magnolia

I just wanted to share a quick little story about when I made my first quilt (a mini quilt).

I purchased a starter kit that came with a rotary cutter, cutting mat, ruler, and a pattern to make a mini quilt. I also purchased the necessary fabric. I had absolutely no sewing experience. While trying to make this quilt I came across one of the very first sewing instructions about 'sewing the right sides together'. This had me very puzzled.

Now comes the funny part.

I spent hours trying to figure out the right side from the left side. How do you tell? It isn't marked. I got frustrated and left it alone. Two days later I tried to figure it out again. Couldn't. I asked my boyfriend to help me and he didn't know what the directions meant either. I was finally at my wit's end when I called my boyfriends mom to come help me (she used to make quilts a long time ago).

I explained to her that I couldn't figure out what it meant by 'right side of fabric' because I didn't know right from left (I am rather directionally challenged). Also, the pieces of fabric I was working with were square so they were all the same.

She starts laughing hysterically. She then explains that the 'right side' of fabric refers to the side that has the color or pattern on it (front). And the other side is called the 'wrong side' because it is the side not generally used for the top side of the finished quilt. I stood back and thought "well, I'm glad you cleared up what the 'wrong side' is because that would have created a whole other dilemma when I came to it".

It's a story I can look back on now and laugh at and think "boy, I sure had a lot to learn then".

Thanks for reading. Hope you got a chuckle.

quilterella

Too cute...I'm sure we all have little stories like that tucked away somewhere...thankyou for sharing yours.

Lacelady

Yup, I'm giggling here, but with you, not against you. So glad you got it sorted out in the end.

Teacup

Great story! Thanks for the chuckle! I've had a lot of a-ha moments when directions for something I didn't understand started to sink in. I'm also directionally challenged and if there's a way to sew it wrong, I find it!

Reminds me too how confusing this language can be to new quilters, as well as board messages when people use so many acronyms for what they really want to say. I can't tell you how long it took me to figure out that ISO was "in search of."

k3n

Funny story thanks for the chuckle! Your thought process was perfectly logical though - when I'm sewing with my daughter (aged 7) she calls the right side 'the pretty side' - if we all used her phrase, it would be a lot less confusing. :-D

quilting Carol

I'm with k3n the pretty side is better!!!!

AFQSinc

LOL! Cute.

meemersmom

I think your daughter should be writing directions for patterns. Sounds like we'd all have lots less trouble. I get confused every time I try a new pattern for a bag (or sewn item other than a quilt)...sometimes the directions are clear as mud.

mmdquilts

Thanks for the giggle! We have all been there during one part or another of the process!

Sassylass

That was funny and thank you for sharing. I am sure we all have had and will have moments in quilting that we stand back and wonder!!