Friday, October 8, 2010

Stupid Is as Stupid Does....Part Deux


I was hoping there wouldn't be a part deux of this post, but sometimes these things happen. Need a laugh to start your Friday? Read on.

I was quilting today. I finally decided how I wanted to quilt this piece. Brilliant idea I told myself. So I threaded the machine, and off I went quilting merrily....quilting, quilting quilting. All the time saying how fab it was looking. I wanted to show someone. So I took it out of the machine, pinned it to the design wall...no one around but me, so I showed myself. I admired my work and patted myself on the back. I'm sooo good.

I took the piece back to the machine, more quilting...I was smiling inside. You know that feeling when all wheels are clicking and you know you're making something great. I finished the quilting and as I pulled it out from under the presser foot, I noticed something. Something wasn't right.

Lesson One: How to Make a Quilt Sandwich....hmmm I must have missed this lesson.

This is my quilt sandwich: top, back and then the batting. Mixed that up a bit, wouldn't you say? Stupid is as stupid does.

Have a great weekend. I started mine with a good laugh at myself.

65 comments:

Jewel said...

Oh no! Gah... we have all done something similar... how about forgetting the batting all together? Check :)

Ali said...

I almost got all the way through quilting with the wrong side of the back facing out. Though my quilting was nowhere near as cool as yours!! It's happens. Maybe a new trend?? Batting out!

Megan said...

Oh holy crap. Did you read my post the other day? That totally sucks but it's nice to know someone so talented and experienced as you still mucks it up once in awhile:) inside out batting or not, that quilting looks gorgeous!

2ndAvenueStudio-Rachel said...

Ohh No!
are you gonna add a back and requilt, just abandon the project, or take out all the quilting??

what a bummer....
Im a " didn't load the batting face down" gal myself...

it happens...

R

zarina said...

I was about to say we done after years of quilting. But then, part one in August 2009? LOLZ

Artfulife said...

That is tragic! All of that work, bless your heart. At least you are laughing about it. I think I'd be crying. Have a great weekend!

Christina said...

Ohhhh no... There are no attractive options at that point. I hope you set it down and grabbed a drink! I'll remember this the next time I stitch my gloves to the quilt - it could be worse!

Barbara Sindlinger said...

That's funny. I've never done that yet.

Amber said...

oh Jacquie - guess you'll have to find a great movie to watch while you rip it all out - maybe a really good comedy? At least you seem to have gotten a good laugh out of it :-)

Allabitrandom said...

Thank you for that! I thought it was just me that did this sort of thing.;o) Notwithstanding the fatal flaw - it would have been beautiful - well still is.

Carla said...

Oh, bummer!! Your quilting is gorgeous. Maybe you could bring the quilt to guild next week and pass it around....we could all take turns with the seam ripper and have it done by the time the meeting is over! I'd help! ( If you read 'Stash Manicure' blog today you will see my worst quilting nightmare!}

Kate said...

That is just priceless! Thanks for the good chuckle. By the way, your quilting is fantastic!

Pauline said...

ohhhhhhhh dearrrrrrrr...the quilting looks good though...that must count for something..needed a friday night chuckle..but do feel for ya..
cheers

jednoiglec said...

I would say rather that the more you have experience the more simple mistakes you make.

I'm not experience in quilting, so I have to check everything more than 3 times before I start. My more experience friends told me to hang on a machine a card with written sentence - in English it would sounds sth like this: "Think about sewing while you're sewing":)

Patty said...

Goodness, I love a good laugh!

Theresa said...

Oh noooo! How do you spell....argggghhhh? Ironically, I was basting yesterday and I thought of your post when you'd forgotten the batting. If nothing else, these honest little posts make us take a double take and think about what we're doing. Thanks for sharing and double bummer about your outcome.

Suzanne said...

Bless your heart for sharing that, Jacquie. I always like knowing the people I admire are human.

Marty Mason said...

Nooooooooooooo.....you didn't!

Jacque. said...

ohmygosh. I remember well the 'no batting' post. And, truly, that quilting looks pretty darn awesome! Thank you for sharing.

