Dreaming

I hadn't been quilting in quite awhile, just had no motivation to do it. The other day I looked at all of my fabric (and there is cupboards, drawers and containers full) and told myself that I couldn't give up quilting, I had to much fabric, that I need to get my act together and get to sewing, so I did. I have been sewing strips together, what seems forever and I just got done cutting all my pieces. Finally, time to start piecing. Well I was having a problem getting things to match. Turns out the six strips that I had to sew together to get the 12 strips I had to cut, I cut the wrong size. I knew they were suppose to be 1 1/2 inches, but for some reason I cut them all at 1 1/4 inches. I had already done some other strip sets and I had cut them 1 1/2 inches and cut them the size they were suppose to be. So needless to say, I can't even make the quilt smaller. I have no more of those fabrics and they had matched the flannel I had planned putting on the back. I guess I should have just given up on quilting. I have to through away all that fabric, such a waste. In all of my years of quilting, I have never made such a huge mistake. Why bother?

Pattia

oh, don't panic, sorry you are frustrated. I am not an expert but maybe someone else can suggest something. It seems a shame to waste all that fabric. What pattern are you doing? Maybe someone here can offer you a suggestion?
Can you take your 1 1/2 strips and redo them as 1 1/4 strips? not sure how much is completed. Hopefully someone can help you salvage all your work. Keep a positive outlook, it will turn out for good.
=)

Onetomatoplant

Give up quilting? Because of a mistake? Holy cow, I never would have started if that were the case! Can you cut your 1 1/2 strips to 1 1/4, and either go smaller or do a little bit bigger border?

Don't give up! Have a glass of wine, take a bath, and be like Scarlet O'Hara - think about it tomorrow.

Raggiemom

How about using those strips for something else? Revise your pattern and do two different quilts with different strips. Or you could add sashing to the smaller strips to make those blocks the same size as the other ones.

DeneK

Most of us have been there; done that. I'm sure someone here will help you salvage this. Maybe it won't be the quilt you intended, but I'll bet it will make a fine quilt any way. After all, following directions is only for the feint of heart. So take a deep breath -- have a large glass of wine and regroup in the morning.

cjsews

Oh I am so sorry you are having a bad time of it. There has to be a way to use what you have. Maybe find another pattern to use these strips if you cannot adjust what you have already sewn.

marilynr

First, take a break.
We all make mistakes. I have cut so many things wrong, I can't remember. LOL.
I would just cut all of them 1 1/4 inches & use them.
I hope you will not quit. We are all rooting for you!
Please show us in stages as you make progress & we will cheer you on.
Hugs.

nanibi

First of all, go take a walk and do some stomping and clear your head. Then--I don't know what pattern you're doing, but get outside the "box" of the pattern and see if you can't work with your skinny pieces, refiguring the design so you can still use those matching fabric strips. Could you turn them into piano keys and work them into the (or a) border? You would have to buy new fabric to replace the mis-cut ones, of course. Give yourself license to mess around--something interesting may emerge.

patsynel

Don't give up and don't throw away the fabric you cut. You will find a way to use the fabric in a different way. I have done this before and it is aggravating. Take a break and come back later.

Prism99

I used to think that way about "mistakes". Now I see them as creative opportunities! You are looking at the fabric in only one way. The trick is to start thinking outside the box.

One idea would be cut all the strip sets into strips of varying widths and do a crazy quilt with strips sewn to a muslin foundation. All the colors will still go together, but the pattern will be different.

Or, sew together the blocks that are the same size, then subcut into 5" squares and make a Falling Charms quilt:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KkpbFKBaKA . (Note that the sashing strips for this quilt can be a width other than 2.5". In fact, for me, 2.5" gives too much sashing and next time I will use 2" strips.)

Or, sew together the blocks that are the same size, then subcut into any shape that you like -- for example, triangles to make a pinwheel quilt. All the different colors in the triangles would make an interesting pattern.

Along the same lines, you could sew blocks of the same size together, then subcut into dresden plate shapes, alternate them with a plain color, and make circles.