I had this great idea in my head- appliqued circles with frayed edges, and I tried it. It was supposed to be cute.
I 'm not even going to show you the quilt I was inspired by because my version faired so poorly that I would be embarrassed.
The Good:
I love the fabric I chose.
Those orange full moon dots are one of my absolute favorite fabrics.
I love the aqua/orange/tan combo and the varied patterns.
I LOVE the colored dots fabric on the back.
I actually love the back of the quilt- if only I didn't have to look at the front.
The Bad:
The stitching on the circles is too far away from the edges.
I didn't take the time to pull the threads to the back of the quilt top and backstitched instead, and it looks kinda messy.
The Ugly:
The circles didn't fray enough or frayed too much- either way it's not cute.
The fabric on the edges of the circles doesn't lay flat.
There's too much puffy space in between the circles - largely due to my inability to master free motion quilting.
It just looks messy.
It did not turn out in real life like the idea I had in my head.
Don't get me wrong- my sewing is never "perfect." I get puckers in my quilt sandwiches, my straight line quilting isn't always straight, and I sometimes can't get my blocks to match up exactly. But, I'm OK with that. Usually only I can tell and a good spin in the washer and dryer will take care of everything.
But this quilt fell short of expectations.
Doesn't mean it can't be loved.
Doesn't mean it won't keep somebody warm or a baby happy or a toddler snuggly on the couch.
Have you made something you weren't happy with?
21 comments:
:( I'm so sorry it didn't turn out as planned. I have to be honest, I like it!
What if you trimmed the edges of the circles so the stitching is closer to the edges or did some random lines like this: http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0LOv3Zgt5CA/Tcf7c4sPUOI/AAAAAAAAAFA/ct0pXcMEqN0/s1600/IMG_7985.jpg to help hold down some of the edges so they don't feel too puffy?
Either way, it will be loved and someone is going to be lucky to have it! And yes, I have definitely had things go the opposite of what I had planned! Hugs, Lindsey
I made a skirt for my daughter. I absolutely hate this skirt but she likes it. I'm reminded every time (which fortunately isn't too often) she wears it how much I hate how it turned out.
I have a baby quilt that I've been putting off finishing for a while now, mainly because I'm so disappointed with how the quilting has turned out. I wanted to do something different and a bit modern, but my backing puckered and the top just looks a bit... wonky I guess. I'm not sure that the effect I was going for was ever going to look good, though. :( I'm trying to convince myself to finish it for the same reasons you stated at the end of your post.
For what it's worth, I think your quilt is very pretty. :)
I've totally made things that I ended up not liking. BUT...I think you are being too hard on yourself. I think it's cute.
It might not be what you envisioned, but I love the colors and you have a great attitude about this quilt. Someone will love it!
i think it just needs a bit more quilting.
Oh I detest that feeling; it's almost heartbreaking. My solution? Have a big bowl of ice cream and don't count the calories. Wake up tomorrow and be thankful for the ability to start anew. Would I be right in guessing that you are your own worst critic?
Awww ... I hate when that happens! It's frustrating when I can't get the vision I have in my head down in fabric ... for what it's worth I think the finished quilt is still pretty!
It happens to us all! I bought a layer cake as I loved the 'top' print; hated the rest, but had to use it. The completed top is sitting neglected as I don't want to through good money after bad!
I actually think yours looks lovely - could you not give it a second 'quilting' and giving the circles another 'going over'? Scatter a few random smaller circles on it to break up the big background?
I'll shut up now!
I agree with many above I think more quilting will help overcome the problems you see with this quilt. I think it is still lovely but it is disappointing when it doesn't match the picture in your head. Come back to it after a while and it may not seem as bad to you or you will see a way to improve it. Keep smiling!
Always disappointing when a quilt doesn't fit the picture in your head, but it looks like the ideal candidate to practice your free motion quilting on. You won't improve if you don't practice ;-).
my guild collects preemie quilts if you are looking for a place to donate :)
Oh, I hate when you're disappointed with the end result, I felt the same this week myself. I love your fabrics and your colours and I have to say I do like the quilt although I know its hard to see on photos. I would agree with some of the others and maybe try quilting it a little more to see if that helps?
Oh no, I'm so sorry that it didn't turn out how you wanted. :-( It's funny that you brought this up, because I was going through my drawers to pack away my fall/winter stuff for now, and last summer I sewed myself 3 tops that were pretty much fails. I can't believe I even wore them once! I didn't work from a pattern, so I guess that's my excuse. I cut them apart to use the (good) fabric for another project, lol.
Y'all are really sweet for all the comments. Sure do make a girl know how to feel better! I am going to see if some more quilting will make this a happier end result and maybe a little trimming of the circles. We shall see. Thanks for the love you guys!
I'm sorry your quilt didn't turn out as planned. I tend to try a new technique or pattern on a baby size quilt first to see if I'll like it. Then I usually donate the quilt to Quilts for Kids. It's a win/win for everyone. I get to try a new pattern, without using too much fabric, and a child in need gets a quilt to love.
Ugh - it's a terrible feeling after using such pretty fabric and putting all that time in. For what it's worth, I think it looks great! Thanks for sharing all sides of quilting - it happens to all of us!
so many things to love about it, even if it isn't YOUR favorite. And someone will probably love it to absolute pieces!
I admire your spirit of adventure and experiment. That's the stuff that makes breakthroughs! And your result is admirable. Don't be so hard on yourself.
Oh, man, I am so sorry! I hate that disappointed feeling. That actually just happened to me on a project I did for Stitch Magazine. I hope they like it better than I do...
I think it looks good from what I can see and I love the idea. I wish I had some suggestions to help - at least a lot of your "followers" do. I know somebody will love this quilt!
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