uneven quilt
 

I'm a junior varsity quilter. I finished a log cabin wall hanging and it is uneven. How picky should I be? Should I take it apart and fix it?

if it bothers you......then yes.
Unevenness is caused by possibly tw things - inaccurate cutting and inaccurate seams.
It is a good idea to measure as you go along to make sure it is staying "squared".

I agree with Holice.

I'm a bit of a perfectionist, and would lay it aside for a day or two, and then tackle the problem.

Log cabins can go wonky very quickly. I found that the easiest (tho not the fastest) way of keeping everything square, was to press and measure after every seam. I also found that I had better luck if I cut the strips to length before attaching. How about a picture please?

What stage of the project are you at?

If it's quilted and bound, then let it be.

Figure out where the glitches are and "do better" next time.

If it's at a stage where it would be comparatively easy to fix it, then I would take it apart and redo it.

If the question is "how picky should YOU be?" - I can't answer that for you.

I know how picky I am - and wonky does bother me.

The other thing to consider is that if a bed quilt is not quite square it doesn't show up when the quilt is on the bed. However if a wall hanging is uneven it shows up all the time. Every time you look at it you will be reminded. So yes, I would fix it - unless it's already quilted, and then I would just cry.

there are several schools as you see. I would add only that from now on, press after each and every step and then square up your blocks. If your fix for this is simple, I would say do it. Meaning, if it is one seam only to be removed. But if it is a problem inherent in each and every block, caused by not pressing or squaring up, then do something like tie the quilt and get it used. Think of it as where you will measure your future quilts from. Or as a utility quilt, which were not at all intended as heirlooms but to keep the "younguns" warm at night. Those are the quilts that got used and loved...someone's blanky. Whatever you choose, know you are making the right decision no matter the reason. Learn for the future. Love your quilt.

what is uneven about it? show us pictures-- there may be a fix for it without doing alot of taking apart-
it is important to square up your blocks as you go so everything fits together nicely-

Depends on whether it bothers you and how far off is it? If it is noticeable, then yes, but if only you would notice it and it doesn't both you, then no. Good no answer answer. LOL

My first log cabin was very wonky and I didn't have a clue how to fix it. My friend sent me a picture of a designed on purpose wonky log cabin the resembled mine. I felt better. Luckily I had enough fabric left over to make another one. This time it turned out better and I really learned alot in the process.

If it is so much work to take it out that you'll get discouraged, then it will become a UFO. If that is the case, add some extra borders & turn it into a lap quilt! Then make another wall hanging! I bet whatever you do it will be great.:thumbup:

I agree with Dublb. Make a lap quilt out of it and it will never be noticed. It will keep someone warm and cozy.

okay, two solutions to what was problem one or two causes.... if you sewed every row from the same end, it will automatically get wonky (turn into a parallelogram)... easy fix, sew one column from top to bottom and then the next from bottom to top... so tearing apart (if that is how you sewed it) and resewing is quite possible all you need.... you can check by measuring your squares... if they are real close to being even sizes and a good square, then this is all you need...

second solution without taking apart... take a border of 5 or 6 inches (or wider if you need it, depending on how crooked the parallelogram is), make a wedge out of it, cutting diagonally from one corner to the other, rotate one half and put on the bottom, put the other half on the top... now do the same thing again on the sides... you will have a log cabin with wedge shaped borders tilting the entire thing and disguising the 'wonkieness'....

ps...make sure you sew alternate rows and columns from opposite ends in the future...

I love your idea of wedges for borders--never in the world would have thought about that. Thanks for sharing.

unfortunately, i have learned this the hard way... there was a flurry of interest in this 'style' a few years ago, but it is such an easy fix for wonky blocks, wonky tops, OR and those occasiona where we have 20 different orphan blocks or 20 different blocks made by 20 different people that are different sizes...it is an excellent camoflage.