I put the quilt top back on the design wall, as I do each time I work out the placement of the next row, and was horrified to notice a distinct leaning to the right in the last 9 rows of the quilt.
I know so many of you won't see the lean. I do. The ruled line I was marking each time I did a row (I'll be trimming the sides before quilting it) didn't lie either. I was out by a good half inch. I sent an SOS OMG WTF text to my quilting friend Jan.
So I unpicked at just the 9th bottom row and laid it on the design wall, thinking I could just tilt it a little to the left.
And then I unpicked the unpicked bit at the 4th bottom row. Again, no luck.
So I unpicked all 9 rows. Each and every clam. And then I pulled each clam away from the glue basting which oh my goodness had better wash out because it is nasty. I was left with this, and I'll admit I had a little cry. And then I just laughed. It's just a quilt!
I got right back on the horse and basted two new rows to the quilt, making sure they lined up this time. I'm not working on a grid - this whole quilt has been positioned by eye and a regular check with the ruler. No wonder I ran into strife.
I managed to stitch down most of the clams last night, but tonight I will be attaching the last 7 rows. I think I'm playing with fire trying to make the quilt the 158cm I put on the exhibition entry form.
When I was texting my friend Jan last night I joked "Perhaps I'm a perfectionist after all!". To which she replied:
"A perfectionist? No shit! I would timidly suggest obsessive more like!"
I think Jan's onto me. This is totally going to ruin my reputation.
I'm linking up with Gemma's I Quilt linky party. Ironically I was also going to call my blog post "I quilt without a plan". Too funny.
I'm linking up with Gemma's I Quilt linky party. Ironically I was also going to call my blog post "I quilt without a plan". Too funny.
I would have cried too! Wishing you lots of patience and steady stitching, it'll be a fun story to tell people when they are admiring your quilt in the show.
ReplyDeleteOh man that sounds so disheartening! At least you're back at it, and it's a beautiful project!
ReplyDeleteAs heartbreaking as it sounds, I would have done the same thing... otherwise it would have kept on bugging you and bugging you! I can't wait to see the finished product though :)
ReplyDeleteGood on you- obsessive sounds good! I could see the lean, and it would have bugged me, like one of my quilts I hand wuilted and hate the quilting- I can use it, but it annoys me! I was going to suggest leaving the bottom 9 off, but then you mentioned you'd put it on the entry form- go hard, my friend, may the force be with you!
ReplyDeleteYou renegade! That sucks hard you had to unpick all but it will totes be worth it!!!
ReplyDeleteDude your clamshells are looking great (is it just me or does that just sound a tiny bit rude?) I'm glad you unpicked and fixed it - I don't think I could deal with spending so much time and love on something only to take a short cut and be sad about it later (which is why I'm unpicking some of my binding tonight!!). And I have to say I'm loving seeing these come together - it's fascinating to see how a curvy shape is pieced xo
ReplyDeletejust discovered your blog- did you ever finish your Lotta heixies from the olympics? id love to see it
ReplyDelete