Rachel said...

What a bummer!! I don't even know what I would do. I would probably have to set it aside for a month before I could even think about looking at it again!

Rachel

Esch House Quilts said...

Oh No! So good you were able to laugh instead of cry! The quilting looks amazing. Think of all the great practice this quilt is giving you (not that I think you actually need any - just trying to look on the bright side). I LOVE the quilting in your photo.

susan@tickledpaisley said...

Oh no!! I'm glad you have a sense of humor about that... I think I would have been spewing out a few choice words! The quilting looks amazing. You have to post a part 3 to let us know if you are really going to take all those stitches out.

Lisa ONeill said...

I too would have had a few choice words. Your quilting is beautiful - I would never pull that out - I'd continue quilting the entire piece to that density, put a backing on, and add minimal quilting to stabilize it. I think most solid fabrics heal poorly when stitching is removed, laving wounds all over the surface that never wash out. Best of luck - please keep us posted!

KateKwiltz said...

Ack!
You could always just hang it on the wall and hope nobody looks behind...

Quilt or Dye said...

My condolences on your humanity.

Nutsy Coco said...

Oh no! I'm glad you saw the humor in it! I think I'd be stewing for quite awhile before I got over the complete aggravation with myself. It is good to know that even someone as experienced as you makes silly mistakes like that and is willing to share them :)

Angela Nash said...

:) Thanks

The front really does look fabulous, though.

Lynn said...

Wonderful you are laughing, I'd be crying. So my question is, because I do stuff like the all the time, now what happens to it?

Tracey Jacobsen said...

oh no. oh how I'd feel sick.

I think my empathy is too strong that I'm not even laughing with you.

If I lived closer, I'd come over for an unpicking party.

Brenis said...

Oohhh nooo!! I'm thinkin someone must have been loopy tired when they basted it! LOL! Sometimes things like that just LOOK RIGHT at 2 in the morning! hahaha!! Too funny, and sooo not - all at the same time! :( Well... i guess it's either unpick all that gorgeous quilting... or chop it up into pillow fronts!? ugh. glad it's not me making that decision! LOL!!

Sequana said...

Put another backing on it and hand straight stitch it as far apart as you can. It should certainly be easy to just move the stitches thru that backing and the batting. *L*

EmileeHope said...

Oh No!! That quilting is so lovely too...maybe you can just tack on a new backing to the back and so that you don't have to take the whole thing apart...I couldn't even imagine!!

Anonymous said...

oh man! I think I would die! Way to go that you can laugh at yourself!

Poppyprint said...

I remember your no batting quilt, but this time you had it all there! Curses for the wrong order! So sorry Jacquie. I see lots have already advised slapping a new back on and leaving it, but I think I've read enough of your posts to know you are likely 1/2 way through unpicking already. I could almost feel how excited you were that it was going so well, too! sigh. I'm feeling for you!

Petit Design Co. said...

gah! oh no. I foresee a seam ripper in your future

Mary said...

Oh my gosh. Unpicking quilting is THE WORST! It takes a billion times longer than the actual quilting. I would be tempted to hang it on a wall where the back wouldn't matter and be done. I'm lazy like that!

Molly said...

Ah, yes, the number of times I've sewed pieces to each other incorrectly is too large for comfort. But your quilting did look fabulous from the front, really it did!

Cheryl said...

Oh no!

...

That's all I can come up with. What an awful thing to have happen. I do love your quilting, though. I have been planning to do something similar on one of mine.

Contented Caroline said...

Oh no!!! Will you have to unpick the whole lot. We all make mistakes and although frustrating it'll come good in the end. Looks lovely too!!

Doris said...

You must be as sleep deprived as I am these days... Ugh. I am SO feeling for you and all that ripping.

Lisa said...

Ahaha! Awesome. When I first started quilting I used the birthing method to finish a quilt and did it backwards. I actually sat and cried over it. :0)

KerryQ said...

Oh crumbs. Well, thanks for making us hacks feel better. I'm making my second, ever, quilt with my son's preschool class. We'll be lucky if there's a straight line in the whole thing.

