Quiltingboard Forums

Quiltingboard Forums (https://www.quiltingboard.com/)
-   Main (https://www.quiltingboard.com/main-f1/)
-   -   UFO's (https://www.quiltingboard.com/main-f1/ufos-t295161.html)

Daylesewblessed 03-01-2018 11:18 AM

I wouldn't rip either. I would cut the same size, sash if you think that helps disguise differences, and go with it. If you liked the fabrics, it will be pleasing to you. After it is finished, you can decide whether to keep it, give it away, donate to charity, etc.

kacie 03-01-2018 12:32 PM

If you want to see what a disappearing block might look like, take a picture of the block and print it. Cut up and rearrange the picture rather than the actual block.

petthefabric 03-01-2018 01:16 PM

My first quilts were for Christmas presents the year we were married. I was still in university, trying to live in a university town where graduates were a dime a dozen. My new husband worked 60 hr/wk at minimum wage. And by January we'd found a cheaper apartment and I went to work full time, also minimum wage. Finally we were in the black. My husbands Christmas present to me was a pair of new pants.

So I made due with material I had to make quilts. They weren't pieced. Just 2 pieces of fabric with batting, quilted and bound. They were well loved. Over the years, the reciprients aged and died. The quilts came back to me. They're thread bare and the quilting is mostly gone. BUT, they were my expression of love for my new in-laws, new step mom, and gmom-in-law. Maybe 10 yrs later, I again picked up quilting and started with quilt-rules on a traditional quilt. And it reminds me of a beginner. Maybe 15 yrs later I got around to finishing. The front was blocks of the same size. The back contain the odd size and was creatively pieced with all the leftover's

Doggramma 03-01-2018 05:54 PM

Personally, if it was me, I'd only put any effort into them if I really loved the blocks/fabric enough to spend time working them into something. For me, I got rid of my learning/not good blocks and unfinished projects. But everyone's different.

Aurora 03-02-2018 03:35 AM

I would and have unsewn several projects from my early years and completed the projects now that I have more knowledge and skill than I had initially. It is always gratifying to see how far my efforts have improved. I know that if I completed it "as is", I would eventually toss it -- that is the only way it would ever leave my sewing room.

charmednmissouri 03-02-2018 07:27 AM

2 Attachment(s)
Oooh, I love all of your suggestions, expecially since most say to embrace the blocks and finish the quilt to show/remember how far I have come. Here are a couple pics of the blocks:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]590064[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]590065[/ATTACH]

The first shows four block together and the second is 1 of the blocks closer up.
Framing them to all the same size is a good section. But the disappearing block idea is good too. Hmmm....

SusieQOH 03-02-2018 07:32 AM

Charmed, those blocks are beautiful !! They looking nothing like you described. You need to finish them up and enjoy your work. It's so much better than I thought :)

Rose_P 03-02-2018 10:23 AM

I'd be delighted if my first efforts at piecing were half as good as yours!

In modern times our exposure to factory-produced goods has created an expectation for "perfection" that obliterates what is human and artistic. Rejecting that quilt you started would be akin to refusing to eat Mom's apple pie because the crust is sunk in on one side. Pies from the freezer in the grocery store might look more perfect. Which would you rather eat?

The only caution to consider before you put it together is check to see if any of your seams were too narrow to hold up. Those should be done over, of course, unless you just plan to hang it on the wall and never use it.

One more point, though: if you know in your heart that you'd be happier if you fixed it first, buy an inexpensive dog trimmer such as this for ripping seams. https://smile.amazon.com/Wahl-Pocket...mmers+for+dogs (The same thing is also sold as a mustache trimmer but costs more.) Be sure to keep the blades clean and lubricated. Practice on a scrap sewn with the same kind of thread and stitch length. Clamp the end of your piece to the edge of a table or get someone to help because it's hard to do this with only two hands. Start the seam by pulling a few stitches the usual way, and then zzzzzzzzzzzip! You won't dread ripping seams nearly as much after you use this.

cashs_mom 03-02-2018 10:32 AM


Originally Posted by charmednmissouri (Post 8013219)
When I began quilting 3 years ago, I wanted to practice, using real patterns, like most of us would. I found this cute pattern that I thought I could easily do. And I could now, LOL! But upon going thru my UFO's, I found these blocks, all 16" in size, using lovely fabrics. My sewing was terrible at that time. Seams do not match, half of the blocks are as much as 1/2" larger than the other the other half of the blocks. What should I do with them? Should I get out the seam ripper and do them correctly? Should I cut them into 4 peices and try to make a "disappering block"? If you encountered this, what would you do? I would hate to throw them out, and the idea of using my seam ripper to rip up all this block just goes against everything in me, LOL! The disappering blocks could be an option, but I would have to chop one up to see how it looked. Has anyone else discovered this situation? What did you do? Or, if you were in my shoes, what do you think I should do? I know this sounds like a silly problem, but I truely am stumped as to what is the best solution. Any ideas would be appriciated!

I recently went thru this with some blocks that I had paper pieced about 10+ years ago. They were awful! I hadn't squared them as I went. A lot were different sizes and they weren't the same. Since I had almost all the blocks made and some border and backing fabric, I decided to just fix them as best I could and make a nice quilt for the dogs and me to use on the couch at night. I had enough batting scraps so that I could piece them together and make a large enough batt. I call it "Wonky Dogs" due to the fact that they are pretty wonky. :D I use it most every night now.

charmednmissouri 03-02-2018 12:51 PM

I have good 1/4" seams, so those will hold up. The blocks were to go together without sashing, as in the first picture. Upon seeing how they did not match up, I truely panicked. Reading all of your suggestions, I will measure each to find which group they fall into: the just right size or the 1/2" more size, then use your sashing/framing suggestions and finish this quilt. Someone told me to imagine seeing it from a galloping horse and you won't see those errors, but when they are on your design wall, they just stand out! Thank you for your help. I just hated to see these go to waste, but were sure they weren't salvagable since they weren't the same size.

Cashs_mom, I actually did that with all of my quilt sandwiches. Again, could not stand to see them thrown out, so I took them all and sewed them together and bound them, and my older dog uses them as a bed when he comes in at night. He certainly did not care that they were the least bit wonky! :D


All times are GMT -8. The time now is 07:07 AM.