Would you have said anything?
 

My neighbor knows I quilt

She's doing a baby quilt and lost her train of thought on placement of ties

She wanted a fresh set of eyes to help her remember

We figured it out but she's been sick and somehow managed to get the batting on the outside?

Anyway she said she is NOT doing it over to fix the batting problem

I wanted to take the quilt home with me and save it!

But I kept my mouth shut, said it was cute and just did what she asked me to.....

I would go see her and tell her the more you thought about it, batting won't work on the outside. Offer to correct it for her. Sounds like her heart is in it but she just can't pull it together. I would help her out on this one

I agree with toverly - when it is washed it will come apart. You are a great neighbor to do this for her!

I'm one that would have said something as well. I have to work at keeping my big mouth shut sometimes. . .but she needs some help.

I would tell her the batting will not work on the outside. It will collect dust and hair like a magnet. I'm sure the parents will be thinking I wish we didn't have this thing given to us.

You could blame her error on her being sick -

There may be something serious going on here health wise. Is there any other odd behaviors going on. I just can not believe someone would put the batting on the outside without some kind of a health or cognitive issue. Please keep an eye on her to make sure she is OK.

Yep, a quilt is useless with the batting on the outside. This quilt, and this neighbor, need help. I would offer to fix it.

I didn't want to hurt her feelings.

But maybe she was secretly hoping I would rescue her

She is having a COPD attack

I'll try and call her

I would help her out--esp. since she asked for advice.

she didn't ask for help with the batting, but if she said she couldn't remember how to do the ties...then maybe that was her way of saying, "HELP!"

The kindest thing to do is to tell her it will not work...gently, of course. You will save her a lot of embarrassment, especially if she is giving the quilt as a gift. She would never want to give something that could not be used or fell apart after the first washing. She will probably thank you for it someday ... and if not, you still will be doing the right thing.

Yep, she's at the drs office right now.

I'll ask her when she gets home.

I guess it's not like I'm going to really mess it up or anything.

I could probably have the thing sorted in a jiffy

I just don't want to insult her, you know?

I hope you were able to help her, I have fibromyalgia /stroke moments and later wonder what was I thinking? Now what? Not always easy to ask for help after dumb blunders either. If her memory issues continue might suggest a drs appointment for check up

If done nicely you won't insult her, she will appreciate it, if you can involve her in the fix will help her save face and educate her.

Please let us know how it goes. It is so kind of you to offer to help her and gently telling her that the batting will not work on the outside and you can easily put a backing on it or take it apart and turn it to the backing for her and then help her with the tying issue. You are a great friend to help her. We quilters always try to help when we can.

I don't understand about the batting being on the outside. ? Tell her you finally figured out what was unique about her quilt, aside from the pretty fabrics she used. Offer to help her make it look like it is supposed to look and the next time she comes to this part you can help her with it if she likes. I think that will go a long way to rope in another quilter.

The only way I can see her accidentally getting the batting on the outside is if she was birthing it and mistakenly put the batting between the fabric layers and then when turned right side out, there it was on the outside. Poor thing, and so nice of you to offer to fix it for her, Dresi.

Thank you for helping her. It sounds like she is sicker than she lets on. She asked for help and you are so kind to assist her.

she will be so glad and forever grateful for your assistance with the quilt.

I don't believe it's anything other than a severe attack of COPD-at least I hope not...

The poor woman's probably just all wrung out from being down with COPD and they have her on mega prednisone doses

And yes-it was just as some of us guessed-a birthing gone wrong. I just have to flip some fabric around and stitch it back together and it will be born again!

It only took about an hour to undo

I might have it sorted before bedtime if I don't get to bogged down with household minutia.

:)

So nice of you to help her out!!!

"I don't know nothin bout birthin no quilts!"(in my best Butterfly McQueen voice...)

Seriously, I've never done it before so I was a little nervous.

But I'm almost there thanks to the members of this board!

