Friday, August 21, 2009

Stupid Is as Stupid Does

Are you sitting down? Ready for a good laugh? This is worth more than a giggle...a hearty guffaw for sure and possibly your drink spewing through your nose kind of funny.

Remember this quilt...'Pocket Change'...those fun fabrics...a cute baby coin quilt. I got up early today and continued basting away. I had settled on a quilting idea...I was pumped, ready to get it finished and take that final picture so I could upload the tutorial today.

I was happily quilting away.....line after line....laying it out, smiling at myself, at the quilt. There was a nagging feeling though...my machine wasn't sounding quite right, a sort of hollow sound. I chalked it up to the fact that it needed a good cleaning. I told myself I'd do it right after I finished the quilting on this one.

Halfway done and I spread it on my table to admire my work one more time. This one was turning out just as I had imagined, but something wasn't right. I flipped it over...looked fine on the back. Flipped it over again and said to myself, my that's light as a feather. Then I looked at it again and my jaw dropped and a knowing frown spread across my face. How could I...how could I have done something so stupid.

Perfect top,
cute back,
great quilting...

no batting.

I forgot the batting. Forgot the batting...what quilter in their right mind forgets the batting?

Don't answer that.



138 comments:

sewtakeahike said...

holy schmoly, that's just gonna make me cry and laugh at the same time Jacquie! And no matter how hard you squeeze your eyes together and wiggle your nose, the batting's not gonna magically appear. You crack me up!

Abby and Stephanie said...

A Forrest Gump moment eh? Oh dear. I can't even imagine having to take out all that quilting! I do appreciate the good laugh...at your expense of course. :o)

Janet said...

Thanks! You just made my day. I spent half an hour sewing with a very dull needle (because I wasn't paying attention). It made a very interesting chenille type effect on the back of my handbag handles. It's nice to know others sometimes have these moments too!

MichelleB said...

Oh my goodness! Heartbreaking! It sure is a lovely quilt, though!

Lisa said...

OH!!! I'm sorry! That is awful, but i have to tell you, that gave me a great laugh! I can only imagine your pain! Have a great weekend

Autumn said...

That's a total bummer. I hope you have a good show to watch while you're taking out those stitches. I'm sorry, friend.

RosaMarĂ­a said...

OMG!!!!! i'm a begginer in quilting, i must confes it's good know that kind of things happen with great quilters people!! the best part is your humor sense! have a great weekend!

Nancy said...

You made a summer quilt. Are you seriously going to rip it all out???

Jenny said...

Not laughing here...close to tears for you! That might be the most 'frustrating' story i can imagine. so sorry.

Wendy said...

You just made me feel much better.... to know that someone as talented as you makes goofy mistakes just like me sometimes! (Although I bet you don't make them as often as I do....)
Thanks for the laugh!

Handpicked said...

Truly feel your pain, but this was a great story for a friday afternoon. Laughed out loud at my desk.

paulette said...

Oh no!! That is funny! What are you going to do? Start picking???
Or did you want a light weight quilt?
Paulette

Ellen said...

Where I come from . . . we call that a summer top! That sucks, though. Sure it will turn out beautifully :)

Anonymous said...

Looks like you made yourself a summer quilt. They would probably charge a fortune for one in a store, and you thought of it first.

EmileeHope said...

I don't think I would have the patience to take it all out. I say go with the summer quilt idea and pretend you did it on purpose! I won't tell!!

Nichole said...

awwww! jacquie!

aSprinkling said...

So where's the picture already? :)

Cara said...

Leave it - we do that on purpose down here in the semi-tropical climate. Noone has to know. Well, except all your loyal readers, but we won't tell.

Michele said...

Ouch! I hope you do leave it as a summer quilt since the quilting turned out so nicely. Ripping perfectly good stitches is way worse than leaving out batting!

nettie said...

lol, now that is one I have never heard. how funny, and frustrating.

~Michelle~ said...

Watch the people come out of the wood work and confess their quilting sins! I accidentally put fabric thru my paper shredder the other day...I coined that "Stupid-Seeking Missile"

Ashley said...

thanks for the laugh - i like your attitude about the error, and of course, it was nice of you to share so we all know that these kinds of things happen!

Colleen Lunt said...

I am so sorry. Thanks for sharing.

Cheryl Arkison said...

Well, call it it a summerweight quilt and be done with it! It sounds like one of those times when you want to cry but somehow a little giggle escapes. What else can you do?

merrily row said...

I will not cast a stone but I will thank you for the laugh. Oh, to not be alone in the quilting world, priceless.

silversmith said...

that's ok...i stitched together a bunch of triangles the other night with the fabric wrong side together. went to press all my triangles and tried to figure out why all the colors looked funny.

spent 2 nights with my seam ripper to resew them last night correctly, with the addition of silver pencil marks on the right side of the seam...

