Okay...so am I the only one who makes at least one boneheaded mistake per quilt? These aren't the "can't spot 'em from a moving car kind," (I do those, too) but the kind that end up making a whole lot more work and taking a whole lot more time... Y'know, like cutting a mess of binding fabric just a little too narrow--because I used the ruler from the wrong side. Or setting aside the perfect fabric for the binding, of which there was just enough, and for which I would have no other earthly use--and absolutely not being able to find it, even with DH's help. So that's two out of two I'm finishing now.
I don't know if I do them on every quilt, but I do them quite often! Sometimes I think it is the excitement that gets me going too fast...I think, "Meh, I've done this a hundred times, I don't need to look at the pattern, or check that for a twist, or whatever!" I have learned to just laugh at myself, set it aside and tackle it later.
I deny that it is boneheadedness; it's just quilting. Just now I carefully arranged 64 leaves on a vine. Madness can't be methodical, it had to be really crazy. I glue-sticked the first half of the leaves and cleverly shifted the quilt top so the glue wouldn't become too fond of the table beneath - being very careful, you know? Answered the phone, answered the door, went out to see the bird's nest and 4 eggs in the cup holder of my golf cart. Told DD that she could not make paste of flour and water to put up wall paper - Bug Heaven I think. Showed neighbor how to blind stitch. Explained to Yogi that he would have to forego his evening cart ride for a couple of weeks because of Mama Bird's choice. Then. I put the quilt top on the design wall to be sure that there was no repetition to the leaf arrangement. 32 leaves fell to the floor. Boneheaded? Naah. Just quilting. Polly
"dbeitzell" > Okay...so am I the only one who makes at least one boneheaded mistake
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I don't know if I do them on every quilt, but I do them quite often! Sometimes I think it is the excitement that gets me going too fast...I think, "Meh, I've done this a hundred times, I don't need to look at the pattern, or check that for a twist, or whatever!" I have learned to just laugh at myself, set it aside and tackle it later.
Being freshly done picking out 3/4 of the quilting on a bed sized quilt because of numerous pleats/folds on the back, I can't think of a better word than boneheadedness to describe the pain.
I sent this but it is not appearing here. ???? Maybe I sent it to the zip code directory. Polly I deny that it is boneheadedness; it's just quilting. Just now I carefully arranged 64 leaves on a vine. Madness can't be methodical, it had to be really crazy. I glue-sticked the first half of the leaves and cleverly shifted the quilt top so the glue wouldn't become too fond of the table beneath - being very careful, you know? Answered the phone, answered the door, went out to see the bird's nest and 4 eggs in the cup holder of my golf cart. Told DD that she could not make paste of flour and water to put up wall paper - Bug Heaven I think. Showed neighbor how to blind stitch. Explained to Yogi that he would have to forego his evening cart ride for a couple of weeks because of Mama Bird's choice. Then. I put the quilt top on the design wall to be sure that there was no repetition to the leaf arrangement. 32 leaves fell to the floor. Boneheaded? Naah. Just quilting. Polly
Or my favorite, cutting single sided fabric like it is double sided. Which is why I have sworn off single sided fabric, repeatedly. Nothing quite like cutting half your pieces backwards. It always makes me feel really dumb.
I did that on an applique recently. Had to go buy more fabric, couldn't get a match so had to change it up a bit, and decided since I had one (very large) piece that was backwards, I would go ahead and make a second one in mirror image to the first. Pretty quick thinking, eh? (It only took me about a week to figure it out. Glad I didn't throw the mistake away!)
I don't thnk it's just quilting; it may be "projects" or life in general. I'd like to suggest that better planning and organization may help, (it often does for me, or so it seems) but then again it may not... I'm one who tries to take the positive view and learn from mistakes, so it's repeating a mistake that really bugs me.
"Life is just one damned thing after another." - Elbert Hubbard
Try making 144- 8"blocks for an Ocean Waves quilt...now the stupid things won't square-up... so frustrating. maybe sashing is in order...i'll have to name it something else, tho...any suggestions???
Well, here's the thing... At the risk jinxing myself (ask me why I never *ever* say "gee, it's quiet around here at the hospital), it's not like I make the same mistakes over and over. I find new and different ones all the time! The possibilities are endless... The world has no idea how lucky it is that I'm neither a surgeon nor an architect!
The worst boneheaded mistakes are the ones you spendhours on before you realize it's wrong. Like the hours spent on tee-tiny stitches to attach the last label, then showing it off and realizing it's upside down. Or a painstakingly cross stitched sheet music of "Amazing Grace" and realizing I left a whole word out. Didh't even see it till it was framed.
Left a word out? A whole word? Sherry! Please tell me you're kidding. Polly "Sherry" The worst boneheaded mistakes are the ones you spendhours on before you realize it's wrong. Like the hours spent on tee-tiny stitches to attach the last label, then showing it off and realizing it's upside down. Or a painstakingly cross stitched sheet music of "Amazing Grace" and realizing I left a whole word out. Didh't even see it till it was framed.
Oh no! I do them all the time. Most often I have one (or more) blocks turned sideways. I have picked blocks out of tops and turned them so many times that I've become quite the expert at it.
Once I didn't even notice the block was turned. It was quilted, finished and entered into a quilt show. After the show the quilt was hanging in our entry way and I finally noticed. At this point I should really pick it out and fix it but I am sure I will never get to that project!
Someone suggested I pin its ribbon over the error. See, the quilt won first place at the show - even the judges didn't notice.
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