Quilt Rat said...

well who says that the batting HAS to be in the middle?
Batting paints up beautifully, people will see this one and think that you are brilliant!

Caroline ~ TrilliumDesign said...

LOL Yup, haven't done that one but i have started quilting before i had finished the quilt top just recently ~ guess i was overly excited about my idea.

MightyMom said...

And it really is pretty quilting!!

I've gotten to where if things are clicking along great I stop and double check EVERYTHING!!

Cheryl Arkison said...

Oh no! That's a sign you are working too hard.

Marbles in a Mason Jar said...

Oh dear, but I'm very sorry, that made me laugh....wait, still chuckling.....okay, much better. :)

If you need help ripping out, give me a call!

Jan said...

Oh man, oh man, oh man!!!! I would be physically ill! I have a feeling why you were hanging it up!!! :) Looks gorgeous!!!

KarrieLyne said...

Ok....first...that is beautiful quilting and I wish I could do such fine work.

Second..when I got to the end of this post I felt terrible..all that quilting...whatever is she going to do?

Then I went and read the first post you linked too, the coin quilt. I couldn't help it...it just bubbled out and I laughed.

It's totally not funny and I must say I am sorry for laughing.

Honey, please consult with us before you sandwich any more quilts. LOL!

You are such a good sport! I love it!

Gari in AL said...

I'm a day late but this did give me a laugh....only because it is something I might well do. Thanks

Anonymous said...

No worries, I'll fix it.

Sandra said...

Oh no tell me you are kidding! I thought I was the only one that makes mistakes like that...although I'm not brave enough to post them. Hope you are still able to salvadge the project:)

Molly said...

Thanks for sharing that :)

Next time I make a ridiculous booboo I'll think "even Jacquie has those days."

Monika K. - MySweetPrairie said...

Noooooooooooo! OMG really? DId you cry? laugh? both? I hate when my seam ripper gets as much use as the machine. My heart goes out!

Paula said...

Thanks for sharing your goof. Mostly when I read blogs, I envision these really neat and very correct quilters who always get everything right. Now you are a 'real' person!
Thanks, again

Mimi said...

Oh wow! And you did such a beautiful job, too!

Erika Mulvenna said...

D'oh! It can only get better from here, right?

Miranda said...

Oh no! After all that fabulous quilting! I hope your ok? I guess all you can do is laugh. I've run out of bobbin thread a couple of times and not realised until a while later! I make an effort now to regularly check how the bobbins doing. I also forgot to attach the backing once when basting- That was a pain as it was a big quilt. Thanks for sharing; it's nice to know even awesome quilters make silly mistakes too :)

brown robin said...

Okay, now. Life does not get to laugh at ya that hard. You're yanking our chains, right? It looks great to me in the picture.... I hate it when I do inordinately stupid stuff, but then I tell myself I'm so zen for how well I handle it. You know... kicking, screaming, crying (when no one's lookin') and then I post about it and laugh at myself. Hmmmm... come to think of it, you might have really done that. Ah well, brilliant you... just like the rest of us.

Unknown said...

it may not be friday anymore... but, this shiz is funny mama! and i'm laughing with you not at you! haha

xo, heather

Clothed in Scarlet said...

Wow! well:0) you're right about it looking great. Sarah

Barb said...

doh!
I hate when that happens - and the quilting is really cool, too!

Robin Ferrier said...

This fabric is absolutely wonderful! I was sent some of the black and white and had a hard time cutting it up... that hasn't happened in a LOOONG time!

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Anonymous said...

I pride myself on my HANDQUILTING. Once I had a quilt pinned and had been quilting away when I got mad and started "jerking" the quilt in my big hoop on a stand. It was just heavy and not moving right. When I looked further I realized I had pinned the quilt to the little rug that was at the foot of hubby's easy chair. This was back in the day when I could get down on the floor to pin. Now I would need a front end loader. Anyway had a laugh on that one. The rug weighed a ton and I had gotten safety pins through it.