I cannot STAND sandwiching-- I have no room!

I used to use my living room floor (even though that too was a tight squeeze)-- but now that we're under renovation and everything is dusty I'm going to have to head to my quilt shop to see if they'll let me use their floor for 30-60 minutes or so... (although I have NEVER been able to sandwich in such little time I am hoping that, with room, it won't be so bad!)

Also, quilting big things under a small-necked machine is TOUGH. I keep telling myself I want to try quilt-as-you-go-- I even went to a talk / demo by Lois Smith (who is GREAT, btw-- you should check out her book on this if you want to learn), but I haven't designated a project to be my "tester".
:shock:

The yucky part for me is adding borders. Once the pieced top is done I admire that and like to move on to the next piecing project. I have quite a few quilt tops without borders sitting around.

Maybe I'm still just new enough that I haven't found any part truly yuchy - mostly frustrating (good thing I no longer have little ones running around the house cuz they'd learn some words they shouldn't) & my SO keeps asking me what is supposed to be so "relaxing" about this endeavor!! :lol:

But, for me so far it is the binding. I've got stitching in the ditch down pretty good, my seams are getting much easier (boy did I do alot of research on how to make that happen), I love picking out and mixing colors and I find myself designing quilts in my head....but I sure struggle with the binding. Just when I think I've got it ~ it goes wrong. Thankfully, these are "practice" quilts that go to family or donate to local women's shelter and they all just smile and tell me how wonderful it looks! :-)

I can't wait for the day when I can buy a true quilting machine and frame - I'm watching those dollars add up and every time I tell myself I'm tired of working two jobs - I look at the pictures!

LOL! You took the words right out of my mouth!

I make mistakes when I rush, and I rush because I have so little time to make all the quilts in my head!

I just hate the binding part if I have to hand sew it. I don't do hand sewing very often..

Yucky for me is definetly the sandwiching part. I just don't have room to do the large quilts (thats as good of an excuse as any) and since I don't like that part, I'm not good at it. I just love all the rest though. Picking out the fabrics and fondling them...pure joy! :lol:

That's part of my joy too but I just love it when they are all done. I haven't learned to do any fancing machine quilting so I send most of mine out to a friend with a long arm. I can always pay her extra to add on things. It does get expensive though and takes away from more money for FABRIC>>I don't have a large place in my house to put things together either. She does that for me too.

Guess I should have edited that picture down some.

I just joined today. My name is Connie and I live in Bennett, Colorado about 30 miles east of Denver. I've only been quilting about a year. I went to a class for a while and may go to another one at Joann Fabrics. Right now I'm working on the 2007 Colorful Colorado Shop Hop Quilt. I'm sewing down the appliques and that is a yucky part for me too. This is my most recent completed quilt. It's the Elenor Burns, Quick Trip Around The World.


Happy Stitching to All..

Connie

I too get frustrated with the quilting I've been on my second quilt for a while now and it mostly sits on the table and does duty as a cat bed in between ripping out seems, re-ironing, re-pinning and trying to get it rolled up and into that little 7 1/2 in throat on my machine. That is why I took a job at Wallyworld. To save money and get a long arm machine with a frame. Other than trying to free motion on a machine that doesn't drop the feed dogs, In a tiny throat, I love every part of quilting. And know I'll be loving it more.

I would say not quoting the right price as it seems it always takes longer than I think. Like the king size one I'm quilting now. It took forever to sandwich it and it is extremely hard to squeeze it all in my machine to quilt. WHY !!!!!!!! Do I always get in so deep. Guess I just like to help everyone, but me. :lol:

The part I dislike the most is ripping out points that aren't perfect. I nearly lost my religion on a star type I made for my husband. The points weren't going in like I wanted so I kept ripping them out. I finally got them right. Also those nasty little threads can be eliminated with one of those cheap clothes lint rollers. I keep one on my sewing machine.

I hate putting the sandwich together. Getting everything smoothed out and pinned is a hassel.
Chamby :x

I hate having to sew fabric together for the backing. Next least favorite is making the sandwich.

I find cutting to be very time consuming. Thank goodness for rotary cutters, neat cutting mats and rulers that I can even understand. Doing things straight and square has always been a challenge for me so I have to really concentrate to make sure the cutting is accuarate. (because if it isn't, it's all down hill after that LOL). Once my fabric is cut up, the rest of the process is just joy........
~Joan

After reading all your yucky parts of quilting, I find that I agree. However for me, the sandwiching and pins, pins, pins, then re doing because of wrinkles is the worst part. My daughter wants a quilt that is make almost entirely of 9 patches. Each block has 9 small 9 patches, and we need about 25 blocks, so I anticipate cutting 1.5 inch squares from now til doomsday. That will probably become my most yucky job. Marylou

I love the planning, designing, the cutting out of the fabric. That is by far my favorite part of quilt making. As far as the "yucky" part, I guess it would be when I lose enthusiasm for the project because the sewing of the blocks takes too long. Once the blocks are done, I enjoy putting everything together. The qulting is a challenge for me, but I do enjoy it, especially when I do a good job, which happens from time to time = )

I am new to posting on a message board. This is the picture I meant to attach. Let's see if I get it right this time!

What a pretty quilt! You did a great job on that 1!

