Jump to content

Not My Cup of Tea...DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!w/pics

schnoo

Recommended Posts

schnoo Advanced Member

schnoo

Posted
Posted

Hello Longarmers!! ( see update below and photo link )

I have been struggling with designing , starting, and now trying to finish a top that is pieced just fine. I think the trouble I am having is that I am not liking what I am quilting ( have tried and ripped many different design try outs) because I do not like the quilt top. (!!)

Usually by this point in the quilting everything is starting to grow on me and come together and my initial doubts disappear. The problem is because I'm not liking it ,I don't think my customer will like it and that makes my usually healthy quilting esteem turn into a huge self doubting monster!!!

Of course this is a custom free-hand design and the stops and starts are everywhere. I can't stay motivated to do this!!

Anybody else go through something like this?

Any pearls of wisdom from fellow sufferers of quilting block??

Thank goodness I have you all to turn to!!!!!! thanks!!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/schnoobie/1270577776/

Link to comment
Share on other sites
lyonden Advanced Member

lyonden

Posted
Posted

Susan --I'm right in there with you. I have a custom quilt that I got in Dec. I have put this beast (kingsize) off for as long as I could. When the customer brought the quilt, I tried to talk her out of custom. The fabric is very busy, so, you can't see the quilting. Also, she want "this" in this little rectangle, and "that" in another shape, etc. Nothing seems to go together. It really looks like a hodge podge of I don't know what to do. Like you, I thought once I started it, the quilting would be OK and I would start to like the quilt. No deal, I took it off to complete 2 other quilts and will have to put this problem quilt back on tomorrow. Before quilting, I tried on 3 other occassions to talk her out of the custom work, Susan, I truly feel your pain. I do think it's OK not to like all quilts. This one certainly isn't pretty. You are not alone. I don't like to put out work that I feel is not my best. So sad when I know this quilt would have been kinda pretty with an all-over panto. :(

Link to comment
Share on other sites
schnoo Advanced Member

schnoo

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Lyonden:

Thanks for responding!! I don't do pantos and rarely overalls ( bib overalls YES !!QUILTING rarely.....haha) This is hard for me but I need to keep going. I appreciate your empathy!!I love that we can all connect and support each other online!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
kennan100 Advanced Member

kennan100

Posted
Posted

This is something I've thought about, too. I don't have my machine yet, but I know me very well and I know I would have a hard time doing custom on a quilt I do not like. I could get over it, put my blinders on and do the job. The hard part would be getting the blinders on in the first place! The customer has a vision for this quilt that you can't see is all it is.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Stagecl Advanced Member

Stagecl

Posted
Posted

I had a real tough custom quilt...it took me 4 weeks...I have 2 machines, one with a compuquilter so I didn't take it off and could ponder what to quilt next.

The quilt design was contemporary africanish which was a trememdous stretch for me...the quilter gave me free range as to what to quilt. It was only 42" by 46"....I rarely get this style of quilt and it definitely was a growing experience...I appreciated quilting it.

I liked how it turned out...I didn't take a picture because the quilter is in the process of beading the heck out of it. When she is done I'll take a picture because the beading will complete the look she is striving for.

Carol is right...there are times when pantos are the perfect solution to a quilt. There are so many beautiful pantos out there that will look great on a quilt. It seems for most of us the bread and butter is in stitching out the pantos (as mindless as it seems)

Cheryl Mathre

Stone Creek Quilting

Sandy Hook, VA

Link to comment
Share on other sites
chickenscratch Advanced Member

chickenscratch

Posted
Posted

I have three identical quilts here to do, and I hate all three of them. I can't figure out what to do on them. The pieced part is a twin star in red, white, and blue. These blocks are alternated with 12" plain blocks made of patriotic material. I have looked at these quilts for almost 2 weeks. I told her I'd have them done by the end of the month, but I'm not making much progresss.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
lyonden Advanced Member

lyonden

Posted
Posted

Wow, don't we sound like a bunch. It's funny to see how many of us run into the same problem. Cheryl, I just read your post to Bob and told him he can't holler at me for taking a week to do a quilt when you took 4 weeks. heehee. As you know, he dislikes custom. and won't touch it. Teresa - your comment "I have three identical quilts here to do and I hate all three of them" sent me into gales of much needed laughter. Maybe now I can finish "THE" quilt. You guys are all great. :P

Link to comment
Share on other sites
sewingupastorm Advanced Member

sewingupastorm

Posted
Posted

I had a quilt like that...........................the fabric selection and colors were unfortunate. The piecing skills left so much to be desired. Well I finally got going on it and began to take spaces into consideration. It was a basket quilt so I did a corsshatch in the large part of the basket............that looked great. Did a tri arc tool outline in the smaller HST areas, did alot of stipple fill in the spaces around the baskets.................can't remember too much about the rest and I did not take a photo.....................silly me.

