I had to laugh when I was writing a new quilter earlier today. I told her that whatever she was doing would be fine, we'd all been there before and how I had to keep the selvage on every piece of fabric, since it truly was the only way I could sew a "straight" line :lol:
I started thinking about it and had a few other rookie mistakes on my list and was wondering what everyone else thought.

1. not being able to sew without the selvage as the guide or as the material used LMAO

2. still not being able to follow a sewing pattern---I'm more the make it up as I go along type except block patterns (although I may fudge a part or two if it suits me) LOL as long as you're consistent it will turn out.

3. my first shot at applique I completely jammed my machine by using totally the wrong interfacing and I had to let it sit a good couple of days before attempting to pull the mess out because I was so peeved....yeah, this just happend :lol: it's a little to fresh in my mind to be completely funny but some of you can appreciate it

4. buying the wrong @)($$* stuff for the machine because I just didn't know the difference. Anyone interested in a nice, new, walking foot?

5. not being able to do something new without a visual---no longer a major issue, thanks to the fantastic tutorial section. I'm freakishly visual.

6. not taking time to bother with that pesky measuring jazz and then getting frustrated when the stuff doesn't come out perfect in the end (not that it's perfect now, mind you, but somewhat closer at least)

7. 1/4 inch? Who came up with that one?!? I used to enjoy nice, large seams that weren't exactly straight, but oh so easy to pull and re-sew. now I have rules and masking tape on my pretty machine.

8. not saving scraps in the begining...to think of all the material I wasted when I was first learning to sew/quilt....ugh it makes my stomach turn. :roll:

9. having a hard time remembering my coupons on the sale days....no longer an issue and trust me, I KNOW I'll have my 40% coupons when they come and can put a project off to wait for the supply I refuse to pay full price for.

10. not being able to unwrap fat quarters when I first bought them...some of them had sticky label goo on them because I waited so long to unfold the precious goods. I wash without fabric softener and then press before anything goes into my stacks. I was a fabric collector rather than a quilter back then---but that's ok----live and learn.

OH Loretta, If I won the lottery I think I'd amass a gigantic collection bigger than my house. I drive my DH insane with talk about fabric, how I always need more and just because two fabrics look alike doesn't mean that they are. He's colorblind, so he does give me a little leeway on that one. LOL. You can just never have enough.

Plus, my grandma told me that NOW is the time to collect it because when you're retired you have to depend on other people to take you to the fabric stores and if they do, they follow you, drive you crazy, question your purchases, etc. so she told my husband to let me buy whatever I want. I love my grandma.

Those are great retrogirl! Been there, doing that! I have learned to keep it simple and practice technique! I'm need lots of practice! Of course in the beginning I bought Baltimore Album books and thought I'd "whip up" a few of those. Maybe in my next life time! LOL!

Good one, Chele. Now that I'm on the fast track to easy applique I see a completed Baltimore in about hmmmm 30 years or so. NOt that it's that scary newbies, really.

It's not just rookies! I have three 45mm blades for my 60mm rotary cutter and one 10mm blade for my 28mm cutter. Neither one of those cutters is going on a diet any time soon. :shock: :roll:

Good one nor'easter. I was just going to order the 60s for my 45 yesterday!!

I'm with you on a lot of those, but especially the 1/4" one!

3/8 is easier, I had to buy a 1/4 foot because I kept having uneven seams. Now they actually match each other! :lol:

I still need the 1/4 inch but after the recent walking foot fiasco it may be a while...masking tape isn't that bad.

I thougth it was just me.

I hate the 1/4 seams, I use 1/2 on everything I create myself,,, If I use a pattern my seams are so bad, and I rip out so much.

walking feet are not all created equal, I lost the one on my Brother, and the Singer or Elna will not feet it. I purchased one from Joann's, and it will not fit. I am going to put the machine in the car and go shopping.

My mother taught me never, never get rid of your scraps. So after 20 years of saving them; I cut all my scraps into different size blocks and made a scrappy quilt with them. Some pieces I pieced together to make bigger blocks, then trashed the small left overs. Now I look at that quilt and think about the dresses for my daughter, the shirts, and jams I made for my sons when they were all little.

Oh, rookie errors, I still do them, I just don't get as ticked any more.

I keep telling myself that there is no such thing as an error, rookie or otherwise . . . just lots of opportunities for learning. . .

Daughter is now learning to sew and has her eye on a quilt pattern - so this will be our mantra!!!

These are great ! I'm almost afraid to ask what happened with the walking foot ! Silly things happen to me all the time . I'm not laughing at you , but with you . Quilting buddies . I don't have a sewing partner , so nobody to tell on me when I do something silly . Annie

I've had a walking foot for quite a while and think I might have rec'd it for a gift...just tried it this week and thought I was walking foot challenged until I tried to put it on both machines for most of the day and realized it couldn't possibly fit. When my mom came to visit, she looked at it for about 5 seconds and said oh, it's not the right size without having to put it on the machine. I was ready to throw it across the room by the time I was done but just had a little laugh with her.

I don't have a quilting buddy either because she does't live near me so I'm going online to laugh at myself with people who understand. I seriously still have that walking foot sitting in the package if someone needs it. I'll have to buy a new one that fits my machine. I'm a little too irritated to go get it this week, it may be a while.....besides, I still have to finish the quilt that I was practicing the walking foot for in the first place. Of course, if I had waited until it was all done I'd be losing my mind, so everything happens for a reason. :D

painter's tape is my friend!! plus my walking foot, rulers, 1 /4 foot, and on and on and on!!

Have a quilty day,

simple quilter

oooh, Donna Mae, that's great. Thanks for sharing the painters tape trick.

I don't have to wait until I'm old, I have that problem now with somone following me through the store and questioning all my purchases. I call him my husband. :lol: I think I love your grandma too!! :!:

Are rookies the only ones who are supposed to make mistakes. I'm a 16 year rookie then and I've actually worn out several seam rippers. *sigh* I love my quarter inch foot and couldn't do without it or my walking foot. My machine has a walking foot built into it, which is one of the best features about the machine! (Janome 6600)

I think I have less problem with the quarter inch seam because I didn't do any sewing before I learned to quilt so I have nothing to compare it to.

Scraps...yes, I weep when I think of the scraps I threw away when I first learned to quilt. Now I keep not only my own scraps but I collect scraps from all my friends. It's amazing what people are willing to throw away! :?

I'd say I'd buy the walking foot from you but I already have 3 of them and Im still not sure if any of them actually fit my machines right. lol
Judy in OHio

Tiffany, not just rookie mistakes, but my rookie mistakes LOL I'm 3 years in and some of those I just made this past week!! Maybe someone can learn from my boo-boos and the rest of us can have a little laugh and think of our learning experiences.

Judy, I thought it was just me....still not willing to go look at them yet...I may finish the quilt before I get over the irritation of wasting a day of potential piecing. What can a girl do?