Do Over
Let me tell you a story...
A few weeks ago I started a present for a baby shower - a shower that is today, in about four hours. (Hi, Margie! Stop reading if you don't want a sneak peak of Mr. Bean's present!)
The white fabric I was using was a soft, brushed cotton. Unfortunately, it was pretty stretchy, so my piecing was not going smoothly. Oh well, I thought, I'm sure it will work out fine, and I pressed on. However, when I got the quilt top together, there were many place like this:
That's okay, it's the thought that counts, I told myself. It will be a snuggy blanket even if the piecing isn't perfect. So I basted it as evidenced by the safety pins in these pictures. However, I started running across places where the soft, flimsy brushed cotton was pulling apart, and seams were fraying:
Still in denial, I assured myself I could hand-sew up these spots. And I began quilting. Any time my quilting stuttered, the successive needle holes tore a little rip in the white cotton.
This was the final straw. A baby quilt needs to be exceedingly washable, and this obviously would not be. Feeling a little sick to my stomach, I admitted defeat. Luckily the overall picture was encouraging enough for me to start over. Though of course it won't be ready for the shower today. And my sweet husband was there to remind me of all I learned from this poor quilt, so hopefully I at least won't repeat these mistakes!
A few weeks ago I started a present for a baby shower - a shower that is today, in about four hours. (Hi, Margie! Stop reading if you don't want a sneak peak of Mr. Bean's present!)
The white fabric I was using was a soft, brushed cotton. Unfortunately, it was pretty stretchy, so my piecing was not going smoothly. Oh well, I thought, I'm sure it will work out fine, and I pressed on. However, when I got the quilt top together, there were many place like this:
That's okay, it's the thought that counts, I told myself. It will be a snuggy blanket even if the piecing isn't perfect. So I basted it as evidenced by the safety pins in these pictures. However, I started running across places where the soft, flimsy brushed cotton was pulling apart, and seams were fraying:
Still in denial, I assured myself I could hand-sew up these spots. And I began quilting. Any time my quilting stuttered, the successive needle holes tore a little rip in the white cotton.
This was the final straw. A baby quilt needs to be exceedingly washable, and this obviously would not be. Feeling a little sick to my stomach, I admitted defeat. Luckily the overall picture was encouraging enough for me to start over. Though of course it won't be ready for the shower today. And my sweet husband was there to remind me of all I learned from this poor quilt, so hopefully I at least won't repeat these mistakes!
