I just wanted to share a quick little story about when I made my first quilt (a mini quilt).

I purchased a starter kit that came with a rotary cutter, cutting mat, ruler, and a pattern to make a mini quilt. I also purchased the necessary fabric. I had absolutely no sewing experience. While trying to make this quilt I came across one of the very first sewing instructions about 'sewing the right sides together'. This had me very puzzled.

Now comes the funny part.

I spent hours trying to figure out the right side from the left side. How do you tell? It isn't marked. I got frustrated and left it alone. Two days later I tried to figure it out again. Couldn't. I asked my boyfriend to help me and he didn't know what the directions meant either. I was finally at my wit's end when I called my boyfriends mom to come help me (she used to make quilts a long time ago).

I explained to her that I couldn't figure out what it meant by 'right side of fabric' because I didn't know right from left (I am rather directionally challenged). Also, the pieces of fabric I was working with were square so they were all the same.

She starts laughing hysterically. She then explains that the 'right side' of fabric refers to the side that has the color or pattern on it (front). And the other side is called the 'wrong side' because it is the side not generally used for the top side of the finished quilt. I stood back and thought "well, I'm glad you cleared up what the 'wrong side' is because that would have created a whole other dilemma when I came to it".

It's a story I can look back on now and laugh at and think "boy, I sure had a lot to learn then".

Thanks for reading. Hope you got a chuckle.

Too cute...I'm sure we all have little stories like that tucked away somewhere...thankyou for sharing yours.

Yup, I'm giggling here, but with you, not against you. So glad you got it sorted out in the end.

Great story! Thanks for the chuckle! I've had a lot of a-ha moments when directions for something I didn't understand started to sink in. I'm also directionally challenged and if there's a way to sew it wrong, I find it!

Reminds me too how confusing this language can be to new quilters, as well as board messages when people use so many acronyms for what they really want to say. I can't tell you how long it took me to figure out that ISO was "in search of."

Funny story thanks for the chuckle! Your thought process was perfectly logical though - when I'm sewing with my daughter (aged 7) she calls the right side 'the pretty side' - if we all used her phrase, it would be a lot less confusing. :-D

I'm with k3n the pretty side is better!!!!

LOL! Cute.

I think your daughter should be writing directions for patterns. Sounds like we'd all have lots less trouble. I get confused every time I try a new pattern for a bag (or sewn item other than a quilt)...sometimes the directions are clear as mud.

Thanks for the giggle! We have all been there during one part or another of the process!

That was funny and thank you for sharing. I am sure we all have had and will have moments in quilting that we stand back and wonder!!

I don't know about that - the other day, she had art club after school in a different classroom - you should have heard her trying to explain to me which room it was 'it's near where me and Jess play skipping, and there's a metal thing about that high and a leaf stuck on the window'! :shock: :lol:

That is so funny, see what we learn. Thank you for putting a smile on my face this morning.

Thanks for sharing. I have a problem telling which side of solid fabric is the back or right side after I cut the fabric.

A good laugh, so glad you asked and got on your way to quilting though!!

i can relate....

Oh my goodness, that is too funny. You might be my daughter.

I just learned that batiks have no right or wrong side.

I loved your story. I do like 'pretty' side better from the little girl who suggested it. I relly try hard when I give directions to make them as clear as I can. Wsh other folks in the world would do the same or have people who know nothing about that subject try to follow them when making whatever. Your story made me smile.

Thank you for sharing such a wonderfully honest story (laughter). This gave me a wonderful chuckle over my morning cup of coffee.

Cute story!

We all have to learn some how :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: Laughing with you and not at you.

Way too funny! You just ended my wondering of what ISO is.......

Very funny. I learned to sew in Home Ec. and was taught all the beginnings of sewing. I still will sew right side to wrong side once in a while. Not paying attention I suppose. I have been sewing for about 53Yrs. I'm always coming up with doing something wrong, my best friend when sewing is my seam ripper.

thank you for the funny this morning. that is truly a story to share. :lol:

Great story, I just finish a top that I did not have to use my seam ripper on because I got all the pertty side together. Someone on the board said they were going to have "right side together" tattoed on their hand. I have put some thought to that.

A perfectly logical deduction.

wonderful story!!!

Cute story, but I bet if we are honest with ourselves we were all there at some time.

Thanks for sharing.....but I must admit....sometimes the simplest of instructions stomp me!!!! A story you can share for a long time!!!!

I can relate since I don't know right from left either. I've been getting lost all my life!

Welcome to the club, LOL!

hehe cute story... which brings me to this question... other than the obvious (when the pattern is much brighter on the right side) how can one determine which is the right side of fabric?

I am using black in my rag quilt, and for the life of me I can not figure out right from wrong sides, so I just go with whichever way I pick it up.

(for me it was the UFO I kept seeing on here... at first I thought that quilters must be a target for aliens or something... till I googled it :D)

That was a good laugh - I'm at work but I really needed this to cheer me up! Thank you!

(PS I've done things like that too in my life)

I thought LOL meant "lots of love" but found out from my computer nerd son it means "laugh out loud". I'm still learning what some of the acronyms mean on this board.

LOL = little old ladies (that is what I used to think) hehe

haha The "old ladies" part does apply to me but not the "little". Sometimes I'm COL....Cranky Old Lady. :lol:

same here teddybear... I am definitely not a little old lady and yep cranky fits me too :)

Great story, so glad you shared it with all of us for a smile today! :thumbup:

Debs & Hemi

Oh, that's a hoot. Thanks for sharing that with us.

Lynn :lol:

Your daughter is pretty smart :thumbup: