What is the biggest mistake you made when making a quilt?
 

I have made soooo many mistakes that I can't really define one exactly, but I remember cutting out 8" squares for the background for my applique Snowmen. After I cut 36 squares out, I reread the instructions and realized they were suppose to be 9". The Snowmen had very many pieces to each one and I had the hardest time making each piece small enough to look right on the smaller block. It made the entire quilt a nightmare. I had to try all different sizes for each piece of the snowman and the trees and birds and fence and house in each block. I know to read the instructions twice and cut once, but I had to learn the hard way. What was your biggest mistake?

I once did a paper pieced block with all the seams on the front side of the fabrics. Otherwise, it was perfect. The only one I ever tried that was "perfect". And the last one I ever tried.

I was about to do a hand quilting job on a large Texas Star with muslin background. I ironed the top and was horrified when rusty water came out and left a stain on the muslin. Fortunately the customer (who owned a quilt shop) had more and I was able to replace the piece.

I did only DRY ironing for about 20 years after that!!

Cutting 5 inch squares and ending up with a rectangle. I had a 8 1/2 inch square ruler and had turned it the wrong way.

I always make more then one mistake on any quilt I make. That's a given for me. It doesn't bother me anymore.

I have a foot with a guide, but I have to move the needle to get the magic 1/4". I once chain pieced about a hundred HSTs and then found that I had forgotten to move the needle. They were cut too small to retrim and the blocks were partially done. I had enough fabric to cut more then used the problem ones in the border.

My biggest mistage was having one block sidewards when I sewed the quilt together. I sandwiched it, top quilted it, and bound it, never seeing the mistake. My 6 year grand daughter (the quilt recipient) saw it. Old eyes!!

My worst mistake was adding the wrong green fabric to a quilt. It was for a Charity project and I didn't notice it until it was finished. I felt bad that I picked up the wrong green fabric, but what could I do?

Getting married for the second time.....oh wait.....this has nothing to do with quilting......

I made all the blocks for a Buzz Saw quilt from flannel and then I realized that I had sewn each and every one of them together wrong. I picked each quilt block apart with a seam ripper and then put them back together. I saved every scrap of thread that I pulled out and put them in a jar. I put a label on the jar to remind me to read the instructions and I keep that jar right next my sewing machine!

Colleen