This is probably my oldest work in progress, draped over my design board. Started and pieced very quickly just before Christmas - 2006 that was! Speedy top because the blocks are stupidly large. I started to quilt it that same weekend, early on in my machine quilting career. You can tell it was early on because it is thread basted something I never do now. The front is fine
but the back has these little lines around all the curves. (Hard to photograph!)
It has been abandoned in disgust since - hence the creases as it has been bundled up.I have since found that my friend Lesley also has a Janome Memory Craft and was getting the same effect on spirals. Anyone with a Janome have a solution?
So what do I do with this?
(a) ignore flaws, finish and give away? (But why would anyone else want something that's not good enought for me?)
(b) unpick the bad curves and finish ( but I am likely to get the same result)
(c) unpick and start again with a new quilting pattern
(d) Creep out of the house in the dead of night and shove it in a neighbours bin.
8 comments:
Every quiltmaker I know has not one but many such quilts in their history. Unpick (only a little) if you must but I would suggest that you just keep on going and put it down to experience.
I'd skip the unpicking... either just continue on and give it away to a charity/friend/enemy; slice and dice it once quilted into backgrounds for wallhangings; or simply add a new back to it and quilt a new quilting pattern NOT UNDOING the old one...
most importantly, just get it done/out of your house so it doesn't hang over you :-)
I think you should give it away! Maybe to one of the lovely ladies who comment on your blog (hint hint)!! Perfect is so over-rated :)
Hi Helen,
I would say, wash and dry it, and see what that does. I have had quilts like this, and I would roll them up and stash them away to. But, someone will love it, and I have learned that it is nice to have a quilt to just curl up in on the couch. I wouldn't want to do that with a perfect quilt.
And, trust me, I have picked out quilting, and it is a pain and I wouldn't recommend it. Make somethng else and move on. Have a good time, I enjoy your blog!
The little lines are called 'eyelashes' and are caused when making that sweeping movement on the curve. You (me, she, he?) tend to speed up as we go around and the machine can't cope with that. I think the idea is to try and keep it as steady as possible as you go round. Well, that's the theory anyway :-)
This happens to my quilting to, if I go to fast around the corner.
I wouldn't unpick it if I were you. Unpicking machinequilting is terrible. Perhaps you can just finish it and give it to someone who is in need of warmth and doesn't care about the quilting, a homeless shelter?
Another vote NOT to unpick -- it's a dreadful, thankless task that can cause more problems than it solves. I vote for forging ahead, finishing it, washing it, and THEN deciding what to do with it. Keeping it on hand as an extra blanket for guests or an especially cold night, displaying it folded or along the back of a sofa -- thinking of it as a project on which you learned and having the benefit of the use of it seems right. If you did want to donate or give it as a gift, I am certain it would be loved and appreciated.
Is it just the quilting on it that gets you down?
I agree with Deb, perfection is over-rated, an unpicking quilting is a fate worse than death!
IS it possible to add some small applique pieces over the offending areas? Just a bit of creatively placed needleturn applique pieces in an interesting contrasting colour. It could save your ass!
And donating it to a good cause is an excellent idea - a hospice, or woman's shelter.
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