In any case when my customer got it back she e-mailed me;

"You made both of us look good!"

The bottom line is take apart the shapes and do the best job you can. It will come together. You do not have to like it but you do have to be happy with the quality you put in.

Hopefully that helps. It would be nice if we liked every quilt we do.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
schnoo Advanced Member

schnoo

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Thanks alot for the support ladies!!!!

I also just had to quit my ( full of promise ,opportunities and development ...lots of money making!......NOT!) job selling another brand of quilting machine. Lots of smoke blowing and mirrors and undermining co-workers and B.S. LOng story anyway.....I think that is messing with my serenity on some level too!

Right now its just the repitition and thread color changes that are dragging my energy. I will post a pic when its done....getting close but ....whew !!! what a painful one!! and oh yeah I forgot to add the customer wanted the asian ribbon motif thats in the large outer border quilted in the half alternate blocks up next to the borders..... It was a dynamic motif (on the diagonal) and the space was smaller and very rigid( vertical and horzontal) I'm not happy with the vertical ones even though I tried to use my light to trace them....

OK enough whining!!!!!!

I am going to try to enjoy this sunny day with a motorcycle ride after I get more of this monster quilted.

THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH, AGAIN!!!!!!!!!:cool:

p.s. LYONDEN!!!!LOVE LOVE YOUR website!! I have 4 cats and 3 dogs running the show here too at the Farm!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
mrsbishwit Advanced Member

mrsbishwit

Posted
Posted

The problem I have with a quilt that has been loaded but I just can't get motivated to stitch right now is a beautiful needle turned block of the month applique quilt that is 50" square. It is a gorgeous quilt and really deserves custom quilting on it, stitch in the ditch, McTavishing, and the basket weave technique. But that would have been $165.00 and the customer didn't want to pay that much so she wants me to do the Daisy Swirl panto on it which will only cost her $50.00.

I almost told her that I wouldn't quilt it if she wouldn't do a custom but she said that it would never get quilted if I didn't stitch the panto on it. So here it is on my machine & has to get done today so I don't get behind on my deadlines for next week. On the bright side it is a small quilt and will be done quickly so I need to just do it and get it over with.

Joann

Link to comment
Share on other sites
schnoo Advanced Member

schnoo

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Joann,

That sounds painful!! :mad:

Its almost as if some piecers feel that quilting is not as important as the piecing. Like an afterthought! To me , quilting can make (ribbon worthy) or break it ( why would they do that!?) Or some (first hand experience!!) are JUST CHEAP! Go figure!!:(

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Bonnie Advanced Member

Bonnie

Posted
Posted

I'm soooooooooooo giggling at Pamela right now....Honey let's just say that if we were to offer to buy all the quilts that we thought were ugly or had no idea what to quilt on them, and we just bought them so we didn't have to do them.

There is a pretty good chance we ALL would be up to our shoulders with stacks of quilts not quilted. I can't even begin to tell you how many quilts have sat on my frame for a couple of days because I just didn't have a clue or didn't want to do them because the colors just flat out hurt to look at them or some other reason it just didn't get on and off the frame. I'm sorry Pamela your comment just hit a funny bone and I had to laugh.....although I have to admit I too have thought that should work until I decided I would have to buy pretty much them all. There was a time that about every other quilt was mostly polyester or a blended fabric and they were oogly.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 4 weeks later...
countrystitcher Advanced Member

countrystitcher

Posted
Posted

Susan/I know right where LaPorte is - my DH and I lived in Indiana for 17 years - little berg called "Hamlet" east of LaPorte. It was the best years of our lives in that little town and that's where the quilt bug bit me. We occasionally get back for a visit but not as often as I'd like.

Small World - Happy Quilting!

Sharon.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
schnoo Advanced Member

schnoo

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Ladies!!!!

Talk about timing!!! ( although it took me waaay too long to get this done!) Last night at guild was the night everyone who participated in the "Mystery Quilt" was to bring theirs in and THIS QUILT WAS ONE OF THE "MYSTERY QUILTS" !!!!!!Who knew? I don't pay much atention to those as I have enough trouble getting my own list of non mystery quilts done.........ANYWAY it was great to be the quilter of one of the two that were actually finished AND see so many more versions and color combos of the same pattern.What made it even more special was that the piecer is just now recovering from serious major surgery and was very excited to be there to see it for the first time and to take it home.

Thanks again ladies for the support!!I'm curious to see how many more of these come my way now they've seen one I've quilted...either way I FEEL GOOD! its done yeay yeay yeay

NEXT!!!!!!:cool::P;)

ps my mom and grandma and aunt used to golf in Hamlet every week in the summer ....no body was hurt by the half of a very large willow tree....just 2 pickup trucks that are still rollin......the tree just missed my studio by inches though!!!:mad:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...