Plz!!!What did I do wrong with this quilt?
#43
Member
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Blue Bell, PA
Posts: 30
I would agree with Tartan and redesign the quilt. I would use each section and play around with it. Too much work to take it apart and it would probably stretch the fabric. Broken star and Blazing star design just might work. Accuracy is so important. Jan Krentz's LONE STAR QUILTS & Beyond might help you. Good luck and keep the faith!!
#44
I am impressed ... I have been quilting since 1998 and have taken on some doozies, but this is a project I would not even be brave enough to start ... keep at it ... and, remember you can always find someone on here who would love to take it on. Really, perfection is highly over rated.
#45
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 506
I think it is fixable the left side of the quilt looks like it is put to gather wrong. if your seam is down the middle it is a easy fix ,I have done almost the same thing but different pattern. had to take out 2 rows out of center and put back together. I made to many center pieces. DottieBug
#46
Super Member
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Littlefield, TX, USA
Posts: 1,077
Diamonds and setting triangles/corners are some of the more difficult items of making a quilt. Try this...make a set of 8 star sections, but only use 4 diamonds in each star section. Instead of just cutting the diamonds, make a template of plastic (I use flat lids from margarine tubs). Make the diamond shapes the exact finished size. You will add seam allowance when you cut the fabric out.
Lay the template onto the fabric (this is a sample, so don't fret on color/pattern) and trace &b make sure to go at least 1/2" beyond each line, so end of each stitching line crosses the next (this tells you the exact place to stop stitching)..make sure to leave at least 1/2" between each traced piece, as the lines will be your stitching lines. trace a total of 32 diamonds (I'd use 2 different color fabrics, just in case you like the resulting star). Size of the template at this point also does not matter. I've made them with from 3" long diamonds to 24" long diamonds....just want all diamonds from the same template.
Cut out the pieces, leaving about 1/4" or more as your seam allowance. Seam allowance size is not real important in this little lesson...as the lines you drew are your stitching lines...but try to keep them as close to 1/4" as you can, so you won't have to trim later.
Now take the first diamond and place another (in your pic, it would be a brown print and a green print)...lay them right sides together, matching the exact spots that the lines cross...pin there. Your diamond ends will have "dog ears" sticking out about 1/4" on each end...that's what you want...
Start stitching in the center of the "V" that forms. That should put you right on the line you have drawn. Stop and start at the exact spot the lines meet at. Press. Now repeat using a green and then another brown (using your colors in the pic)...so you have two sets of diamonds sewn...and then line them up so the two browns are the top and bottom, and the greens are the sides. You will again line up the places the lines cross & stitch in the "V" formed.
Make 8 of these sections and join them...making sure to match the spots where the lines cross..and don't sew past those spots (this leaves the seam allowances open...so the are easier to line up. If you do happen to sew past where the lines cross, pick those stitches out with a pin after you sew the pieces. Leave the little 1/4" tails of thread for now. Once you have the 8 sets of diamonds sewn (like the large star you made)...press all seams again...and lay that star out on a large piece of freezer paper...trace the star (stay as close to the star shape as you can) open areas to get your triangles and squares. trim the freezer paper squares and triangles (you only need one of each)...this will be the template for cutting the insets. Again, the line you draw is the stitching line...so leave 1/2" or more between each tracing...and remember to go out at least 1/2" past each corner end...so you get the crossed seam lines. Match the points of the triangle seam with the points on the star where the lines cross. Sew from inside to the outside edge..repeat for the other side (don't think "Y" seams...just do one seam at a time). Do the same for the corners.
If you stay on the lines & you match where each of the drawn seam lines cross...your stars should come out as close to perfect as you can get.
Lay the template onto the fabric (this is a sample, so don't fret on color/pattern) and trace &b make sure to go at least 1/2" beyond each line, so end of each stitching line crosses the next (this tells you the exact place to stop stitching)..make sure to leave at least 1/2" between each traced piece, as the lines will be your stitching lines. trace a total of 32 diamonds (I'd use 2 different color fabrics, just in case you like the resulting star). Size of the template at this point also does not matter. I've made them with from 3" long diamonds to 24" long diamonds....just want all diamonds from the same template.
Cut out the pieces, leaving about 1/4" or more as your seam allowance. Seam allowance size is not real important in this little lesson...as the lines you drew are your stitching lines...but try to keep them as close to 1/4" as you can, so you won't have to trim later.
Now take the first diamond and place another (in your pic, it would be a brown print and a green print)...lay them right sides together, matching the exact spots that the lines cross...pin there. Your diamond ends will have "dog ears" sticking out about 1/4" on each end...that's what you want...
Start stitching in the center of the "V" that forms. That should put you right on the line you have drawn. Stop and start at the exact spot the lines meet at. Press. Now repeat using a green and then another brown (using your colors in the pic)...so you have two sets of diamonds sewn...and then line them up so the two browns are the top and bottom, and the greens are the sides. You will again line up the places the lines cross & stitch in the "V" formed.
Make 8 of these sections and join them...making sure to match the spots where the lines cross..and don't sew past those spots (this leaves the seam allowances open...so the are easier to line up. If you do happen to sew past where the lines cross, pick those stitches out with a pin after you sew the pieces. Leave the little 1/4" tails of thread for now. Once you have the 8 sets of diamonds sewn (like the large star you made)...press all seams again...and lay that star out on a large piece of freezer paper...trace the star (stay as close to the star shape as you can) open areas to get your triangles and squares. trim the freezer paper squares and triangles (you only need one of each)...this will be the template for cutting the insets. Again, the line you draw is the stitching line...so leave 1/2" or more between each tracing...and remember to go out at least 1/2" past each corner end...so you get the crossed seam lines. Match the points of the triangle seam with the points on the star where the lines cross. Sew from inside to the outside edge..repeat for the other side (don't think "Y" seams...just do one seam at a time). Do the same for the corners.
If you stay on the lines & you match where each of the drawn seam lines cross...your stars should come out as close to perfect as you can get.
#47
Super Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: England Alton Towers
Posts: 6,673
I just saw your other post looking for a tute on trimming. Your star sections look perfect in that post so not quite sure where the wonky came into play for the center section. I would do as ckcowl states and (unfortunately) start ripping and re-sew in pairs. Do lots of pressing with lots of starch as all those bias edges can get out of control very easily.
that for each intersection as I come to it. And I agree with pressing seams open, especially on this one. Makes the center MUCH flatter to work with down the road.
that for each intersection as I come to it. And I agree with pressing seams open, especially on this one. Makes the center MUCH flatter to work with down the road.
#48
Super Member
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: eastern Oklahoma
Posts: 1,873
Loretta,honey you have learned something from this pattern already. If it were mine I would take the large 8 points apart from eachother. Lay them on top of each other. Now begin the inner most point all 8 points with the same colored piece. .Then the second round of pieces should all be the same,and so on. When you get done all 8 large pieces of the star should be pieced the same. Now take 2 of the and sew together. Sew the second pair to each other. So now you have 2 sections of 2 large points. Lay them together and sew this 1/2 of the large together. Its not so hard when you get the idea. Make the second half of the large star. Then sew it together. Now on to the setting pieces. If you have enough material replace the smallet one. The edges should extend about an inch after they are sewed on. This way when you trim if necessary you will not cut off the points of the large star. You can add a border to the size you need. I made a lot of the same mistakes when I started. I really learned by trial and error. Best of luck to you. Oakie Quilter
#50
Now you've had a learning experience. Don't rip it apart; your time would be better spent making another Lone Star using the tips suggested on the thread. Put a wild, wonky border on this one.
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02-06-2013 11:06 PM