Just a Little Venting...
 

I've been quilting for about 5 years now, and I know I'm not the best...I've made some beautiful quilts that I'm so proud of and some that I'm just not happy with for one reason or another. I've ruined complete quilts trying to FMQ (I have two of those).

I try very very hard to always cut my fabrics perfect, but sometimes, apparently, I don't. I try very very hard to sew 1/4" seams but sometimes, well...you know...stuff happens. Even when I try so hard on these things, when I go to sew rows together I have issues with lining up seams and then I rip it apart.

I love making quilts so much so that I'm running out of people to give them to, so they just sit...unfinished.

So, I'm just wondering...am I the only one out there that has issues? Am I the only one who sometimes doesn't have a completely square quilt? Does anyone struggle with matching seams?

Oh you are not alone at all!

Each of us have our own standards and for most of us, they are something to strive to. Part of it is we are so close to the work, both in time and in distance. Personally, I find it rather reassuring that I've never had to deliberately put in a mistake, they just happen naturally for me and I've learned to accept it. After all, when does it really matter if all 4 sides of a quilt are exactly the same? Now, a wall hanging might be different but it's on a bed, and folded up it is good enough.

I love the planning and piecing, I'm not so good on the quilting. My usual self assessment is "another perfectly fine top ruined by indifferent quilting". My technical skills aren't so bad, but there's a whole bunch of issues from equipment to physical space to physical health, but some of it is that I just am not very inspired in my choices of quilting. I have so many tops ready to be quilted down I finally had to do some things, and the first was to analyze what my issues and constraints are. Biggest are budget and space -- and both are small. I've managed to get some free/low cost things that I hope will help -- but just as I got everything set up, my machine decided to go to the shop.

When it gets back, I'm going to be telling myself a lot of finished is better than perfect, and no one but me knows the "perfect" finish I am so far unable to produce.

I don't fret over it. I try to do better on the next seam and the next. If I stopped at one mismatched seam I'd never get a quilt made. I put a wide border on a non square quilt and square the border. No one ever notices the difference except maybe another quilter if they look at it close enough. Everyone just sees the color and pattern, not the details. I have entered many quilt show with imperfect quilts.
I entered a quilt in a local show even though it was really bad machine quilting and wonky quilt with too thin batting. I won Best of Show. The public voted. Many guild members were not happy. I joined the guild after that show. At least they knew who I was. LOL

KarenShu---what you said is the exact reason that for years I never attempted a quilt. I have a very rude and vocal MIL and anytime I would bring up wanting to start a quilt I would get listed the reasons that "I" would never be able to do one. I re-upholster furniture and did so for a business, I sew drapes, custom home fashions etc, and I always wanted to do a pieced top quilt--but despite my knowledge of sewing, I was swayed by the "policing" she would always tell me.

I personally believe many people have forgotten what quilts were intended for----to keep people warm and alive. Yes quilting groups were a socially motivated creation allowing for many advanced conversations on many topics in England 100's of years ago, but for the most part a quilt was made to keep people warm. Used horse blankets or other wool textiles were used as batting, flannel shirts from the men in the fields, feed sacks from flour, sugar etc were the fabrics. Quilts were meant to be used. One never would see a quilt as a wall hanging in the 1800's or even the early 1900's--unless it was used as a division between spaces for privacy. Quilts are not perfect, and no one will take a tape measure up to them and measure each square. Fabric is not a solid entity that will stay true to size over the years. It will live the life along side of you.

There is an unstated tradition within the Amish and Mennonite communities that each quilt has a "mistake" in it. This is because no one person is perfect except God and therefore, no quilt will be perfect.

I have actually stopped watching many you-tube tutorials because I am tired of the "you must do this" it must be perfect. Also so many of the tutorials make useless sized quilts. A 86 inch square quilt will fit what bed? So many are weird sizes that I simply do not wish to do the math to resize for a bed. I do not like fmq or laq for this one reason: I spent all the time creating the top, matching seams etc and then I go and sew back over it with a random machine stitch. To me it is like an artist painting a beautiful picture and then letting a kid-or they themselves scribbling all over it covering up the beautiful original image. Now I understand that LAQ and E2E are the "in thing" for quilting--and if you like that look fine. But for me, the more traditional methods of in the ditch, echoing or tying are best.Yes I use a machine and I do hand quilt, but either way, I want to see my hard work, not see scribbles all over it. I have tried fmq, and I hate it. I have only had one quilt that was sent to a LAQ because that is what my daughter wanted. But for me---I will not gift one that is quilted that way.

