Another Quilt Making Hurdle Stumbled Over

Another step completed in my quilt project. I've really had to let go of any notion of perfection, I tell you!

So here is the pieced top. All that's left to complete the top is to attach the borders, which will frame the pieced section in wider strips of grey. I'll do that tomorrow. Then, at some later date, I'll choose fabric for the back, use some of the fabric leftovers from the front to embellish the back a bit, then take the whole thing to a long-arm quilter to finish. I may or may not put the binding on this one myself. Right now I'm too exhausted to even think about it!

Here's what didn't quite go as I had hoped:

1. The green strips run match up pretty nicely at the left of the quilt but as the eye moves to the right, they get increasingly out of alignment. By the time you're looking at the right side, they really aren't in very good alignment at all. My bad? Or my machine's bad? Or maybe a bit of both? I'll be able to answer that question myself after I try sewing on a new machine, but that won't be for a while. But I can tell you that I won't even THINK about trying anything with matching seams until either me or the machine situation is fixed.
2. It's not just the green bars that are out of alignment on the right side. The whole edge is a bit wonky. I think it's going to overall just look a little weird on that side of the quilt. I'm not getting too worked up about it, though. This is, after all, a beginner experience. A learning experience. And even if it's a bit wonky, it will serve the purpose of keeping someone warm. And the fabrics will still be pretty. And someone will love it, despite or even because of it's wonkiness. Or because I made it. So all's not lost. It could be worse. After I carefully repressed all the seams and then pressed the front and folded it to see how out of whack it was, it wasnt's badly unsquared, which surprises me. *shrug* We'll see what happens when I sew the borders on tomorrow.

See how the green bars to the left are more aligned than the ones on the right?

Here's a better photo showing how things line up quite nicely on the left side of the quilt.

Here's a photo that shows clearly how wonky things get on the right side of the quilt.

General lessons learned:

1. Precision cutting of fabric is a MUST.
2. Precision quarter inch seams are a MUST.
3. When your machine is skipping stitches, try replacing the needle ... again ... and again.
4. I definitely want ... no, NEED ... a new sewing machine.
5. Making quilts is hard on my back. If I keep at this, I will need a better, more ergonomic work space.
6. I'm going to join the Quilter's Guild this fall.
7. I hope to take some quilting classes, one of which I hope will be free motion quilting (to be done on my NEW machine).
8. Ironing brings on hot flashes.
9. Quilting causes a messy house. Guess what I'll be doing a lot of after I get the borders on this quilt?
10. Making quilts is a challenging and frustrating but rewarding endeavour.
11. If I'm going to make quilts for everyone I love, I have a lot of quilting to do. Pitty patter ...