I LOVE penquins and I love your quilt. I see no mistakes and I'm sure your DH doesn't either. It is fantastic.

Great quilt.

My Printed Treasures with an Epson printer pictures were stiff, but not cardboardy. I washed them before I used them and lost no color. Why wash them first - beause it was my GD's pictures on my son's quilt and I didn't want thim to be disappointed if they didn't wash well.

"No problem, I thought. I’ll just sew and cut the pieces of the window, sashing and frame to fit. Although I’ve read multiple times, that you must know the size of your blocks and sash and cut your borders to the correct size. If you just sew them on, you’ll have extra fabric in your border. It’s a lap quilt, so how bad could it be? Bad enough to cause little tucks during the quilting."

I know this might sound nieve but can you explain this? I alway "sew to length" i guess is how I would describe it. I feel so silly, but it would explain one of my issues

Wow, your quilt is wonderful. And I am amazed that will all the negatives you listed your quilt is GREAT!!! Next time don't be so hard on yourself. Thanks for sharing a picture of a really nice quilt!!!

Kat

Thanks I will be watching this thread for replies

Looks great...never would have guessed all the problems!

Even though you had lots of bumps along the way, it turned out great and I can see why your DH is pleased. Now you can make another and will know all the things NOT to do.

very nice quilt. I love the way it turned out.

I like this quilt, too. Looks great using the galloping horse method.

Hey, mistakes might be in there, but you don't have to tell anyone! It looks perfect from my easy chair!

When I learned to quilt from "The Complete Idiots Guide to Quilting", it was stressed that you didn't just cut a length of fabric for the border and pin it on to your quilt. But determine the length you need, add a couple more inches (if you are mitering the corners). Then start in the middle and measure and mark the border to the blocks. For example, if you had a quilt with 6-12" blocks and 7-3" sashes and you wanted the border to be 6 inches, you would cut a length of fabric (or create from several WOF) of about 109". Then, starting in the center of the border, mark out 1.5" each side. This would be for the center sashing. Then mark 12" to each side of this. Then sets of 3" and 12", etc. Now, when pinning the border, align the markings to the seam lines of the quilt. You would then have 8" on each end to make the mitered corner. (You should need only 6" but the extra is in case you didn't start exactly in the middle...)

I've always done this and the borders have laid flat and never had problems quilting. When I have multiple borders, I sew the borders together first, then attach to the quilt and mitered the corners. Except when I did a piano key for a baby quilt, Then I attached the sides and then the top and bottom. Still I measured and marked. This is the first time, since the blocks weren't a specific size, I just pinned fabric the the sides and then cut it to length. Did the same for top and bottom. Some how this process (for me) caused a little extra fabric. So where the side met the top there was a bit of a tuck. I did a little extra stitching at the edge of the tuck, making it part of the quilting design, so it would lay flat.

This is probably clear as mud.

My DH likes the idea of making it into a wall hanging. Looks like I'll be making him another quilt. I haven't used flannel before... wonder what type of mistakes would happened if I tried?

That is so sweet that you were able to forge ahead and finish the quilt for your hubby. It was probably worth every minute just to see that big ole' smile on his face.

Wow!! those penguins look so real. Beautiful quilt.

That quilt is contest worthy. It is so cool.

It's so awesome! Love the penguins - and I can't see your mistakes at all. You rolled with the punches like a pro! :D

I think it is just gorgeous :)

It's a very handsome quilt. I am not sure, but I would guess that by the time the quilt softened, it would be wearing out, so I would not try it. Think of one of those T shirts with a plastic-feeling print on it. I used Bubblejet and printed on my prewashed and ironed fabic and had no surface problem, whereas the stuff I paid to have printed for me came out as you described. Maybe next time.

every quilt is a learning process..and look at his face....how wonderfully happy! Oh wait...where are the Happy feet???..sorry, could NOT resist! Great job!

If only my mistakes would turn out as awesome as yours.

WOW, that is pretty incredible!

It's beautiful...I really think it turned out well. Use it as a wall hanging if it's too stiff for a lap quilt.

I love it...but look at DH face!! He is so proud of it What a blessing you gave him.

Know your dilemma - been there - done that - YOU DONE GOOD!!!

love it..I was thinking about doing this with a black bear fabric I have. thanks for the idea.

I like the dimension you were able to build with the placement of the photos. There is so much depth that it gives the feeling of a window on the world.

Beautiful quilt. I have a magazine with a pattern in it like this with lighthouses in the windows. It looked hard to do so I haven't attempted it ...yet. You did a great job!

How wonderful. He loves it!

It is a lovely quilt.

It could be a wall hanging instead of a lap quilt. It is beautiful.

That quilt came out great. I love how you put that together. Job well done.

i think it is adorable and your dh looks very happy with it

I agree with MarLeClair. It looks so good and I wasn't expecting that. As others have said, we tend to be too hard on ourselves! Your quilt is adorable!

I can't See any problems with it. He apparently doesn't either. There are two types of vision at work here if what you say is true. The blessings of photography and fabric and the blessing of someone who loves what you do for him. I've never seen a happier man. Count your blessings.

I love it!!

Very nice. If you can't get rid of the stiffness safely you can always hang it in his favorite place.

In your eyes, it may seem perfect but it was stitched with LOVE. How can that be a mistake?

I'm not even on a galloping horse, and it looks great to me!

From your description, I was prepared to see an awful quilt, but WOW! You should be proud of it.

That loving smile alone should make the angst of this quilt making disappear. He loves it and you did a great job!!!! I am a penguin lover also and would treasure one like that forever.

Look at that smile!! He loves it, mistakes and all.