Debbie, have you tried putting something on that underneath finger. I've heard of a spoonlike gadget to use underneath. That sounds awkward to me, but it must work for some. An aunt of mine used to use a thimble on each hand. Other people that I know use adhesive tape on that under hand.
Betty

Guess I'm an odd one, but Ripping doesn't seem to bother me. That is, it doesn't bother me until it gets to the 3rd or more time on the same block. After reading everyone else's dislikes and agreeing with each to some degree, I began to wonder what I DO like so much about quilting. I especially dislike h having to stand to cut those long strips for borders and such. Standing kills my legs, but I can't cut straight when I set. I also dislike laying out the sandwich. I have to do this on the floor, and I always get too much help from my cat. Basting, also, is a chore I could do without. That, too, is done on the floor, which makes my back hurt. Quilting is yet another problem. I'd love to have a long arm quilter but have neither the money or the room. Maybe I should just go have a big bonfire with all that fabric, the hundreds of quilt magazines and books. Never happen. I'll fight first.
Betty

The actual quilting, I am not good at it so it INTIMIDATES the hell out of me, my solution, I'll just have someone else do it-yea that works.

The yuck part for me is finishing a project. I get bored about mid-way and start something new. I need more motivation to stay focused on a project to the end.

Thanks Sandpat,

Makes mee feel better about it that someone other than my self likes it.

Happy Quilting,
Connnie

I hate my iron. It beeps if it sits still too long. So I will press something and go back to the sewing machine and 5 minutes later, I have to get up to wiggle it or turn it off!

I am also not crazy about the hand sewing involved in the binding.

Girlfriend get a different iron, and you can sew the binding on by machine, one lay I had quilt for me did it on her long arm, was great.

There are only two problems I have. First, is that there is not enough time in the day. I do believe that if it were possible to have a cook and house keeper that I would only leave my sewing room for short breaks to eat, sleep, visit with my grand daughter, the beauty shop, meet with quilting groups and shop for quilt paterns and fabric. Second, there is not enough money in my bank account to buy all of the beautiful fabrics I would like to have in my collection. Quilting is therapy for me and probably cheaper than seeing a shrink!!! My granddaughter quilts with me so we have lots of time together. The only time I really lose my cool is when the sewing machine mal-functions and that is usually my fault.

To me quilting and vacations have a common thread. When we "go on vacation" we can become so focused on the destination point that we forget to make the journey an interesting part of our vacation. In quilting, we become so interested in the finished quilt that we again forget that all of the preparation can be a happy time too.

As I watch the news and think about women in the world around me, I become aware that I am very lucky to be able to sit in my sewing room and sew a quilt. There is food in my pantry to cook and eat. I have running water and an in-door bathroom. I have a washer and dryer to clean and dry our many, many clothes. We have electric lights which allow me to sew late into the night if I so desire. I have eye glasses for my aging eyes. AND I am very thankful that I can make quilts just because I want to and not because I need it to keep my family warm.

What do I like least about quilting? Well, I have to say it's not having enough time to do all the projects I want to do. Our lives are so busy in this day and age. In the last several weeks our family has been bombarded with family issues and I have not been able to do much of any quilting... we continue to have family issues - may be a long trip out of state soon - and I'm thinking it will be awhile before I can get back to it... :(... When it comes to actually quilting - the hardest part for me is matching the materials... I love the rest... my husband and kids help me match so most of them turn out ok. :)

Now that I have the blocks for my granddaughters quilt done, I don't like it so am getting ready to rip and resew. I agree the sandwich part is the worst.

I enjoy everything about the quilting process, but I hate when I'm out in public and someone picks threads off me. I never can get them all, they seem to cline to everything. I just reply, guess you can tell I like to quilt!!

Funny... One Sunday morning I was quilting before we left for church - every minute counts, you know. and when I got to church the guys going into pray were standing around - our pastor said he'd noticed my hair was turning grey (ok, I have a few strands!!) but he had not noticed the white yet... there was a white thread in my hair!! :)

Nana, you really put life into perspective. Thanks for giving me "thankful thoughts" to start the day.

Nana, your thoughts on the subject are so true. We are so blessed with the freedoms we enjoy. And I agree about the lack of time for all the projects. I work full time, but try to sew a little in the evenings.

Jan, don't you know that quilters come with strings attached = )

Reva, it looks like you did a great job of matching fabric in the quilt on your profile. I tried to enlarge it so I could see it better, but I don't know how.

blessings to you all,

Sally

Sally,

My daughter chose those fabrics!! :roll:

My thanks to all to you quilters, and a special thanks to Nana for putting the proper prospective on all this quilting. We should all be thankful that we have sufficient funds to obtain fabric, eyes with which to see how to quilt, and the energy to do our favorite past time. We should also be thankful for our sewing machines and the electricity to power them, although I'd still rather have the old treadle machine on which I learned to sew.
Betty

I've just decided that the YUCKIEST part is pinning.
My back hurts and I'm not even 1/4 way thru pinning!
OUCHY!

When I was visiting with my daughter while she was living in Alaska, I learned that there are areas in Alaska where people are still using the old machines because they don't have electricty. When watching Simply Quilts there was a lady who had a collection of these machines, and I remember that there was one which sewed only a chain stitch. I believe this is the same lady who had found evidence of free motion quilting in antique quilts. I too started sewing on these.

Sometimes when we think we are going forward, we are actually going backwards. I never had to get up and walk around because my butt was aching while using that treadle machine. Of course, I was a lot younger then.
Betty

And I would think that free motion quilting on a treadle machine would exercise the WHOLE body and we could probably lose weight. Remember the Dean Martin show when all the women walked down the stairs to greet him and there was always one who said, "All over my body"???? That's how I think about trying free motion quilting on those old machines. When it would be time to stand up, I would be hurting "All over my body."

Don't know if I'm coordinated enough to do free motion quilting on a treadle machine. I doubt that I could do it. I'd probably put the needle through a finger like I did when first learning to sew.
Betty