Perhaps you could find someone to partner with to help you finish the ones that are just tops and then donate them to either a womens/mens shelter or Foster Care system. Perhaps you could combine 2 tops into one quilt using one top as the backing. I personally love binding and finishing a quilt. The top piecing is the ok part for me. Or perhaps make the top into a duve cover and buy an inexpensive "puffy puff" from Walmart or Target (someplace like that) and then you can switch out your quilts when you feel like it without getting upset they were not finished a certain way.

I too have wanted to vent in a similar way--thank you for posting. PM if you want.

Oh no, you aren't alone.
I've been making quilts since the late 80's and sometimes I think to myself "what's your problem?" It's like I'm a beginner all over again! https://cdn.quiltingboard.com/images...es/biggrin.png
Don't even get me started on my machine quilting- I started as a hand quilter and boy oh boy what a learning curve to machine quilt.
You're in good company, my friend :)

While I try to keep things relatively square the only time it matters is if you are entering it into competition.

There is an unstated tradition within the Amish and Mennonite communities that each quilt has a "mistake" in it. This is because no one person is perfect except God and therefore, no quilt will be perfect.

That idea was from a journalist who wrote about the Amish quilts. The Amish quilter never said it. The Amish said about it: We would never presume to think we could make anything perfect, only God is perfect. This myth has been taken as truth and the Amish really don't like it attributed to them.

Quilting, for me, is a hobby. if it's not enjoyable, its not worth it. If i have a quilt that has a very special intention for a speical person that I "need" to have perfect seams, perfect points, etc, then i typically will simultaneously be working on piecing a part of a scrappy crumb quilt that intentionally has no matching seams and size doesn't matter. it's my way to balance my brain and not go crazy! If everything had to line up right all the time, quilting would lose it's enjoyment.
It's also important to note, nobody notices mistakes like we do on our own quilts. (I don't make quilts for other quilters! ...they would know!). the receiver tends to look at it as a whole and is not analyzing every stitch length, seam allowance, or corner point. Don't be too critical. Have your standards and goals, but just enjoy the process!

In every craft I've been involved in - and a few I haven't - I have heard this apocryphal statement about it. I'm not sure if it's just to make people feel better about their own work or whatever, but this is not unique to quilting!

Well I have a very good friend that is a Mennonite and live in an area that has a huge Amish community. The women I have spoken to have told me this personally. Mrs. L (I will just refer to her as that) has told me she has "lost sales from the English because people want them to be perfect (referring to the quilts), and we Amish know that only perfection lives within God's hands. So unless you live in my exact area and know Mrs. L, then that is what she told me.

"So, I'm just wondering...am I the only one out there that has issues? Am I the only one who sometimes doesn't have a completely square quilt? Does anyone struggle with matching seams?"

Oh my gosh...<I>No!</I> The question is, is there anyone that can actually do all of those things perfectly every time? (<I>No!</I>) Sometimes the joys in life <I>are</I> the struggles. What's so wonderful about quilting is that even if your quilt has imperfections, is is still absolutely beautiful!

Heathermom2opmc...if you get tired of people and videos telling you to do this and that just right, then maybe it's a little hint that you need to do your own thing. That's how great artists are born. Follow your heart and create freely. There are no mistakes.

Perfection isn't even a goal. I do my best and after a few months of the finish, it looks ok to me. I do glue baste intersections, then machine baste them, especially when there's a long row of them, make changes when necessary and then sew the whole row. It takes more time, but for me it's a shortcut.

I think there’s a misunderstanding here. It’s has been incorrectly said that the Amish deliberately make a mistake in their quilts because only god is perfect. I could be wrong, it’s happened before. Onebyone explained it in her post.

It will be a good day when no one cares what other people think - about quilting, about hairstyles, etc. who ordained them anyway?

Well society does have rules but there should be no rules for art/hobbies. I agree judges have to have a set of rules to judge if winners want to be chosen. Not every quilt is a winner when compared to others. If you make quilts two win competitions then making a better or prettier quilt then the other quilts is the goal. I never ask advice about my quilts. I like the ones I make or I don't. No advise needed for that.

