What would you do?

[barbann03]

Hi all, I just finished another quilt. But I have some issues. And I was just looking for some opinions. At least three or four rows have some birds nests on them, right in the middle of the row. My backing is cream and they show up quite well. I have done the Chantilly lace pattern and there are a lot of curves and very few points to work with on this pattern. My question is would you frog the whole row and do it again or would you just frog the section around the birds nest. Everything shows up big time on this backing! (My thread is dark pink). I am having a hard time fixing mistakes without it showing. This is a charity quilt, and I do want it to be nice, but I also don't want to spend the next three days fixing it. I do have other quilts lined up to do! Oh, did I just say that, I have quilts lined up!!!! I sure could use some advice! I am torn as to what I should do, and what I can get away with! THanks ladies!

[Ferret]

I think I would be tempted to unpick one nest at a time. Slow the machine down, and working frm the front put back the stitches, using the holes from the unpicked ones as a guide.

Ferret

[Stagecl]

I, too, would work out the nests and restitch. It will look fine if there is a start and stop in the middle of a row. What would you do if your thread broke?...would you frog the whole row?...probably not.

This is also a charity quilt. The people receiving it will be grateful to get it and if they are that picky about a stop and start on a quilt given to them...they need to have their heads examined and the quilt given to someone else who appreciates getting a quilt.

Also, too, remember we are our worst critics...we see every mistake and maginify it two thousand percent.

If you are that unhappy with the stops and starts...knot and bury them.

Good luck.

Cheryl Mathre

Stone Creek Quilting

Sandy Hook, VA

[Bonnie]

I echo Ferret's comment...don't do more than one at a time and go really slow and smooth. The only thing that I would add is if you can't see the holes very well....outline them with either a air erase pen or a chalk line....

Hope things work out okay for you...there isn't anything worst than bird nests.

[barbann03]

Thanks for the advice. I went really slow and worked on each nest. The front looks great, but the stops and starts show up big time on the backing. I am a little reluctant to give this one away, it isn't the best example of my work. I have done so much better on other pieces. I am going to load a practice piece today and work on my tension issues. And it really isn't about someone else being picky, but about myself being picky. I don't want to give away a quilt that has so many stops and starts showing on the backing. But you are absolutely right, it happens! My lack of self-esteem is showing again! My sister is constantly reminding me that I am better than I think I am. Thanks again for your help!

[JudyL]

Barb:

At this point in my quilting career, if it looks awful, I'd probably not donate it. Since you're the only one seeing it, you have to make that decision.

Just to play devil's advocate here for a minute, who will be seeing that quilt? One person who is negative, could be another longarmer, could be someone who gets some kind of reward points or something from sending customers to her own longarmer . . all they have to do is see it and tell others that the backing looked awful and you can be harmed for a very long time.

I've heard stories through the years of longarmers practicing on charity quilts, donating them . .especially through their guild, and others seeing them, not necessarily realizing they are practice quilt. Then they tell others that the work wasn't great and it's really hard to overcome.

When you put your work out there, whether it's for donation or a show, you are judged by what others see.

Get a busy backing fabric next time!

Good luck.

[SherryRogers]

Hi Barb

Sorry that you discovered the birds nests on the back after quilting but I wanted to make a suggestion for next time. Make sure you hold those thread tails SECURLY before beginning to stitch. Pull up the bobbin thread and then hang onto both threads. Now take your security stitches slightly pulling on those tails until they no longer move. For those pantos that you work from the back, place a strong T pin near the area that you brought up your bobbin and wrap the pin with your thread tails sorta like you are going to tie up a boat on dock. This should alleviate anymore surprise birds nests. Hope this helps in the future!

[Ferret]

I hadn't thought of using a pin. I usually stand at the front and try to see the panto at the back. Great idea, thanks Sherry.

Ferret

[Darlene Epp]

You can pick back to a point or seamline and bury those ends before starting up again, then use a 6" length of painter's tape to hold the ends down before starting up in the same hole you picked back to. When you finish the row, come back and bury the ends. No one will know where you started or stopped.

It really doesn't take as long to bury the ends as it does to stress over it after it's done.

[countrystitcher]

I agree with Darlene, I'm fairly new to long-arm quilting, but have decided to start off with good habits - such as if my thread breaks in the middle of a design, I will bury the thread and not backstitch. It really doesn't take all that much time to do this and it gives me a little break from the machine. In the case of a birdsnest, I would bury the threads. I was shown the t-pin method at class with Dawn C. she's the greatest for easy "tricks". I'm trying to educate my quilting friends to use busy backs as it helps me and also makes the back of the quilt prettier. They are catching on!!

- Sharon

[barbann03]

Thanks for the advice, I just need to learn how to bury my threads. Everyone says it so easy, but I am a visual person, and need to see it done! Anyway, there are pics of this quilt at my webshots page under Turning Twenty category. It's the pretty pastel one!