New quilter messed up quilt
 

I am a very new quilter. For some reason I decided I could make a king size quilt. Well, after having several mistakes it is now finished. I spent a lot of time and money on it. I'm terribly disappointed. I chose low loft batting. The quilting just hasn't popped out. What should I do?

Leave it and enjoy it. Start making a new one. Great job for sticking to it and finishing it. A king size quilt is a big project. I still make mistakes.

Have you washed it? Once it's been washed and gone through the dryer, the quilting pops more.

From what I understand, the old "traditional" quilts had very low loft batting.

A king-sized quilt - finished - is a great accomplishment!

I agree about just enjoying it! We all have plenty of stories to share about our first quilt & this will be yours. I'm assuming you hand quilted it (I can't even begin to imagine doing a King-sized quilt FMQ on a DSM for a beginner). If that's the case, you're in very good company. Many antique quilts were made with whatever batting-type material was around -- sometimes that was just a layer of flannel -- and they were nearly flat. Over time, as the quilt became more worn, or if the quilter had managed to gather enough flour sacks to piece together a new top/backing, she would layer them on top/bottom of her existing quilt -- sometimes with a bit of extra "batting" -- and would start again. There have been many people who have taken a vintage quilt either to be repaired or appraised only to find out that it was multiple quilts in one. Maybe at some point this quilt will become that -- your original quilt will be encapsulated in something new & thereby preserved for generations to come as a hidden treasure. In the meantime, I hope you can still find ways to enjoy it.

If it's a low-loft cotton, it will crinkle when laundered & the quilting will likely become more defined. Unfortunately, that doesn't happen with low-loft poly. But there are many quilters out there who choose low-loft batts specifically so it stays very flat & the piecing is the star of the show. Perhaps you'll find a silver lining yet in your "mistake".

I see you are a new member an this is also your first post.....wait until you see all the goofs we make. You will have a good laugh. You will get "too much" advise from us, but it is all the best we can think of at the time. So lift yourself up, dust off your mistakes, and go again. And please post a picture of what you are talking about so we can see it, good or bad. This is Jane from Virginia, welcome to the forum!

enjoy your work--wow, tackling a king size quilt as a beginner and quilting, either by hand or by your DSM is a huge accomplishment also. So now it's time to start planning the next one!

One of my first quilts was a queen and I wanted a subtle change in blues. I chose the churn dash pattern and I cut my pieces out with a template that I had made myself from the pattern in the book. I don't know what happened but the pieces did not sew together correctly. I marked my seams ( I sew by hand). I checked and rechecked and the pieces looked like the right size but did not sew up correctly. I forced them together and because the were out of kilter I trimmed them up to twelve inches and sewed those blocks together. I did not realize that the seams would not match. I finished it, washed it and put it on my bed and I tagged it "The Blue BooBoo". I spent a lot of money on it and I have been using until this year. I made a new one that only has a few boo boo's.

Use the quilt and enjoy it! Some of my favorite quilts are the ones that didn't turn out just like I wanted. I now use them as everyday quilts and they're washed once a week and are now the softest, most cuddly quilts. I always use 100% cotton batting. After the quilt is done, I machine wash and dry it and the batting shrinks inside the quilt and gives it that "quilty" look and you can see the quilting stitches better because those areas aren't as crinkly.

My first quilt was also a king. It was a trip around the world and I didn't like it. But one of my friends adored it so I gave the quilt to her.

We all made mistakes on our first quilt. After a dozen or so quilts under your belt, you will look back and say it wasn't so bad. I still look at my first quilt and shake my head and say to myself you've come a long way baby. Just enjoy it.
Mary

Quilts cost money to make and you will mess up from time to time. No use fretting over that part. Be sure and take a picture of it. I think your first quilt will become a favorite after time. Mine did. My DD claimed it and it is about worn out. Now it's time for your second quilt!

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*** Just love it and use it.
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*** My 1st quilt, Garbage Can quilt, was lumpy, bumpy, misaligned but I love it to death.
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*** King is a job in itself, have done several, so just go for another.
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Just enjoy your quilt and remember-we always learn from our errors-that is how we learn.

To tackle a king sized quilt shows you are tenacious, fearless and confident! I made my first quilt in 1976 and it was such a disaster that I didn't try again until around 1995 when I decided to take a beginner quilting class. That class answered more questions and gave me better skills than any book or internet site.
If you really don't like the quilt just fold it up and shove it in the back of the closet. Don't take it out until you've made four more quilts. You'll be glad you saved it. I still have the 1976 quilt and reminds me of how far I've come in my quilting skills.

I agree with these points -

1. Wash it.

2. Keep it. Ricky Tims includes his first quilt in his shows to show that everybody is a beginning quilter at some point, and we all make mistakes. It's an awesome and proud moment when you look back and see how far you've come.

And one more point that I'd like to add: Learn from this quilt. Think about where you went wrong and what you'd do differently next time.

Congratulations! What an awesome accomplishment! I think you should just move on and start another one. You'll learn more as you go along and get better with each quilt.

Welcome to the board! as you've already found out you are not the first one to make a mistake. So just pull up your quilt and give it a kiss, lick and a promise to do better the next time. You will come to cherish your first quilt. Just like your first child or pet, they aren't perfect but they're yours and you just love their perfect imperfections.

I use low loft poly batting all the time. After the quilt is washed, there is some shrinkage which causes the slight puffiness I love.

Even the best quilters start at the bottom and with imperfections. You yourself may see faults, someone else will only see the beauty and be in awe!!!

