Some ways to mess up a quilt -
 

The fabric bleeds -
The fabric shrinks unevenly -
The pieces are cut the wrong size -
The seams are the wrong size -
The seams are uneven -
The instructions were wrong or poorly written -
The template patterns were not accurate -
The cat "dumped" on it -
The fabric scorched while it was being pressed -
Some pieces were misplaced and can't be found -
The thread was old and now the seams are breaking -
The sewing machine tensions were off and this is why the seams are popping -
A trimming snip ended up being too deep -
Was impatient when removing some stitching and now there are tears in places -
Barely had enough fabric to start with and then made cutting errors -
The cat decided to climb up a quilt that was on the ironing board and now there are tears in it from the cat - and then tears in it from the maker -
It got blood on it from the human -
One of the fabrics from this grouping was used for another project - and a substitute is hard to find -

I think there are more ways - these are just some of the ways I've had issues with a project -

Any additions to the list?

Using the wrong coloured thread for quilting and not realising until the next day when the lighting in your sewing room is oh so much better than it was the night before!

Wow, how utterly depressing. Did you have a bad day sewing? :(

That list is enough to discourage any new quilter from continuing and even makes me consider quitting after 40+ years.

Try to focus on all the wonderful things that can (and frequently do) happen to make a quilt turn out far better than you ever dreamed possible. Quilts often reflect the attitude of the maker at the time of their construction. (sorry you had a bad day...)

Thankfully I have not had to deal with very many of these or i would probably have given up.

.
It is simply a "pot-stirring" topic solely for entertainment IMHO.
Back to my beautiful quilt in progress.

Not sure why we would need instructions on how to mess up a project. :eek: Not something I want to think about.

The main objective is to enjoy sewing and creating something beautiful. Somehow that can be achieved even if disasters occur along the way.

It was meant to be - sort of a - poke - at where things can go wrong. And perhaps a reminder to check on some things before continuing -

I have had all those things happen - over about thirty years - and most of them were learning experiences - one way or another -

which is why I now

- wash everything washable before cutting it
- check the pattern - and/or make a test block before progressing if something seems wonky
- now know that instructions and patterns are not always 100% accurate
- now know how to get all sorts of stains out of fabrics
- have learned how to improvise
- can do almost invisible mends

So most of the experiences were not all bad - a bit frustrating at the time - but "overcoming" was a high.

I go to great lengths to avoid bleeds and shrinkage, though. Much easier - for me - to avoid the issues at the outset by washing before cutting than trying to undo the damage later.

Mandy "got" it! :)

*Not making a sample block before cutting all the fabric!!!!
*Not doing the math on how much of each fabric to cut for each # of blocks. (too many left over blocks, made two quilts with same fabric

Starting a project!! lol

Mine tend to come from being over confident in my math. I like to "invent" my own patterns and proceed full of exuberance only to discover I made a simple calculation error.

Buying material from somewhere whilst on holiday, getting home and realising you are short? Unpicked slipping and ripping the fabric? List is countless and I bet most of us have done at least one of them before now, I know I have and it's usually when I become Scarlett O'Har- tomorrow is another day lol ��

That's funny! I've done all those things but seeing that others have too made me laugh that I am not alone!

I am surprised that a cat who climbs up quilts on an ironing board is still alive!! Sounds quite dangerous to the cat.

I used to do hand quilting for a lovely lady with a quilt business. As she got older she had her daughter make the tops. She sent me one, all basted, full size. I was about half way through quilting it when I got to one part that was way off. Think, 9 patch blocks interspersed with plain blocks, well, one of the 9 patch blocks was clearly smaller than the rest of them, with resulting pulling and distortion of the rest of the area.
I didn't want to "drop a dime" on her daughter, so to speak, but in the end I called her and told her about it. She said to go ahead and quilt it.
I knew it was a special order and could only imagine the customer seeing it. Glad I wasn't there.

ETA - I have always been worried about putting a quilt together with backing wrong side out, although I have never done it. Still, I check it a few times.

Picking out what I thought were great coordinating colors in the store, only to make a block and realize they are not so great after all.

leaving a UFO where the sun can find parts of) it daily for a long time

leave a UFO where the sun can find parts of it daily for a very long time...

You're tired, you need a break, but you only have a little way to go to finish the quilt...than poop happens.

i love this, I died laughing when I read about the cat and quilter crying. Thank-you for a good laugh. Bye the way, that must have been one heavy cat.

You spent hours marking your quilt with that little purple pen & woke up the next morning to find it all but completely disappeared.

Or you started on one machine and finish on another machine that you discovered the 1/4" seam isnt the same size!

I would get rid of the cat

Sad, but I had all of these happen yesterday with ONE block! Don't even get me started about my thread problem.

Or you are furiously sewing late in the night for that new baby due any minute....and the belt on your machine breaks and you don't have a spare. Then you realise the backup machines are not as robust as the one with the broken belt so you have to put everything on hold 'til the new belt arrives....then the baby arrives early (today)!