Vicki W said...

An excited quilter, that's who! It is a funny story for sure!

Susan said...

It's nice to know that I'm not the only one who does stuff like this!

Ann J said...

What a treat to find out that someone else makes this kind of mistake, and owns up to it (!!) and you are right - it's worth more than a giggle! .......AJ

Evelyn said...

Thank you for sharing this story! I love to know even the great ones mess up every once in a while! (And I join the crowd - I hope you don't fix it!)

Amy said...

Don't feel too bad about it! When I first got my walking foot it took me a long time to figure out why the tension was so messed up on the back. It was because I didn't have it down all the way! I was so used to sewing one or two layers of just fabric and having there be a really obvious gap between the fabric and the foot, that when there wasn't a big gap between the quilt and the foot I didn't think that about the foot not being all the way down. Even asked at a quilt shop about it! Thankfully I figured it out before I took it in to have someone look at it!!!

Anita said...

OMG! That is too funny! Hope the seam ripping wasn't too much work.

Lisa A said...

Well, now it's a summer quilt!

Sandy said...

That is too funny! Hope that you get it done (again) sometime soon! At least now you have a solid plan!

Stina Blomgren said...

ROFLOL!!!!
Thanks for sharing and bringing a sigh of relief to us all.. knowing this is something we all could do...especially when we are so tagged to get something finished... it is sooo easy to forget... even the really important things.. HUGS... and good luck...;o)))

Heidi said...

ROTFL, thanks for the great Friday afternoon laugh. I sure needed one :) You must have been REALLY excited and focused on getting to the quilting.

karen @ badlandsquilts said...

I'm so sorry that happened, but I have to say you made me feel better. I'm taking a part 2 rows of my zig zag quilt from the ORB QA cause I didn't trim my HST and feel like it's taking FOREVER... it's nice to know we're not alone when we make a mistake. Looks beautiful though!

Jacque. said...

ohman...thought I was gonna choke, I was laughing so hard!!! But, I do feel for you...I would have been very upset with myself. So...I think, as the others do, that a nice summer weight quilt was just what you needed. ohman...

Anonymous said...

That rocks.

Amy R said...

Oh my! We all have done things like that. (Thanks for sharing!) But, I do like the idea of a summer quilt. And, I just LOVE your colors! Just love them!

Barbara Sindlinger said...

You said we could laugh and that gave me a big laugh. Thanks for letting us know that we all do silly things occasionally.

Angie said...

Oh, too funny. At least you were just halfway into the quilting?

QuiltedSimple said...

Oh. My. Gosh. Too funny and how horrible!
Kris

Paula said...

My mom made both warm winter quilts and thin summer ones. "So the beds look nice all year." I had a thin quilt with my oldest son - it was wonderful to have just enough to keep the chill off without worrying about the little one getting too warm...

Frogdancer said...

You'll probably get more comments with this than with anything else. Everyone's going to come out of the woodwork to laugh/sympathise/share stories with you on this one!

I've had my share of quilting mishaps, but this one has (so far) eluded me. But at least the bright side is that you're a blogger. If it wasn't for that then the whole thing would have been a TOTALLY wasted exercise. As it is, you got a good post from it!

Thimbleanna said...

OH NO!!! How sad!!! Are you having to unpick now??? Sorry....if it's any consolation, I didn't laugh at all (ok, maybe a teeny smile, but no laughing!)

Erika said...

My husband has a say "even monkeys fall from trees" It made me laugh but things happen.

Judy S. said...

Nah, you made an extra lightweight summer quilt, right?

Betsy said...

OMG and such a beautiful quilt. How will you fix it?

allsewnup said...

Ouch!!That smarts.
Carolyn*

Kristin L said...

Ooops! If you haven't taken all your quilting stitches out, you could just mail it my way because a quilt without batting is perfect for a tropical climate!! :-)

Patchmaker said...

Sorry, but I really did laugh out loud. Thanks for being brave enough to post!
Maggie

Victoria said...

I love that you see the humor in this, as it has helped to alleviate my guilt over laughing, (quite hard I might add). My heart also really goes out to you, dear Jacquie. I hope you can save it and bless you for sharing the blunders as well as the successes!

Twisted Quilts said...

You are so hilarious. That is almost as bad as forgetting your underwear! You sure made a lot of folks laugh today.

Aimee said...

OH NO!! I am laughing, but I feel your pain having to undo all those stitches. I bet you're making good enemies with your seam ripper tonight!