I handquilted a queen sized as my first quilt. 26+years later, I still have it. I pretty much think it is terribly put together, it is tearing, the fabric was low quality and I tend to use it as a picnic/astronomy blanket. But you know what, I still LOVE it....

I still have my first quilt and love it. When I was half way through quilting it, I decided it didn't look right, so I put it away for several years. I finally decided to finish it. What I found was that I was much too critical of my first quilt. Today it is on display with several of my later quilts and it holds its own. Move on to your next quilt. With time you may feel differently about your first quilt.

Welcome to the board and to the art of quilting. Just because you are not happy at the moment with the loft of batting used, doesn't mean you haven't made great accomplishments. Many of the quilters here have never made a king size quilt...especially being new to quilting. And so many of us make mistakes. Dust yourself off, be proud of what you have done already and move on to another project....next time you will know what to do!!

My first quilt was a crazy quilt and I had no idea what I was doing. I layer out the backing, put the batting over it and just sewed random patches over it, by hand, until it was all covered, then I bound it in store bought binding. My grandson, then 3 loved it, he still loves it at 16 and has used it every night since I gave it to him. I have over the years made him at least 3 other quilts but he still uses that crazy quilt, says it is so warm soft and snugly. My hand sewing did not hold up real well with years of washing and at least once a year I have had to fix parts of it for him. I just stick it under the machine and machine sew the edges that are coming unsewn. I've fixed it so much that I think all the patches are actually machine sewn now, lol. Any way, the message in this long missive is, USE IT, someone will love it.

I think with a King Size quilt you probably want a thinner one. It won't be so bulky when it is folded in the closet for the summer. Takes up less shelf space.

Welcome from Michigan! My first effort was a small table runner so I am very impressed at you and others who begin big! A quilting class at a local quilt store is an excellent idea especially if you don't have anyone you can ask questions of as you work on your quilting.

In 30+ years I have made many mistakes. Hang on to it, you may change your mind Washing wil change the look of it also. Keep quilting

As a beginner we look for each and every mistake. We think it should be perfect well did you know that the
Amish make a mistake to show humility. Even the most accomplished quilter can and do make mistakes. You go quilter having completed a king you will find another smaller quilt ,table topper, etc much easier and don't point out your mistakes most people won't even see them. We don't allow the quilt police here so send a picture I'm sure your quilt is beautiful.

A king is quite an endeavor. And rereading your post I noticed that all you are frustrated about is the lack of "poofiness" so if your seams match and you like your color choices I call that a winner.

For you to take on a king size quilt AND FINISH IT, is a huge accomplishment. You should be very pleased with yourself. Every quilt you make is a learning experience. You will learn new techniques, new patterns, new color combinations, new friends. Embrace all of it. One thing you will also learn is how hard quilters can be on themselves - you will always be your worst critic. We try to say that we don't make mistakes, we just have some odd design elements! You will also discover that if you don't point out the 'error', most people will not notice it. Unless you are submitting it to be judged, don't stress over small things. Enjoy the process and keep on quiltin'.

You finished it!!! Take pictures! Yes we are a picture greedy bunch. We love to show off our trophies and our boo-boos. But sometimes, those same boo-boos become our trophies just because it's the first.

The only perfect quilt is the one in your head. As others have said, every quilt I make is a learning experience and none of them are perfect. I have yet to have anyone complain that points got cut off, or stitches are crooked or whatever wasn't right. No one sees the mistakes but me and maybe some fellow quilters who have had the same problem. Remember, it's just fabric and have fun with it.

My first bed size quilt was made for my older sister. She loves knowing she got the first one. She always has it on her bed, under the bedspread so it still looks new after 20+ years. I am glad it lives under the bedspread, it is obviously a "first" quilt. Lol! (That quilt is tied, since I did not yet know how to quilt them)

We all started somwwhere. My first quilt was a churn dash quilt also. When I think about, I can picture all of the mistakes I must have made. However, my parents enjoy it and that is all that counts. Evdryone continues to learn as they go and still have questions. Enjoy it and feel accomplished, it took me three years to finish mine!

Welcome to this board, you will love it here.
We are our worst critics. No one looks as closely at our quilts as we do. Pretty colors and pattern will take eyes away from your mistakes
I have made around 200 quilts not to mention Comforters, biscuit quilts and such. I still make mistakes.
The secret talent is to know how to make the mistakes blend in so they aren't as noticeable.

Keep it, because you made it, so that makes it special. The second quilt I ever made was for a king size quilt using a crib size quilt pattern, "All I had to do was make more blocks, right?" I learned so much making that quilt and then machine quilting it on my domestic sewing machine, and I learned even more. At times I will be looking for something and come across some of my earlier quilts, what a difference 25-30 years make; but do I still make mistakes, absolutely, but I learn from then and keep quilting, as it is my passion in life, so I can't quit, I'm addicted to quilts.

My first quilt was cut wrong for the pattern I wanted to make. Luckily a sweet experienced quilter shared a pattern that I could use with the pieces that I cut. My quilt was saved and I have been quilting to this day.

Enjoy and use it. Each quilt has it's own feeling some good others not. After its first wash it will change. Try a smaller quilt lap size and wash it.

Well, I think everyone just about covered it! Terrific job finishing, especially a king-size. Keep it, use it, learn from it. You never stop learning, this is the first step in your journey, now on to the next.....Oh and we love pictures!

After quilting for about 35 years, I still look at each quilt and think of things I should/could have done differently or better. I've learned that I can enjoy the process, learn along the way, and turn out functional and even pretty quilts. You'll find a lot of encouragement and understanding here. You finished your first quilt! That is more than many people even attempt. Each quilt will have its challenges, but enjoy the process and keep learning as you go.