First try at McTavishing....not so good!
 

I think it looks great from the pictures. but I know what you mean. My first attempt was pretty shaky as well.

I think you are being too hard on yourself. I like it!

I think it looks great!

I forgot to ask, did you take a class, use a book, or just wing it?

It's beautiful. You. GO. Girl

We are certainly our own worst critics. The stitching could be off by 1/16 of an inch and we, ourselves, would think this a bright and florescent blinking mistake. . . yet to everyone else, it just looks plain cool! I'm loving it.

Doing that for the very first time i say you did a great job...love the pattern and the color combo.

I love the way you did the stars. For the McTavishing, it looks good and it will improve everytime you do it. Just remember to keep thinking curvatious.

I think you are way too hard on yourself....I would be thrilled to be able to do that!

I like it! I like it! And I love the colors!

i can't see a thing wrong with it. lovely quilt

You did a great job!!! Don't be so hard on yourself.

Guess what I found out after doing my very first LAQ? I litteraly took months doing it due to ripping out and do overs. When I finally got sick of doing that I took it off and finished it up. I absolutely love it now, it's on my bed and I can't find ANYTHING wrong with it.

Yours really looks terrific. Put it away for 1 week and take it out again.

I think it's wonderful. If Ginger gets tired of it, send it my way! LOL ...

Where is the awful, I don't see it. Looks terrific to me.

I am with Ginger on this. I like it a lot. We are our own worst critics.
Cleodaisy

Ok number 1--you're being entirely too hard on yourself. Number 2 so what if it's not perfect "mctavishing"??!! Maybe you've created the next style craze that everyone is gonna be beating themselves up over not being able to do!! Then you can become super popular and we can say we knew you wayyyy back when you were still trying to copy the mctavish lol! smile! Ya done good.

Well, I don't know where it is awful. Looks very good to me. It is very pretty. Lighten up on yourself.

I think it looks wonderful!!! You just need to step back and stop focusing on the small elements and look at the quilt as a whole. I have had my longarm for less than a year and everytime I do a quilt, I focus on every little mistake or all the things I wish were better. But, when it's done and I look at the quilt as a whole, I'm generally a lot more satisfied.

I think one thing that has helped me was seeing close up pictures of the quilting done by famous LA quilters - not the ones using computerized systems. A lot of what they do is not "perfect" but the overall effect is beautiful. I recall one video I was watching (don't recall who the quilter was) and she said that you shouldn't expect your freehand quilting to be perfect...if it is, it's because you have a computer chip in your head. And remember, their first attempts were most likely no better then our first attempts.

I want to quilt beautiful feathers and have finally come to the conculsion that the only way I am ever going to make really great feathers is to start putting feathers on my quilts. (Practice, practice, practice.) The more I do, the better I'll get...HOPEFULLY!! I do see some improvement in every quilt I do.

So just keep McTavishing and stop focusing on the individual stitches and enjoy your quilts...just like Ginger!!

I have never try McTavishing, but your quilt looks great to me.

If you feel that badly about it and just can't stand looking at it you can send it to me...LOL. I think it's beautiful!

looks good to me....

i really like it! i would be estatic if i could quilt like that!

I like it and can't see anything wrong with it - I think you did a great job. Love it...

I think you did an excellent job! Kudos!

It looks wonderful to me.

Pat in MN

I can't what you find so awful about this, I think you did a wonderful job. I'd be proud if I was you I think it turned beautiful.:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup: Keep up the beautiful work.

I'm with Ginger...I like it.

I can't see anything that I would complain about, but I am not a LAQ user. It's lovely. Like your colours.

Beautiful quilt, Ginger loves it.

It came out beautiful! Great job!

You did a lovely job. Ginger likes it and you should too! Dogs are enormously good judges of character and quilting skills.

Your quilting is terrific! We know that we are our own worst critics. I know it will be a much loved (and pretty) quilt!!

I certainly wouldn't want you to keep anything that you felt was so awful (???) so I'll send you my address and I'll be expecting it in the mail just anytime. It will look lovely on my bed. :) I'm doing the happy dance and can't wait to get it. I think you're being too hard on yourself. It is soooo lovely. I'm envious. I'm glad you posted it.

Ginger is a discerning connaisseur of beautiful work.

As the to the time it took, we have to get past the idea that machine quilting is fast :) it takes as long as it takes.

you did great for a 1st try-you are too critical of your work.just do it again-you will get better each time.

It looks great to me...love the colors, too.

If this is awful, I can't wait to see your work when you are happy with it. I'd be pleased as punch to have my first attempt to look this good.

Beautiful quilt. Love the stars!