Anonymous said...

Oh no!! I would probably just leave it and use it as a coverlet. Sounds like something I would do! I'm notorious for sewing one wrong side against one right side.

Unknown said...

LOL!!!!!!! great story, thanks for sharing, I'm still laughing!!!!

Pokey said...

It's okay, my grandmother in the rural Appalachian Mountains called this a summer quilt! You might be surprised and enjoy it. It just ... wasn't what you had planned!
I would leave it. You can always have it around to laugh about. : }
pokey

June Ingram said...

I didnt laugh out loud, I can imagine how many times you have thought to yourself today and wondered. How did I possibly do that??? and the whole quilt too.
IIf its any concilation, I once pinned a full quilt by myself.. and took it home and was thinking how productive I had been when I realized I had not put the batting between the layers...:-( Yes I gave myself quite a talking too as well. I wouldnt pick out the stitches. I would use it as suggested for a summer throw..

Bridget said...

Thanks for making me feel better! I remember sewing rows and rows of squares and afterward looking at the horrible thread snarls that had stealthily been accumulating as I blithely kept on going.

Melissa said...

DOH! I am the Queen of this sort of thing- I read and re-read a pattern/directions until I have it down, start cutting... and THEN realize I am cutting the strips too small. Run out of bobbin thread. Argh! I totally agree- it's a lightweight throw! :)

Patty said...

Wow, what a story! I love this story!!! I love to laugh and laugh I did:) But, I feel for you too; all the ripping out you have to do.

Anonymous said...

Funny!

Andi said...

Definitely laughed out loud.
Maybe this can be a lovely throw for the summer time!!
Andi :-)

A Spoonful Of Sugar said...

Thanks for sharing your story Jacquie - it is the sort of thing that happens to me all the time, usually when I am in a rush to finish something. Good luck second time around!

Michaela said...

Haha! I think I'd just leave it like it is. That's a lot of stitch ripping!

Valerie said...

Oh no! But honestly, it sounds like something I would have done, and I bet lots of other people too :)

Kelly O. said...

oops :)

MightyMom said...

bwwahahahahahahwahahhahahbwahahahahahahahahah

I knew as soon as you mentioned that hollow sound...either there's no bobbin thread or there's no batting.....

just call it "summer weight" and enjoy!!

;-)

MelissaS said...

mwhahahahahahahah....sorry I know it's painful.....I wish I could help rip out the stitches...mwhahahhahah

Trisha said...

Sounds like you have yourself a great summer baby blanket now. I don't have the heart to laugh...

Sew Little Fabric said...

You poor bugger, That is totally something I would do!! We are laughing with you, not at you I promise!
Hugs Paula

Needled Mom said...

You could always claim that it is meant to be a "summer" quilt!! How sad. What are you going to do?

Cheryl said...

Oh no! I have to admit, I laughed out loud at this. Not at you, of course, but in knowing that I could easily make the same mistake. I haven't actually done this, though I have quilted something else to the back of a quilt, which required just as much unsewing. Treat yourself to a new seam ripper after this!

Carla said...

Thanks for the great laugh... :o) But r u really going to pull out all those stitches? Yikes!

greetingarts said...

Oh... my... condolences! You need a double dose of rich dark chocolate or a stiff drink or... something! after that one. Oooh, I think I would have crumpled it up and tossed it in a corner for a good while after that.

Dawn said...

Thinking of you as you unpick and re sew...Umm we all have moments like those at times.... BIG HUGS to you.... can't wait to see the finished product.

connie said...

That sounds like something I would do. I am glad I am not alone.

I am anxious to see your quilting now. Have a great weekend.

Jane's Fabrics and Quilts said...

Thank you for telling me to put down my water, lotherwise you are right, i would have spit it all over!1 Boy, oh boy, am I gald I am not the only one who does those kind of things! Oh man get the seam ripper out and a good movie!!

Cynthia said...

Thank you thank you for sharing!! I thought surely nothing could make me laugh right now but I was wrong. I am so sorry. I hope it will all turn out well in the end.

Gretchen said...

thanks for making me laugh!! i just had the worst day, including some of the most horrendous pain a person can imagine from a procedure (perhaps aside from childbirth, but this made me seriously consider never going through it). too much information, perhaps, but this blog post gave me something to laugh at when i got home...thanks!!!

Liz said...

He he he. too funny. What are you going to do???

Krista said...

What an awesome table cloth you have just created! When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade - in this case, life has given you a battingless quilt, so spread it on your table and enjoy your lemonade!!!! I think it's wonderful that you shared this story - thanks Jacquie.
p.s. your hand doctor would also advise that you don't rip out the stitches!!