I read about it and then dove in after dinner. I ironed the fabric-both sides are flannel-and flipped the fabric so the top of the top faced the top of the bottom

I moved the coffee table and kind of smoothed one layer at a time onto the carpet which kind of held it all in place as I put safety pins along the edge every few inches

I started my seam a little more inward to hide stitching holes from previous assembly so I think it's about 3/4" smaller all the way around

It's laying a lot better now and it seems to be trying to form it's own binding now that I've turned it out.

I have the hole closed with many pins and I'm going to sleep on it before I do anything else

Trying to figure if I just tie it and be done with it, stitch in the ditch to secure binding effect or do some kind of decorative stitching to achieve that then kind of fluff it out and tie it out(applying the "It will quilt out" principle that really does work sometimes...)

I hope she will be happy with it

I was kind of afraid I would mess it up or something

Sometimes it's the easiest things I stumble on-maybe because I'm not expecting to. :)

You know your neighbour. If you go and put it right for her will she take advantage in the future.? If your answer was yes. Or maybe leave it.

She's been making these things forever.

I think in this instance she just couldn't string it together because she's been so sick all week

Sick, tired, weak and on so much prednisone she's shaky.

She just needs a hand on this one. the stress of it all is just too much with everything going on. You're very kind to quietly help her out. No need to say much, she'll appreciate the action and thank you for it later.

If she is taking Prednisone, she is not sleeping. That on top of feeling ill, it is no wonder that she made a mistake. She probably was thinking quilt sandwich; backing, batting, top, so when she birthed it, of course the batting was on the outside. You are a very thoughtful neighbor/friend to have helped her with this. We should have a friend like you ❤️

There is a saying that I am striving to accomplish. Dear Lord, keep your arm around my shoulder and your hand over my mouth. However, I think I would have made a comment in the context, "I know you have been sick, and I am glad to help you out, but I think the batting should be between the fabrics. I will help you fix it if you want me to." Like the other members have mentioned, I would have to say something. Good luck

Be nice and it will be returned to you someday.

I would try and tell her I would take it home and fix it for her.

COPD does terrible things to thinking ability. when the oxygen levels sink below normal, there is a cascade of events that happen, and hallucinations are not uncommon. the ability to sort out normal things becomes impossible. every day tasks go undone because they don't make sense. just looking at the quilt probably exhausted every capability this poor lady had. i'll be she would welcome some help, and after she is better, will be embarrassed that she had so much difficulty. the toll that oxygen lack takes is incredible, and it's something we take for granted every day. you would be a real angel to just help her out as gently as possible.

You are a kind neighbor. Health problems can really knock the socks off of our good intentions. I am so glad you helped her.

I think I would go back over and say..I have been thinking about the quilt..then tell all the things that could happen if left that way..and offer to take it home and fix it..since it is tied.it won't be hard to take out and fix..the person getting it this way will never use it..unless they fix it..and it really is a shame to ruin the gift thought behind this..it sounds like her mind is not working right at the moment..and the idea of fixing it ..is just too much for her..

how are things turning out?

I have the batting on the inside now and it seems to be trying to form it's own binding with the seam allowance.

I have the hole pinned closed following the lay of the "binding" but can't figure out if I want to stitch in the ditch around the edge or use decorative stitching or just tie it and be done with it...

Any ideas?

Swedish Gal makes sense
 

Good assessment...leave it to a Swede to sort this out!! Great of you to give her a hand...

I'm glad I'm doing it too.

When I first got back it took me ten minutes to thread my sewing machine and my conscience was bothering me....

I really didn't want to hurt her feelings though...

You probably would never forgive yourself if you hadn't helped your friend. We all need help in one way or another.

Pal I would be obsessing over it until the day I died-so glad I went back

:)

Prednisone can do strange things to people. My mother also had COPD, was put on prednisone, and from that point farther could not be left alone. She started a fire in her kitchen, wrecked the car, and just generally was not right in the head while she was taking it. Thankfully she was able to go off the drug and then returned to her normal self. I am glad you are helping your neighbor.

I agree. My neighbor has COPD. She has asked me a couple times if I would help her out. She has helped me many times as a moral supporter. So I owe her more. She had trouble with a new med, I couldn't go bu DH did. The way she read it, she would have overdosed. Such a sweetheart!