... I just didn't trust my ability to do long, straight lines and the idea of not having to mark anything was appealing, plus I have that handy low-speed setting so I thought I could manage.[/quote]


I get nice straight lines by following the edge of a piece of blue painter's tape. Easiest way I know of for marking!

We are all to hard on ourselves. Just stand back and enjoy the complements. We get better as we go along.

On my first quilt, I called it stitch NEAR the ditch. ;)

Call it a learning experience. Only you will really know where the skeletons are buried--grin I'd say leave it and when you look at it several years from now you will just say this is where I started and look what I can do NOW!!

Debbie wrote: “I get nice straight lines by following the edge of a piece of blue painter's tape. Easiest way I know of for marking!” What a great idea!

And gzuslivz wrote “If your machine has the serpentine stitch, that is a really good one to use. It meanders back and forth in a wavy pattern. If you aren't super straight, it doesn't matter. I personally love it!” By golly that is a good suggestion!

LMAO because You have the funniest sense of humor and I am still laughing over your description "Craptacular". I truly am going to borrow that one!
On my very first "any kind of actual quilting" I did the exact same thing: stitch in a ditch + need for speed = QUI :-P

My advice? The other QB members are right. If it looks good when you step back (just in case you can't find a man to gallop past on a horse - LOL!) then be proud of your first attempt! Washing a quilt does help hide small woggles in quilting lines.

On the other hand, if those wonky lines are always going to prey on your mind, then, yes... they can be ripped out. I have read topics where QB members have been so unhappy with the quilting that they got back from professional LAQs that they then spent weeks ripping it all out. :hunf:
It might work if you chose your three worst quilting lines and rip out and redo those. Then step back a see if that is enough to make you feel better about your quilting. If not, then do a few more. On my "Craptacular" quilt, it was surprising what a difference redoing just a few of the worst lines made.

Most of all, don't be your own worst critic (said the pot to the kettle)! We all have to learn by doing and no one's first attempts are going to be great. 90% of the time, you are the only one who is going to notice.

I wouldn't redo it. It's probably not noticeable to anyone except you and it's always fun to keep your first attempt so in the future you can see how far you've come.

Stitch in the Ditch can be a challenge. I've spent a lot of time beating myself up over it. The three foot rule and the galloping horse scenario is right on!
I've removed stitches that were wonky to me, but I removed all the stitches in that line and started over. I don't know if it's right or wrong to do that, though.
Practice, practice, practice and keep in mind SID isn't as easy as it sounds! You'll do great as you gain experience, I know you will.

If it looks okay but not great...try washing it. I didn't believe that and tried it it works like a charm!

I remember well because it wasn't very long ago.

We are always our own worst critics, and it probably does not look as bad as you think it does. Next time try a small zig-zag stitch - if it's good enough for Georgia Bonesteel, it's good enough for us. If I have a quilt with squares I do an "X" stitch across it - no ditch. Think of this as a learning experience - Rome wasn't built in a day, so why do we think we have to be "perfect" the first time out? Unless you will be sleeping with your face next to the quilt, you won't see any imperfections.

Amen to that~!