lym95 Posted October 22, 2008 Report Share Posted October 22, 2008 Tonight I was working on my first ever quilt and thought I was doing quite well. I sewed two strips of little bitty blocks together after pinning them with my self-invented method, which was much quicker and easier than the way Margie instructed me to do it. Everything looked great until I turned the strip over. All my little seams had dragged on the machine table and turned the wrong way! All right... I frogged it out and pinned it the right way and sewed it again. I got it right this time. When I ironed it open I discovered that I'd sewed the wrong sides of the strips together. It was seven feet long! I ironed it back closed and sewed the right side then set to work frogging the bad side stitching out. Margie says that I learned an important lesson. I say, "$&^%$*%(&^%$#@@" Oh, the amazing statistic I mentioned... Our little machines sew really fast and it took me only thirty seconds to sew those seven foot strips together. It took me THREE HOURS to undo that thirty seconds of work, leading me to the following formula: 30 seconds to sew it wrong + 30 seconds to sew it right = 1 minute. Three hours to rip it out = 180 minutes Conclusion: Learning by experience is One Hundred and Eighty times worse than listening to your wife in the first place! Mrmargie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PattyJo Posted October 22, 2008 Report Share Posted October 22, 2008 Mrmargie - You, grasshopper, have learned a very valuable lesson. Mommasan speaks grasshopper listens!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltmonkey Posted October 22, 2008 Report Share Posted October 22, 2008 Mr. Margie. This sounds like something I would have done (probably did it, too). I'm a dork! Sometimes I wonder how I dress myself in the morning... (seriously) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lym95 Posted October 22, 2008 Author Report Share Posted October 22, 2008 I think us dorks are the most fun people in the world though... If we're not afraid to laugh at ourselves, it doesn't bother us when others laugh at us! Of course, if you don't get dressed in the morning you'd better stay in... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lym95 Posted October 22, 2008 Author Report Share Posted October 22, 2008 Oh, I might add that not only is this my first quilt attempt, I've never even sewn anything before, and CERTAINLY never ripped any seams out (well, on purpose anyway...) And you're right Patty Jo, it'll be a cold, cold day when I do that again. (It's supposed to frost Friday so it'll be at least three days!) mm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Beth Posted October 22, 2008 Report Share Posted October 22, 2008 Originally posted by lym95 30 seconds to sew it wrong + 30 seconds to sew it right = 1 minute. Three hours to rip it out = 180 minutes Conclusion: Learning by experience is One Hundred and Eighty times worse than listening to your wife in the first place! Mrmargie Priceless!! You have learned a very valuable lesson. However, you dorks are not nearly on the same playing field I am. When I make a mistake like that....it usually happens more than once. I just don't learn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kennan100 Posted October 22, 2008 Report Share Posted October 22, 2008 Right there with you Mary Beth! I've learned to stitch a little and look a little, then stitch a little and look again. I may have it right the first time I look and then a minute later look again and it's totally wrong! This is why my mother will not let me near her Bernina, I have no idea what happens, it's like the machines have it in for me! She can sit down and sew allllll day and it be wonderful, I sit down right behind her and it all goes wrong. I don't have this problem (much) on my Featherweight. Simple is good, and peicing is not for me! MrMargie, you are a couragous man! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shadows4 Posted October 22, 2008 Report Share Posted October 22, 2008 Sometimes it's best to put it aside for a bit, otherwise the trash can looks really tempting. How frustrating! So you've finally learned: Yes dear. You are right dear. Whatever you say dear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VictoriaG Posted October 22, 2008 Report Share Posted October 22, 2008 OK MrMargie Thanks for sharing the journey. It brought a memory smile to my face. We need reminders that starting out is often one step forward and two steps back. But keep stepping. We will all be waiting for pics! vg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie Posted October 22, 2008 Report Share Posted October 22, 2008 I don't know...Dorkness is sometimes a good thing... At least when you are around us type, you never have a dull moment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quilting Heidi Posted October 22, 2008 Report Share Posted October 22, 2008 MrMargie you put a smile on my face. I can just picture Margie hearing you say "yes dear you were right!" If all else fails you can be the King of Unsew! