I've definitely learned from all of my mistakes. :) Every time I am quilting I'm learning more and more how to do things. :).

I've bought fabrics that I thought would be a good border (or two) then don't like them after the blocks are done so often those fabrics end up on my back. It kills me to go buy 7 or 8 yards for a back so by using the "border" fabrics, it doesn't seem like as much fabric all together to get the back done.

I'm sure this happens a lot. I haven't been quilting that long and have already done it. I bought Christmas remnants only because they were very inexpensive. Should have passed. I'm not really a Christmas person and the result looks like someone threw up in Christmas colors. I hate it. The four finished blocks and the rest of it are just sitting there until I figure out what to do with it.

I sympathize as I've done that. You did right to make your quilt what you want it to be by purchasing additional fabrics, rather than have a quilt you'd never be happy with. Add the wrong fabrics to your stash as one day they'll be perfect in another quilt.

Making a quilt for my Niece's wedding. I specially ordered a fabric I thought would be perfect for the sashing. Laid it out on my design board, not quite what I thought, but I knew it would look better once sewn(and I'd spent quite a bit on it, so I knew it would eventually look good), began sashing between blocks. Still not too happy, but I knew it would look better when I got the horizontal parts on (and I'd spent quite a bit on it, so I knew it would eventually look good). Put in the horizontals and it still was not what I hoped, but I figured it would look better when I got the first border on it (and I'd spend quite a bit on it, so I knew it would eventually look good). You know the rest. I ended up taking the whole thing apart and replacing it - with something that did look really nice. Now I have lots of little strips of relatively expensive fabric because I wouldn't face reality in the first place. String quilt someday I hope.

I love fabric.com. Get so much fabric from there. Prices are great and they have a pretty good selection.:o

I had that happen way back when I first started quilting. I went into my LQS looking for specific colors that they didn't have in stock. I had a picture of a quilt that I had fallen in love with, and wanted to reproduce it as closely as possible. Well, the employee there insisted I could use other colors and fabrics and it would look the same - NOT! I HATED the fabrics she cut for me, and putting them in that quilt did not make me like them any better. I ended up wadding the whole thing up and throwing it in the garbage. Now I know better - if they don't have fabrics I want, I walk away. Find it elsewhere or wait a couple of months for new fabrics to come in.

Would the fabric work for the backing? I really like pieced backs and if the color or print is not just right it could still look great on the back side.

I don't think it will work for the back. I do have a nice fabric that will though. :)

The trick to using a not-quite-right fabric is to add more fabrics. This obviously works better in a scrap quilt than a planned quilt.

My experience with fabric.com isn't the best. First, they say they have something (on their site) and then later, after I have ordered and paid, they say they don't. I've had that happen probably 10 times and seldom shop there anymore. If I planned on it for a particular quilt,I am out of luck. Second, the fabrics I've received don't look like they do on my monitor - and I check it on several monitors before I order. I've got two bolts downstairs right now that meet that description and no idea of when I'll ever use them for for what I'll use them. They sure don't work with the project for which I bought them!

I hope you have better luck with them.