The trick is to change your perception.

None of these are show stoppers. They're not even really problems if you put on your rose-tinted glasses. This is a list of OPPORTUNITIES!

Maybe I'm a little crazy but I kind of like a big screw-up, as long as it's not on something I'm desperate to finish on a deadline. A big screw up can lead to some seriously creative thoughts, and sometimes the "repair" or the plan B ends up much more interesting than the original idea.

Of course, most of my quilts are scrappy or at least have some sort of scrappy element to them, and I think that lends itself to "creative fixes" a little more easily than a more regimented quilt pattern/style would. But all in all...if there's no deadline, to me a screw up means it's time to have some good creative fun!

Wait ... Did I just read you have a new little one? Congratulations!!!!

WARNING: TWO OR THREE OF THE ABOVE CAN RESULT IN A UFO! Just recently picked up a UFO I had put aside. Was enjoying continuing the project, happy with the quilt as it was emerging. Why in the world did I stop and put this one away? It is a Kalidescope quilt. Sure there is one block that the bias stretched and the block is unusable but I have enough extra that this won't be a problem. The sashing I chose overpowers the blocks but that's not a problem I have fabric in my stash that will work much better. I probably don't have enough of the teal for the hexagon triangles, wrong just barely enough. I'm sure these three problems were why I put the top away but on re-examination they weren't problems at all. I've been quilting for 47 years and still am learning how to not give up.

Those I consider my "stash" that I will use "someday"!

Planning a day of quilting with a friend...
Son Calls and says Mom, I need help. I was driving to work and I just flipped my car.. I'm not hurt, BUT...
I decided the events of the day were not optimal for the quilting process with my concentration being a "bit scattered".

Thanks for the list Bearisgray, we have all had our mishaps, and most of us have experienced one or more of your list. I usually go by the old adage; "Whatever does not kill you serves to make you stronger. " Then there are the times I end up saying, "If I do not leave this for now, I will kill someone or something." And, actually I think most of us can laugh at some of the things we have experienced,,,Now.

Happy Quilting,
Susan

I figure that was my fault for having it so inviting to him.

We don't have any cats or dogs any more. I do miss the companionship. I hope they are all in kitty or doggy heaven now

Susan: Truly terrifying. Even with the disclaimer of "I'm not hurt", I would need to see for myself. Can sure understand why you weren't in the mind set to quilt. My kids have provided me with some of my more heart stopping moments of my life. I keep warning them I'm too old, they just might scare me to death.

I'm sure I have any number of these negatives happen when I've been quilting, but I try not to let it discourage me from my love of quilting. When things start to go wrong and you can't seem to fix them, top, pick up another project or just quilt all together and come back to it later, when you can come back to it with a clearer mind. Sometimes I just need to walk away and when I come back to the project, I'm OK.

I think the only way to really mess up a quilt is to simply "NOT" try.

In my case, I feel like my mess ups always have to do with the quilting part of making a quilt. It's a goal, I truly want to feel comfortable and adequate when actually quilting my quilts. Guess I need to practice more. I think I have no less then 5 tops ready to be quilted. I will have to get on that.....soon. :D

lol, giggle, I haven't put the wrong side out, but, I did get the back on upside down on the fifth quilt I made. lol, I never noticed it until it was all done. It was my actual first bed size quilt. It still makes me smile. It resides on my son's bed. He doesn't care.

*Note to self, I try never to buy a directional fabric for backing or triangles. Really, almost anything. lol :D Fewer boo boo's show on just a plain, tone on tones or small prints. I'm still learning all the time.

Yall have definitely made me smile.

Started a tee-shirt quilt with a fusible batting, pressed on the tee-shirt side of the sandwich.

One shot of iron-cleaner later I had to throw out that block. Fortunately, it was a QAYG project so I could swap in another block without taking the whole top apart.

Yes, our DIL went into labour in the early hours of Sunday morning and delivered a beautiful little boy on Monday morning...Our precious little Felix Giove.

Well , i think it is funny. Yes , funny. I've had most of these happen to me and the time really upset me. But i try to find the humor in all things. Maybe not at the time , but later. hehhehee

Ah, just yesterday I was putting the final border on a queen sized quilt. I didn't want joins so painstakingly cut each 8 1/2" wide strip lengthwise from the fabric before cutting them to the size I needed. I was cutting the last piece and did not measure twice. It was exactly 1" too short.

I live in mortal fear of doing that - so now I usually cut the borders two or three inches longer than needed - and NEVER before the rest of the top is done - but I do mark the "exact" length needed on the border to match to the rest of the top. I would rather cut off an inch or two on each end than be short.

I think it makes sense to "reserve" the border fabric before cutting the rest of the pieces - but I also think it is better to wait until the rest of the top is done to actually cut the borders because sometimes the top has grown an inch or two from the measurement suggested in the pattern.

Yes! If ya quilt long enough, you can sure empathize. When I see small dots from the quilter sticking her finger, I smile and can feel her pain. Makes it all the more authentic.