homey, comfy look of it. Definitely not a show stopper. My family and friend all have plenty of quilts. Most I make now are donated. Find a charity that is in need and appreciate of whatever you make.

Sometimes just plain fun quilts get prizes in quilt shows. I have made both intricate hand pieced beauties that took countless hours and funny machine pieced flamingos with very real errors to place well in a local show I enter. The judge actually loved my poor flamingo knees that were very badly done! I make quilts for fun and share them. I have ceased to get overly concerned about my finish for gift quilts beyond the question of have I made a quilt that can handle being washed and dried? I do try to do my best btw!

The more quilts you make, the better you get. Happy Quilting

You do not sew alone like this!! I've been sewing since 2012. When I first started sewing, I was doing dish clothes. I thought that would be the only thing I'd ever sew when I bought my first machine. 4 machines, 1 long arm later, I am still not matching up my seams until most recently. That particular quilt top still was off some a tad bit and still had to square it off on one end. The fabric was cut and sewn as per directions. Bottom line is that the recipient will see the beautiful creation you made. So what if your FMQ isn't intricate, mine is far from it, but the recipient won't know any different. I sew/quilt because it soothes my soul. When it's gifted and they are blown away that it's so beautiful (in their eyes), then I've done good. Don't get discouraged, I believe many will tell you that we all start from the ground up and we have all had our share of bloopers! Glad you posted this because I took a quilt to work to pin during my lunch hour. I got it all pinned and nearly to the last row, I flipped it over to be sure there wasn't any puckering in the back. Come to find out, the backing was upside down!
Maybe you could find a sewing buddy or even do a virtual sewing buddy time to work on a project. That's what I have done the last few weeks. I love it because I have that me time and get to spend time with my friend who lives in another city. Happy Quilting!!

Ah, Bless you, your not alone. We live in a culture that makes everything with massive machines so they look perfect and that expectation is then put upon us when we try to emulate a mass produced product with out own creativity and our hands. Forget it! Quilts are a craft. They are not perfect. We aim for 1/4 inch seams and points that aren't cut off. A wee bit of imperfection shows that it was crafted by a person not a machine. Don't like free motion? Then don't. Straight stitch on the diagonal, do wavy stitching, do channel stitching. Build yourself a short list of quilting that you like and use it. Keep after the FM, it does get better but never perfect.

Who to give quilts to? Consider your circle of friends, people who just bless the socks off you because of their kindness or long friendships or years of providing a service to you, hair dresser, insurance agent, neighbor who shovels your walk for instance. Giving a quilt is a way of acknowledging their place in your life. Some of my most fun has been surprising folks, a small group at a time with a quilt. When I retired, I gave each of my colleagues a quilt at our last staff meeting. Surprise! It was such fun.

Love your quilting and enjoy each new pattern and each new attempt at 1/4 in seams and really pointy points. https://cdn.quiltingboard.com/images/smilies/hug.gif

I kept trying to FM, but just didn't have the "stick-to-itis" and patience needed, so I do simple grid quilt with either a wavy or straight line.