I got stalled making a log cabin couch quilt when I inadvertently pleated the backing fabric in several places. It was bad enough to require unpicking. Ironically, I might’ve finished the blanket sooner had I decided to hand quilt the layers together!
I’m also adding new layers to an old village quilt (below) in an attempt to make it more interesting. First, I cut it in half.
Then I started looking at the flow of color and shape. See those two bright orange houses in the lower left? I covered them with black tulle to tone down their brightness. Revising roof lines, adding windows, undoing some of the bulky appliqué followed.
Trying to improve a mediocre piece is not my favorite thing to do, but with another evening or two, these two vertical pieces will be ready to bind. I figure I can hack it that long.
Aargh! Doesn’t it make you crazy when things like puckers make their way into what was meant to be smooth and straightforward? Machine sewing gets away from me easily. Good luck unfolding and kudos for going deeper into your work.
Yes the pleating really bugs me. Especially after I’ve spent a morning pinning.
Love your village quilt … all your house quilts … always such fun fabric. You have a real eye for combining fabric. How lucky we all are that we have all this fun with fabric?
Thanks. Tina. And yes for gratitude.
I’m usually OK with everything, like it all! I would not have the idea or patience to undo-redo done work! Good for you!
Some botches I live with. Fairly regularly and with a weird sense of pride, in fact. But some just are too glaring and it would hurt more to continue with the mistake than to take the time to fix.
I love your work, I like the busyness, it’s energetic!
Thank you Susie! The trick is to bring a little balance and rhythm into all that pattern.
very true, your eye gets lost otherwise, lol
Having spent an afternoon picking out stitches, I can relate … but it does feel good once it’s done, yes?
Yes it does feel good to get it done. Onward and upward and all that. This was/is particularly tough because the thread matches the chambray backing to near invisibility and because I change speed when stippling, in some places the stitches are waaaaaay teeny. The chambray panel on the reverse has some permanent folds (it is from a drape that my mother made years ago) or at least a tendency toward a fold — so it’ll never be perfect and when I get all the layers back under the machine needle, I’m gonna have to keep smoothing the cloth to prevent more folds.
one of the good things about working with cloth is the lines that go awry can be undone, paint and ink are indelible, imagine if you made a mistake working on a tattoo!
You’re right about that. Cheaper than paint as well.