RedGarnet222

I think you did great for a first attempt. Try to relax and enjoy what you have finished. I always suggest a person to begin by taking a class with a good instructor. That way they don't develop bad habits in the first place. The instructor can show you how down to the littlest detail. Piecing looks so easy until you try it. Then it learning the tricks to getting everything spot on. There are so many posters here that are sharing them every day. Like don't use steam and scrubbing while you are pressing on bias edges, it is amazing how big and out of shape it will get. Just keep piecing, pressing right , reading and asking questions. You will get there, honest!

Bataplai

I learned to quilt about 2 years ago. I look back at my first table runner (flying geese), which I still use, and chuckle at my inexperience. No big deal - I still use the runner, it looks great and no one else notices. My BFF gave me some sound advice when I was concerned over something that didn't work out quite right recently: She said nobody will be looking at the project as closely as I was.

Here are the things that have really helped for me (and I know I'm echoing what others have said):
I got a 1/4" piecing foot with a guide;
I wash, dry, then starch both sides of my fabric before cutting for a project - the starch really does help a fabric behave. I know it's a pain in the rear end and it's time consuming, but I have noticed a difference in my work since starting this;
Through practice I've learned how to press on the ruler and use the rotary cutter. It's amazing how the smallest thing can affect the cut. I noticed you aren't using a rotary cutter - IMHO you can't get good, straight quilting cuts using scissors. It only takes being off by a hair to really mess things up.
Practice, practice, practice. I think I'm getting pretty darn good at pieceing and getting points to line up (most of the time) and even just a new machine made a difference. I was using the 1/4" piecing foot on the new machine, just like I did on the old machine, and the row of squares came out crooked and 1/2" too short. I pulled it apart, restitched on the old machine and it was perfect. This was a huge wake up call that I need to start all over in practicing 1/4" piecing on my new machine.
In the end my mantra is Practice, Patience and Chocolate. Lots of chocolate.
Good luck... your topper looks really nice and I love the colors.

Sandi

I can COMPLETELY sympathize with your frustration after trying so hard and I think this group has made some great suggestions. Learning the 1/4" seam accurately takes a lot of patience and you need a way to check that you are doing it right. I use a 1/4" foot and a tape marker. Some people use those foot pads for your feet on the sewing machine to guide your fabric for 1/4" seam. I went through a similar torment after making several log cabin "squares", always something was off base. I still have to be careful and go slow and check check check.

I like your squares and your work.. the colors are great and the idea is sound. Don't give up! I won't if you won't!

Nancy Ingham

I “Love” your first attempt!!

As a newbie, use a template to trace your pieces, making sure that your pencil is slating in toward the template so as to get an accurate measurement, not away from your template which might give you an extra 1/16 to 1/8 of an inch. This can add up over the course of your finished work. Carefully cut out your fabric pieces with scissors instead of a rotary cutter as to again get an accurate cut. Make sure that your seam allowances are all just ¼ of an inch. Then when pressing, as mentioned previously, make sure that you do not drag your iron across your work as to stretch your work. Make sure that you gently place your iron down onto the piece, pick it up when you move it, and then press down onto another piece. Once you become comfortable and accurate with your work, you can start finding short cuts to take while maintaining your accuracy.

I still use templates and scissors and find that in the long run it is rewarding and a great time saver as my quilts always square up nicely when I go ahead and layer them, quilt and bind them. Everyone has their own preference and process. You will find what is comfortable and works successfully for you.

You are doing wonderfully…good luck ….keep up the good work…and enjoy!

labtechkty

Take a look at Missouri Quilting company tutorials on utube...she has a great way for piecing HST's...love your quilts ...

Dragonomine

lol I'd be happy to do your applique!

jbrother

I feel your pain but I don't think it looks as bad as you seem to think it does. I had a similar problem until I had a quilt teacher who taught me to press instead of iron. I was ironing the heck out of squares and using a lot of steam, and all I was doing was stretching the fabric until I learned to lift and set the iron down, instead of rubbing it all over the fabric to press. This may not be the issue with your blocks, but to me, your blocks looked stretched rather than mis-cut or mis-sewn. Still if it bothers you, try dampening and blocking your quilt like needlework and let it air dry to help straighten it a little and I think it would be fine. Whenever I start to get upset about a quilt, unless it is going in a competition, I think of how earlier women who didn't have all of the tools we have today did the best they could with their quilts and they looked just fine. We women are too self-critical and I can guarantee no one else would notice many of the things we consider to be flaws. Don't sweat the small stuff -- the thing is to enjoy being in the moment of creation! It's going to be a beautiful quilt -- I wish I had your talent for applique...talk about weird looking shapes on a quilt when I try to applique :-)

maviskw

The question about Thangles has still not been answered. This is new to me. I want to know! Are you talking about triangles? Just a misspelled word?

Peckish

No. She really means Thangles. It's sort of a pre-printed paper piecing system.

http://thangles.com/howtheywork.html

If you prefer video:
http://thangles.com/video.html

QM

Paper piecing might help you.
One thing that I found is that I found is that how you approach cross seams matters a lot, as does pinning. First put a pin vertically right next to the cross seam, through both pieces. This is the standard procedure. Holding it carefully, pin on either side of the first pin. (although, I generally use one pin on a diagonal.) Look at our left hand example. If you were sewing from bottom to top, It would be positioned correctly, so that your needle hits the seam allowance and locks it in place before it reaches the cross seam. If you have the reverse, the cross seams tends to be pushed apart. Of course, you may say, "What about pressing to the dark?" Where that is a problem, I clip the seam once so it can be pressed to the dark.

When a large number of people in my guild were working on a project together, I found that several people who had been quilting much longer that I had this exact problem and had convinced themselves that they did not care. After one try with this method, they were comfortable with being "experts". Don't give up.

Do get new blades. Rotary cutting is much faster and more exact.