Stephanie said...

You rock. Thanks for being real. I totally love that.

Lisa said...

Meh, it's just a summer quilt. LOL!

Dena said...

I'm not laughing at you, I'm laughing with you. Honest. LOL

Jenny of Elefantz said...

.....a quilter who lives in a REALLY hot climate??? :-)
Hugs
Jenny
xxx

henny said...

hahaha...ouww...Jackie! No comment :)

TraceyLynne said...

So, no problem. It's now a summer quilt...you do know what a summer quilt is, right? Top, back and no middle. Just fabric. Perfect for a summer night. See? Just what you were trying to do... :-)

Artfulife said...

You just made me laugh.

sewing the seeds of love said...

Was that nagging feeling the fact that it was so light and easy to manouvere ??
Even the Gods make mistakes, some hope yet for us mere mortals. Thanks for being such an honest blogger and sharing the good and the bad...cause that was pretty bad...yes ..I confessed I laughed...with pity...
as I always say "unpicking is the pits ! "

Shari said...

A coverlet is nice in summer...

Rose said...

It's nice to know even the pros goof up every once in a while! Funny post, probably not so funny while you're ripping it out though! :)

Agneta quilts said...

No, not stupid - just human! I also tend to forget things, but for me I forgot the backing after spay-gluening top and batting ... I could fix it though, by quilting in the ditch, but that was not my intention at all when I began ...
Anyway, the quilt might work out as a nice table cloth instead!

Hugs
Agneta i Sweden
http://agnetaquiltar.zoomin.se/blogg.html

Tine said...

Oh my goodness! I am very impressed you can have a sense of humor about this!
But I am very glad you shared this story, knowing someone as talented as you does a thing like this, makes me feel a little less hopeless ;)Because I make so many silly mistakes.....and way too many....way too often!

G'G'ma said...

First I laughed and then I wanted to cry for you. I could just feel in the pit of my stomach how you must have felt. But, today is a new day and you have a beautiful summer coverlet and all of your readers are remembering the crazy mistakes we've made. We all make mistakes...it keeps us from getting "the big head".

Anne D said...

I laughed and laughed and then I thought about all the work you put into it and I felt sorry for you. It is one of those laugh or you will cry moments. To be honest though I find it reassuring that someone who makes such amazing quilts makes mistakes!!!We are an Australian family living in the US for 3 years and my son loves Forest Gump and is constantly using movie quotes. He was impressed with your heading

Leslie said...

oh my gosh that was so funny...i read the story out loud to my sister and our girls and we all got a laugh...you poor lady i hope thaty ou are able to re,medy it in some way

Steph said...

You have to tell us whether you went with the summer quilt idea or if you picked it all out. :)

So glad you can have such a sense of humor about it. I think my reaction would have been to fall into a heap and cry. LOL!

Michele McLaughlin said...

One gal's mistake is another's treasure......Ivory Soap was really worried about their bars floating until someone decided that was the advertising pitch :)
We call quilts without batting "summer spreads" here in Pennsylvania Dutch country. This is a perfect quilt for a baby in the summer (think of prickly heat on a baby!! They do get warm). I say don't tear it out. It is lovely!

Christina Lane | The Sometimes Crafter said...

I think you need a vacation. :)

bonnie said...

OMG... how funny, though i am sure when you realized it, it was not so funny. all that work, yikes. sounds like somthing i would do. thanks for sharing.

Kristin Shields said...

Oh, yes. It's a summer quilt alright. Gwen Marston would finish the quilting and call it a day. I wouldn't worry too much. I tend to make those sorts of really big mistakes when I'm in a hurry to finish something.

Wendy said...

Oh my gosh! Thats too funny!
Well, I suppose it was meant to be, maybe it could still be a wall quilt, or a summer quilt?
Hey, how about a curtain?

Stephanie D said...

Oh, I hate those moments. And you know wishing you could push the rewind button just isn't enough.

Are you going to buy a new seam ripper for the occasion?

Staci K. said...

Oh noooooo!!! I thought you were going to say you realized you were "pretend sewing". That's what I call it when I realize I ran out of bobbin thread 5 minutes ago. Oh well, you could sell it as a "summer weight" quilt! ;)

Katherine said...

Whoops!
Don't be too hard on yourself. We've all had moments like this. Honest. Best we can do is laugh about it (even when we want to cry...). Boy, do I know that feeling! Go put on some good music and get your seam ripper fired up. ;o)

Laurie said...

OH WOW...I can actually say I never did that...but you are an awesome and honest quilter!

Letty said...

Without the batting it will make a nice cool summer quilt!

Unknown said...

Come on over here and we can unsew together!!

