I'm taking a break to rest my neck, uncross my eyes and hide my seam ripper.
Friday, February 8, 2013
Matchstick Madness
It seems that I start quilting and never seem to like it. I have to resist the urge to rip when I'm about halfway through. Most of the time I like what I've done in the end, it's that "in progress not sure I like it" feeling that I have to get over. Does that happen to you?
Why did I decide to do this matchstick work again? Because I love the final look and texture, but the process is grueling. (especially on the gray heath where the stitches totally disappear. It's like quilting blind.)
I'm taking a break to rest my neck, uncross my eyes and hide my seam ripper.
I'm taking a break to rest my neck, uncross my eyes and hide my seam ripper.
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39 comments:
Madness is the right word for matchstick quilting - I would NEVER have the patience for that but the results are fabulous. Kudos to you for sticking with it and finishing this amazing project! See you at QuiltCon!
I too have that inner voice of eeeew. In the end I like the result. So tell it to hush.
I absolutely LOVE yor quilting and more is definitely better. Yum!
I love the look and feel of dense quilting patterns, too. When I get discouraged or bogged down with the tedious I chant "keep your eye on the prize"... the finished product. I need to be in a zone to work through that tedium. March on. Maybe try some whimsy between tedious work. The quilt you're working on here is very handsome!
I get that urge all the time! The urge to rip it all out to just start again with maybe something new or a slightly different shade of thread. All because there is a difference between the medium and medium dark grey threads. I say it looks good to me so keep resisting and take that break.
I admire your quilting. What does the washed and dried quilt feel like with this form of quilting?
I am new to quilting (about 6 months now) and have to fight the urge to rip out every time. I have trouble picturing it all quilted and think half way through that something else would look better. I am glad I am not the only one.
I absolutely feel the same way. Just grit your teeth and know that once it is completed, you will love the piece once again. (or not, sometimes in my case). Momma always said if it was worth starting, it was worth finishing. But then, do we ever really listen to what momma says? :-0
Yours, Jacquie, will be marvelous as always.
Your quilting looks great! I hardly ever think of ripping. Well, just the las one- I ripped! It was not yet that heavily quilted though ;-)
I think of it as being past the point of no return... somewhere near the start, there is a possibility it could be undone... but now, with all that you have accomplished... no way, no how, this is how it is going to be. Curious though, what thread are you using, and what colour is it?
Madness indeed! I completely understand the need for a break, but gosh, Jacquie, it's looking amazingly fantastic so far! Please, please don't rip it out!
I totally understand how you feel Looks great, but it is easy to get bogged down. Good luck!
I feel it too! Always both in quilting and other crafts I do! But I remember realising long ago that even great art masterpieces must have looked like crap in the middle of the process - and that is the truth. If it ever looks crap in the end - it should be put down as a practice piece and used as a reference for your eyes only...
I looove your quilting!
It looks fantastic and well worth the work- of course, I say this as someone not having to do that work ;-)
Haven't tried it myself yet but it looks fantastic. Just wondering if it makes the final quilt stiff and what batting you use for this dense quilting? Wish I was going to QuiltCon. Have great time.
I love the look of this quilting. I've done something similar for a tote bag, but I haven't tried it for a bigger project, yet!
How far apart do you quilt your lines?
You did an excellent job and the finale is awesome. You deserve a rest for sure!!
I just finished a quilt and several times I eyed the seam ripper, looked at the quilt, and kept quilting. Now that it's finished, I love it, but there were many moments, hours, of self doubt! Love the soft colors and the lines are amazing.
Love the matchstick quilting. It looks great, I love the feel and texture of that type of quilting. I try to resist the urge to rip out my quilting.... if I have a bad feeling about something, I stop right away, before it gets worse. But most of the time I am my own worst critic, I am just looking at all those stitches from too close!
I am not the only one,I am not the only one!! Yippee! I do a lot of "I really like this design and like the way it looks when it is finished." Then 1/2 way through "What was I thinking??!!" LOL
I.E. your matchstick is magically mesmerizing and I did it on a lap size for the borders only. It was still nerve racking:/
YOU CAN DO IT Jacquie!!
Oh definitely! I actually did rip out an entire quilts worth of FMQ stitches on a quilt - and was glad I did. I liked it so much better afterward. But on everything else, I just remind myself that after it's washed, it will be wonderful.
I love how this quilting looks. Could you tell me what the length of the stitch is? Beautiful!
Way back in high school when I used to make some of my own clothes, I'd get to a point where I wanted to throw it all away. My mom said it's normal to get about halfway through and think it looks like hell. "Just keep going," she'd say. She was always right.
I love the look, although the thought of doing it would stop me dead in my tracks. Too much of the same thing over and over again for me!
Happens to me too. But it looks great so far!
Yes, I do that too. Your quilting looks fabulous. I'm glad you didn't rip any of it out; it's so awesome.
you are just waaay too close to this project and need to see it through someone elses eyes, like mine. all i can see is perfection. the long stitchs so close together. the texture it makes. it is gorgeous jacquie! don't give up! take a break and please for the love of god hide that damn seam ripper! throw it out of the room!
That does happen to me and I'm always surprised at how much I like it in the end...even when putting colours together. Your quilt is wonderful, I love the quilting but I'm sure I wouldn't have the staying power to do it!
It looks terrific. Treat yourself to a good massage when you are done, you deserve it!
I would rather be hung by my toes and dipped in a vat of something awful rather than employ my seam ripper. :D That said, this is beautiful - I would never rip it out. I've only done one tiny quilt with something akin to this and I know it took forever (and ever!) but oh, the results are so worth it. Can hardly wait to see the finished result.
Matchstick quilting is my favorite (didn't know it was called that). Much easier than trying to do design and much less frustrating.
Love the look of your quilt!
I think this is yummy! Gorgeous, even..love the gray thread against the other tones...it has a hand-quilted look.
Stay with it! Do not touch that seam ripper. As a decorative artist and quilter, I have to force myself to push through the ugly midlands of a project. There is just something about that place between starting and finishing that is daunting. But you know the beauty lies on the other side of it, right?
I feel like that all the time when I am machine quilting. I think it's looking gorgeous. The good news is where it totally disappears, no one will see any imperfections anyway! LOL. I have no confidence whatsoever in my machine quilting!
The close together lines always look spectacular, but I find it becomes a bit of a slog and then I also second guess. Frequent breaks help. I look forward to seeing the quilt, and I loved the quilts from your last post too.
It looks great Jacquie! And, yes I have that feeling about my quilting with just about every quilt! It's a quilter thing!!
I've had this pattern in mind for my next project. On second thought . . .
Every stitch we take, every move we make.... all foundation building. Might not like the lesson at hand but it will prepare you for the next masterpiece.
I love matchstick quilting too. The first day is okay but after that lots of breaks are needed. I hope we get to see it at QuiltCon.
I'm such a sucker for this type of dense quilting too. Like you I always feel really excited and inspired when I first start and then think, "what have I gotten myself into". It looks amazing!!! So worth it in my book!!
Looking so forward to you QuiltCon workshop!!!
I think the quilt looks GREAT--love that matchstick look. I have been quilting for 25 years, and always do the ehhhh, what now, when getting to the quilting. I think you're either a 'piecer' or a 'quilter' at heart, & personally, would far rather piece.
I remembered this post this weekend when we were iced in in Dallas. I texted my aunt (also a new quilter) and asked if she liked matchstick quilting. She googled it and came back and wrote that it sure uses a lot of thread! I bit the bullet and did it on a 36x36 NICU quilt. Oh my, I did use a lot of thread but the texture is amazing. Thanks for the blog write-up.
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