Yes I’m not talking about societal rules/norms/laws etc. I’m talking about when folks feel free to be critical (their right) and some of us take their comments as violated rules or not good enough and feel bad about whatever we made/did with no good reason. Obviously a quilt show would be different.

Karen, try comparing your quilting skills to learning to play a musical instrument. We cannot be accomplished musicians without practice, dedication and talent. We can decide why we play, is it to become a top notch musician or is it for enjoyment? Is the enjoyment from your audience or from you? Do you play to improve your skills or are you happy with where you are? Now ask these questions about your quilting, where are you heading?

When we run out of recipients for our quilts, it is time to find a charity that needs our quilts. There are lots of people that will love your quilts and treasure them, regardless of how perfect they are. We can satisfy our creative spirit and help others by giving.

Square? 1/4" seams? matching corners? Ha!
I've never had a quilt that lived up to all those expectations, but I love them all.
Also, if these things really get you down, try art quilts...no 1/4" seams or perfect corners there!

Watson

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.

We've all been thru what you're going thru now. Heck, I'm still going thru it from time to time. Heck, I goofed up just the other day and didn't realize it till I put it on the quilt frame and then it came to me. I even used EQ8 to print out my paper piecing blocks and some how I didn't check to make sure they were the correct size when they printed out. I went ahead and stitched all the sections together..........24 of one size and 12 of another size just a tad smaller. I now find out that they are way too large so I had to figure out what I could do to fix this problem without having to start over as I don't have enough of the tone on tone background fabric. So you see, we all make mistakes from time to time.

Also made another mistake on the blocks for the valances for this project so Jack Ripper and I have a date to rip out that mistake.

I have been quilting since 1966-67. I have tried many times to make a perfect quilt. After making hundreds I still have not made a perfect quilt. Just a little competition with myself. If a seam doesn't line up after three tries then it stays.

If I like my finished quilts then that is all that matters. I do mostly FMQ, I love it and love doing it. I donate most all quilts to foster kids in our county. I make them to be warm and use pretty colors. I would never enter a quilt into competition. Just not my bag.

You are not alone! I am always attempting to make a better 1/4" seam. I know that once in awhile I can get it right but sometimes not. Some of my quilts are beautiful and the untrained eye will never know the difference. I have yet to see any quilt police "ever" but I still don't think I am safe.
Vent away but just keep quilting.

I practice FMO on 12-14" squares that can be made into other stuff...bowl cozies, zipper bags, etc.
everyone enjoys receiving those!

Don't give up! What you see is a mistake you may not be able to find later or others may not see it unless you point it out to them. As for free motion quilting it takes practice. Put on some music and relax. Spray starch your tops and backing will make it easier to quilt without puckering. Practice on charity quilts - Linus quilts, foster quilts, quilts for the homeless and lap quilts for nursing homes to name a few. I just saw somewhere that a woman was making placemats for meals on wheels. Small projects are good items to practice on. Good luck to you!

In the words of the great Dory “Just keep swimming (quilting)”
we quilt because we love it. We try and we do get better with each finished project but perfection can not be the goal

ENJOY

All of those issues are old friends of mine! Who is going to measure a gift quilt! ? If they do don't give them another. Usually if your blocks are accurate before setting them together your quilt will be very near perfectly square. I usually straighten mine up a bit on the edges before binding but that is all.

All of those issues are old friends of mine! Who is going to measure a gift quilt! ? If they do don't give them another. Usually if your blocks are accurate before setting them together your quilt will be very near perfectly square. I usually straighten mine up a bit on the edges before binding but that is all.

My goal is always to do my best, and I know I've improved greatly. But I'm not selling quilts, and have zero interest in having them judged (way too intimidating for me), so if they have minor imperfections, so be it. I really find that once quilted, and especially when washed, it would be hard to find most little things.

If a point is off by a lot, and I have the ability to fix it, I will. I finally learned that a point that is a the edge needs the seam taken in, although it seems backward to me, lol. So I can do that to get a point that will still show in the block. But if my seam is already under 1/4", or if it's not really showing, so be it. I do this for enjoyment and for myself, not for a living. Like many, I don't need more stress in my life.

I used to beat myself up after quilt. It just didn't feel like it was very good. Then I compared the last quilt I made to one I had made several years ago. I realized I WAS improving. But it didn't seem that way because your skill only makes small improvements quilt to quilt. So, I would suggest that you look at a quilt you made some time ago and make the comparison from there. You will be surprised.