a big flop

[morgans4]

I'm so disappointed. I started making a baby quilt for my step-granddaughter's baby shower two weeks ago. I worked on it for hours and hours every day. I loved the pattern I saw on Youtube called Summer in the park. It looked like something I could handle. Well, that thing has caused me nothing but grief. I didn't have a special ruler so I used a ruler I had. I thought I'd be smart and not keep moving the ruler up and down the rows. Seemed to me I could get squares by just cutting down the other side of the ruler. Well, the squares ended up not looking much like squares, so I squared them up by eye, again not having the proper ruler. Then I started sewing them together. I quilted each row as I went. Instead of 5 rows, I decided to just give it 3, making it 9 squares. When I was finished with that, it just looked like it needed "something" more, so I added 6" piano keys for borders. That thing just got bigger and bigger and bigger until it was no longer a baby quilt. I couldn't stand the way it looked on the back. My hand sewing wasn't invisible and the stitches way too far apart. Then, when I couldn't stand the thoughts of hand-sewing down a binding, I used store-bought. Then I threw it into the washer and dryer. If it was going to fall apart, I wanted it to happen here now, rather than later there. It did come apart on 3 sides where I'd added the borders. Some of the backing fabric frayed, making it impossible to redo, so I thought I might add colorful rickrack to cover it. That didn't work out either, so now, tomorrow is the baby shower, I have no quilt to give her and I know she'll be so disappointed. I made a beauty for her sister's baby and this girl requested a quilt for her new son.
Woe is me. I'm going to go eat some worms.

[Marilynsgrammy]

oh no... but all is not lost...make a coupon for a fabric shopping spree and lunch....wrap it and give it to them new mommy

the mom can pick out new fabric and you can still make the baby quilt....in just her colors and before the baby is born...

tell the whole group at the shower what happened, everyone will get a laugh and you will be the lucky one because you can spend a day with the mom...and the baby will have a quilt ready and waiting...

hugs
Chriss

[Lodad]

****** GOOD ANSWER, CHRIS *****

LOWELL

[TeresaK]

AWESOME ANSWER! I love it. Hope you saved the quilt for future show and tells or what to do and what not to do. Plus you could show her this one. It's the thought that matters most and I am sure she will love you all the more for it.
Teresa

[ilovetosew]

That's very good advise! Make another one and tell the story to make everyone laugh.

[auntjana]

Chriss hit the nail on the head!! Sometimes we succeed and other times not - so I say punt and start all over - you will make it this time!

[FarmChick]

Chriss had a super idea! Don't beat yourself up over what you call your big flop! We've all had our "failures". Can you cut it up and make wheel-chair seat pads for a nursing home? Or perhaps preemie blankets for your local hospital? Or, if worse comes to worse... pads for dogs or cat beds??? (Not that our furry babies don't deserve the best--they do!) Hugs to you!!! We've ALL had those moments... you are NOT alone!!! Ammi Simms has a "worst quilt" contest that's a hoot--lots of them are better than my failures. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder!

I'm sure the new mother to be would love to pick out her fabrics--if you don't want to do lunch, make a "gift certificate" and enclose pages from a quilt catalog or print out pages from online shops for her selections.

[lorettav]

Sorry that happened to you, but you have been given some good advice.

[Quiltmom]

"Been there done that". My first small quilt top was so bright I couldn't look at it, and it really wasn't squared up at all. I kept it for a reminder for awhile, but i finally threw it away. Luckily none of my other projects have turned out as badly.

[purrfect-lady]

My first quilt was an attic window, using Y seams. I didn't know then that it could be a difficult pattern. If rotary cutters had been invented, I didn't know about them. I had no ruler at all, but cut with my scissors "by eye". My house was in a bit of turmoil at that time, so I stood at my cutting table to sew the entire quilt. I gave it to my mother-in-law. It was a MESS! But I really didn't realize just how big a mess until, 15 years later, after her death, I pulled it down from her closet shelf, still in the bag in which I'd presented it to her, and inspected it with my now more experienced eye. So, Morgan, don't feel too badly. Just know that most of us have all been there, done that, and are now laughing about it.