Anya said...

That's OK. It's now a summer throw.

Alissa said...

That is hysterical... Ok, definitely not to you at the time but you know what I mean. Did you rip it all out or just call it lightweight?? What a pain for you!! I would have thrown it across the room and paused in my sewing for a good half day! ha!

Latane Barton said...

Oh my. Reminds me of my daughter making her brother's wedding cake and forgot to peel the wax paper of the cake layers. Iced it, decorated it, thought it a bit strange cutting it. Right. Wax paper in the cake.

ilovebabyquilts said...

I feel your pain. Back when this self taught quilter was a beginner, I made my son a quilt with all cotton batting. It sounded nice, like all cotton, all natural, you know. Well I loved piecing but hated quilting, so I just tied it six inches apart and went on. Well the first time I washed it, the batting wadded up in the corners like wet kleenex. Apparently, you're supposed to quilt 2" apart. I had to cut slits in the corners and yank all the balled up batting out, then sew the slits shut. So now he has a summer quilt too.

Sandra said...

Oh my..thank you I needed a good laugh...but I really am sorry for you.
Love your blog and your quilting!

em's scrapbag said...

Too funny. Glad to know you are human. I've never forgotten the bat but I have a pattern that has a piece sign quilted in it because I didn't relize it had worked it's way to where I was quilting.

dot said...

I guess it is a summer quilt now.

Allie said...

I'm so sorry for you--but I really got a good laugh! Thanks for sharing, I needed that.

amy smart said...

Somehow it is so comforting to know there are others out there capable of sharing those kinds of stories. Thank you for helping me feel less stupid.

Sonja♥ said...

Thank you for this good laugh!
But sincerely, this could happen to all of us or even worse (eg. the back quilted on the wrong side;)

Teresa aka MarieSews said...

Batting? What batting. This is a summer quilt, right? Mistake? What mistake? Isn't that what you had in mind from the beginning? That would be my story and I would stick with it.

Thanks for the laugh!

Jodie said...

absolutely best most hysterical post ever.
I laughed out loud, but I promise I am laughing with you not at you ...I promise.

Sarah said...

Oh my word, woman! That is the craziest thing I've heard in a long time...you poor thing! So funny!

Browndirtcottage said...

...OH NO YOU DIDN'T...!??@#!...lol

judy said...

Oh, I so understand how you did that!! Know you have company in "brain flights".

Candace said...

You know how they say you've lost your mind? Maybe that's what happened for just a bit, Jacquie - but I'm glad you found it again - LOL!
Cheers!
My word veri it brainac!

Nanette Merrill said...

Oh Jacquie! Isn't that a metaphor for life. Oh my gosh. Now you have to unpick! ick

KateKwiltz said...

Oh well! I'm with all those others who suggest just using it as a summer quilt. Just make some lemonade, as it were.

I wouldn't have been able to resist Bruno, either. Good thing I never go into the dog side of my local shelter!

Rebekah said...

oh no!

sko_G knits said...

i would say that is quite a beautiful summer-weight blanket!

The Calico Cat said...

I forgot the batting on a table runner - happy accident!

Leanne said...

Oh it's good to see your human.

Unknown said...

Thanks fpr sharing with us...
I really like your blog and quiltings

--
Michell
You cannot go wrong on the best security systems

Beth said...

One of the things I love about you is your ability to laugh at yourself.....and then share the moment with us. We've all done it. Forgotten something important. Or read the directions wrong....or like me last night. First seam sewn on the bag I'm making. Ooops....how could I read the directions wrong ALREADY???? Rip, rip, rip.....wait a minute. Read again. Nope. I'm ripping out a seam that I had actually sewn CORRECTLY! I think we must have a lot on our minds.

Thanks for the laugh and have a great day.

ktquilts said...

My favorite two quilts in the whole wide world have no batting!!!! It was a good laugh, but not the end of the world! Just think how much money you saved on batting!!!


KT

Tif said...

I will make a great summer quilt!!!!!! Ahhhh, *hugs* lol

Julie @ Jaybird Quilts said...

the kind of quilter who is making a summer quilt! ;-)

Doreen Baros said...

I loved your story. Yep, we all are human and make mistakes. It's refreshing to see you making lemonaid from these lemons. Hope you kept it as a summer quilt like so many have suggested. It makes the quilt so much more valuable in my mond if there's some history and a good story that goes along with it. Thanks for sharing it. I love your writing style. Hope you don't mind, but I'm going to send others from my blog to come visit yours with a reference to your blog. Come say 'hi' if you'd like.

Doreen
http://sewartfullyminded.blogspot.com/2009/08/improvisational-quilts.html