Should you tell someone if you see a mistake?
 

I can't usually find the mistakes that are made even when they are mentioned in the posting, and I quilted one of my first, used it, hung it in a small show and discovered a big mistake only when I took a picture of it. I had "known" something was wrong with one of the corners when I put it together but could not actually "see" it. Boy do I wish someone had looked at it for me. Now I consider it the little difference that makes it special.

I saw a quilt top here with a pretty big mistake and wondered if I should private message the person before it gets layered and quilted.
What do you all think? If I am polite in pointing it out privately?
Soon?

Thanks for your advice.

I would want to know for sure!

I try to never point out mistakes in someone else's project. Chances are, they know it. When I was first starting every project I showed my bee one particular person always pointed out my cut off points or empty binding. So I have a sensitivity to critiques. She always started, "I hate to be the devil's advocate but".... I stopped her by saying, "then don't be and walking away " But that is just my opinion

I would want to know. There are many ways to tell a person without sounding mean or like a "quilt cop" ( how about that non gender version?) I have found taking a picture works for me. I see the mistakes right away and I do that now before I sandwich my quilts.

I've been told a mistake in a quilt, is part of quilting. I know, I have some quilts with mistakes. As for telling a person I dont have any ideal.

How do you know it's a mistake? There is a legend (true or not I don't know) that the Amish always put a mistake in every quilt because they say only God is perfect. So how are you to know if the quilter put the "mistake" there for spiritual reasons, or to be "outside the box". I would just keep it to myself unless asked by the quilter.

I wouldn't unless they were going to enter it into competition. I have always tried to use the word "courtesy" in any remarks but most quilters on this board know how to be gentle in their critique. I have always in any type of artistic endeavor asked for "fresh eyes" if something looks off kilter. My Dh is so detail oriented I ask him often.

I don't know about others; but I would really appreciate someone telling me about a mistake before the quilting. Last year, I had a very intricate quilt top quilted before I noticed the error. I had taken pictures throughout the piecing process, sent the pictures to friends, and looked at them many times; but did not catch the error until after I had applied the binding. I told the LAQ that if she ever noticed an error to please let me correct it before she did the quilting. Just last night, I was looking at a picture of a BOM block that I recently sent to a friend. When I looked at the picture again, I noticed a HST that was turned wrong. I am so glad I caught it and could make the repair. Yes, I would like to know.

I wouldn't mention cut off points or empty binding, but if someone showed me a top before quilting that had a block turned around or something like that, I would mention it, because I would want such a mistake pointed out to me in those circumstances.

That's a good point, I hadn't thought of that. I guess it depends what the mistake is... If it's an assembly error (definitely made a few of these), I'd want to know because it can change the overall design of the quilt. But if it's something technique-wise, I'd feel like I was being criticized. Seriously, who points out cut off points? That's not very nice, especially if someone is new to the hobby.