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie Posted October 22, 2008 Report Share Posted October 22, 2008 Mrmargie King of Unsew I like it. It has a nice ring to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lym95 Posted October 22, 2008 Author Report Share Posted October 22, 2008 Y'all can believe me or not, but I don't have a problem admitting to Margie when she's right and I'm wrong. It doesn't happen often, but when it does, I acknowledge it. :cool: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meg_marsh Posted October 22, 2008 Report Share Posted October 22, 2008 You go Mrmargie. My DH, after 30+ years has finally gotten to the point where he can admit that he might be wrong but hasn't gotten to the point where he says that I am right ............. such is life .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lym95 Posted October 22, 2008 Author Report Share Posted October 22, 2008 The first time I screwed up a seam, I ask Margie where the 'backspace' setting was on the machine. We've all become aclimated to the computer era where we can just remove and delete any mistakes we make with no trace left. Sewing is a little different... It makes me think of typing class in high school, working on an old manual Underwood typewriter. On a timed test, one girl sneaked out her eraser and tried to obliterate a mistake. Later the teacher showed us that you can hold up a typed page to the light and every erasure shows up like a neon sign saying, "I CHEATED". It's not a bad thing once in a while to have to accomplish something that can't be faked, even if a husband has to admit to his wife that she knows more about a subject than he does. mm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Beth Posted October 22, 2008 Report Share Posted October 22, 2008 Hey MM, Why don't you invent a sewing machine with 'backspace'? You are a genius!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lym95 Posted October 22, 2008 Author Report Share Posted October 22, 2008 Mr Margie's problem was that he couldn't tell his mistake until he got to the end of his 7' seam and it was made up of seams every 2" all the way down....so now you know why it took him 3 hours to "unsew". In his defense, once he got it sewn correctly, he did stop for the night....it just happened to be WAY late when he quit. He is doing an EXCELLENT job on his first quilt, I will not spoil it for him, I will let him show when he is ready. BUT, it is certainly WAY more than I would attempt even NOW. He certainly set his goal with high expectations.....and is accomplishing it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grace Posted October 22, 2008 Report Share Posted October 22, 2008 You 'kids' are too funny. Wish I could learn my lessons in 180 minutes or less. Grace Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renae Posted October 22, 2008 Report Share Posted October 22, 2008 MrMarjorie you are just too funny. I have this mental picture that is hilarious but very nice. I really would like to see my DH make a quilt too. I know some day he will try the quilting part, he does take an interest in that and believe me he will post a picture with no problem. He is also interested in us becoming APQS Reps.......... Renae Gamel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caroljean Posted October 22, 2008 Report Share Posted October 22, 2008 this is so funny i have personal experience in being a hard head and not paying attention to others helpfuland insightful advise. i think if i didn't do it wrong then i would have questioned why.. you know the universal question WHY????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmcclannan Posted October 22, 2008 Report Share Posted October 22, 2008 I am working on a quilt with pinwheel blocks and 5 of my pinwheels are turning the wrong way. I decided to make new ones and keep the old ones. I have a "few" other blocks that were sewn backwards or upside down so maybe someday I'll put all my "bad" blocks into a quilt. It will probably win a prize for original design, don't you know.:P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lym95 Posted October 22, 2008 Author Report Share Posted October 22, 2008 Julie, that's a great idea! Save up and make a 'mistakes' quilt. At the rate I'm going, I could make one about once a month... mm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltmonkey Posted October 22, 2008 Report Share Posted October 22, 2008 Originally posted by shadows4 Sometimes it's best to put it aside for a bit, otherwise the trash can looks really tempting. How frustrating! So you've finally learned: Yes dear. You are right dear. Whatever you say dear. Jeanne, yes I agree with you about the options of "ripping out versus throwing away" and depending on what it is and how far I've gone, I have thrown a few things in the trash can and started over rather than tearing out the stitches. Fabric is valuable, but so is my time! Live and learn. Sew and Rip. Learn and live. Rip and Sew. Such is life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lym95 Posted October 22, 2008 Author Report Share Posted October 22, 2008 Shana, you should not throw anything away. With your vision and artistry, you could make the best 'mistake' quilt ever - assuming you ever make mistakes... mm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltmonkey Posted October 22, 2008 Report Share Posted October 22, 2008 Oh Brad I meant (throwing away, rather than ripping) while I am piecing on the DSM, not while quilting on the longarm. The Bible teaches us: "As ye sew, so shall ye reap." The quilt book teaches us: "As ye sew, so shall ye rip." I remind myself of this nearly every time I sit at my DSM (and even the longarm) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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