Is there a thread about unloved, fed up with, unfinished quilts ?
#11
I sent mine to someone on the board that was requesting material, blocks and such for charity quilts her group was making. Post the giveaway offer on the board and someone will want them..they will not go to waste that way!
#12
I've simply thown several away over the years. Their sole purpose was to learn and practice something new at the time I made them. They were never intended to be finished, kept or passed along so I threw them out when I was done with them. I still have the knowledge and the experience, and that's what matters. I do not consider that a waste of anything.
Last edited by ghostrider; 09-05-2014 at 10:45 AM.
#13
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Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Ridgefield WA
Posts: 7,765
#15
Also luvstoquilt301's idea to make a sample block or blocks all in the same color scheme is pretty smart too.
And can I say something about the popular theme of just finish it and give it to charity? Personally if I hate it I can't finish it I have 2 partial tops set aside to prove that point. My other problem is if I think it's awful I don't want to give it to charity if I wouldn't give it to a friend I wouldn't give it to anyone. Sometimes those programs are thought of dumping grounds for cast off uglies or careless craftsmanship and that makes me sad.
I do like the idea of someone more creative than I am taking my ugly stuff and making it something of value though.
Last edited by Billi; 09-06-2014 at 10:14 AM. Reason: More stuff
#16
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Join Date: May 2011
Location: Southeast Wisconsin
Posts: 1,070
Some really good ideas here this one is my favorite for uglies I currently have.
Also luvstoquilt301's idea to make a sample block or blocks all in the same color scheme is pretty smart too.
And can I say something about the popular theme of just finish it and give it to charity? Personally if I hate it I can't finish it I have 2 partial tops set aside to prove that point. My other problem is if I think it's awful I don't want to give it to charity if I wouldn't give it to a friend I wouldn't give it to anyone. Sometimes those programs are thought of dumping grounds for cast off uglies or careless craftsmanship and that makes me sad.
I do like the idea of someone more creative than I am taking my ugly stuff and making it something of value though.
Also luvstoquilt301's idea to make a sample block or blocks all in the same color scheme is pretty smart too.
And can I say something about the popular theme of just finish it and give it to charity? Personally if I hate it I can't finish it I have 2 partial tops set aside to prove that point. My other problem is if I think it's awful I don't want to give it to charity if I wouldn't give it to a friend I wouldn't give it to anyone. Sometimes those programs are thought of dumping grounds for cast off uglies or careless craftsmanship and that makes me sad.
I do like the idea of someone more creative than I am taking my ugly stuff and making it something of value though.
#18
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Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 9,300
I like the round robin idea--and I would say the last person to get it who could make a twin size out of it would be encouraged to donate it to a local homeless shelter. From what I've heard, "ugly" quilts are not likely to be stolen on the streets or by employees, hence a good destination for the quilts and blocks that are hodgepodged together.
#19
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Lanarkshire,
Posts: 47
Thank you for the replies; I think Jan's sums my opinion on this one up perfectly
I tripped across it again this week. It was intended to be a bright happy, sunny, rainbow of a quilt with appliqued and embroidered (with silk no less ) butterflies.
I am, if you'll excuse my Scotticism, thoroughly scunnered with it.
I have only one phobia; I was never the type to hide under the blankets, I wanted to see what the bogey man looked like; and it's fluttery things. Moths and butterflies have me squeaking like a six year old.
I carefully pieced a rainbow of Leonardo's knot and herringboned over the long pieced on rays to make a rainbow sunburst centre, and then started to put on the butterflies and embroider them. All of the top stitching is hand embroidered using silk.
I hate this quilt; I open it up and I kind of shudder. I had some daft idea that it would somehow ease my phobia, stop me being so blooming stupid about insects that can neither burn, bite, sting, nip or poison me. It didn't work. I started it twenty five years ago when I couldn't even buy quilting fabrics easily, so though it's mostly cotton, it's a mix of cottons, from the then fashionable satin finished stuff to lightweight twill woven. The colours and the silks pulled it all together surprisingly well. I had thought to applique on the butterflies, embroider over them, and then when I was quilting it to make kind of loopy circular trails leading the butterflies back to their matching colour on the centre rainbow thingie.
I opened it up and shook it, forgetting that I had put the paper templates and cut out appliques for my butterflies inside and they 'fluttered' and I squeaked and when I got my heart rate down again, I realised I really, really, really, do not like this quilt, will never finish this quilt and want to see the back of it.
I can't seem to throw it in the bin though.
I am so tempted to cut the centre medallion out of the background (plain yellow, so terribly 80's too) and see if I could somehow turn it into a small throw.
I'll see about pestering the husband to help me get a photo up, but in the meantime the quilt top and pieces are back in the box.
I can't be the only one who starts something like this thinking it's a good idea, and realising after a fair bit of work that it's as dead as the dodo and not going to be resurrected ?
It'd feel like a bit of a cheek phoning up some stranger and asking if they'd like my castoffs; different if I belonged to the guild or a group though.
Mary
#20
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Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: My Sewing Room
Posts: 1,180
My sister had a similar reaction to a quilt top she made last year. She was so disgusted by it she couldn't make herself finish it. I assured her that SOMEONE would like it even if she didn't. So she gave it to me to finish, along with the border fabric. I put the borders on and the quilt came out quite nice. I would have chosen different colors, but that quilt is nice; the fabrics are lovely, and it will keep someone warm. And I agree, ugly quilts are less likely to be stolen.
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