Did you use walking foot? Maybe medium speed?

" How many of you as beginners can remember feeling similar horror when quilting for the first time??"

What do you mean by 'as beginners?' Still happens all the time.

I can certainly remember feeling that way when I started and sometimes still do. But no one looks at a quilt with a microscope except the maker and once I realized that, I was able to relax. You will too.

And your skills will get better too and the feeling of horror will happen less often. Promise. :D

Just did my very first quilt like that too, was very critical of my work but went ahead and finished it. I'll keep this one for me. I learned alot thru the process and am not beating myself up. If I stand back 3 feet (without my glasses, I'm blind) it looks fantastic! I'm sure yours does too.

I've taken out bad parts and it looked just fine, sometimes those darn "eyelashes" appear :evil: and you don't know it till you're done, and you just have to fix them.

I see 2 little kids in your avitar - Im sure they wont notice anything about the sewing other than its fun to make a fort, or asn island out of the quilt; or run little cars up and down the "roads" on it. Enjoy your efforts and go forward, sharet

oh yea--- i don't know that I call mine SID. I meander in the ditch more often, or may be I had whiskey in one hand too. though, I don't feel like I had the fun of whiskey.

I just finished ufos for my nieces boys. one had been started about 3 years being hand quilted, so had to finish it that way. the second one is MQ. I was trying SID and more than once my control for the needle position got bumped and moved the needle first to the right then to the left. so i meandered in the ditch. the worst places i ripped out. others i just said phooey. the boys will either play with them until they are threadbare and boys usually don't care about the stitching; or they will have nothing to do with the quilts and won't care about the stitches.

but no matter how often i look at the darn things, i can see the problems. but then i also know where they are. others will have to look for them!

I have been quilting for 10 years or so, and have done a fair amount of SID. I just finished a piece this week that is to be a wall hanging and I nearly tossed it because I felt my stitching was all over the ditch, not really in it most of the time. But, I finished it anyway and hung it in my entry foyer. To my suprise, it looks pretty good, even though I know all its faults. No one else sees them at all, and even I have to study it to see everything that bugged me so much while I was working on it. Don't be discouraged, as I keep telling myself, done is better than perfect. I really want to get to perfect, though (LOL)

I haven't read through all the posts, but as a beginning quilter I would say going slightly offline while SID is ok. You are prob the only one that notices the meandering.

sans whiskey, lol

Even after 15 years of quilting, I still need improvement. I enjoy SID, but what I like better is, using the foot as a marker, go next to the ditch. I think it is called "echoing".

We're are own worst critics and depending on what you want it for most people unless they quilt probably won't notice. I hate it when I make a mistake because I have to take it all apart because I know it's there. Good Luck deciding. Sue

What she said...!!

All I can add is that if you hate it, rip it out (by the way ripping out SITD is no easy task - remember you buried the thread.) Otherwise learn to love the "learning quilts" very, very soon you'll go back and say, I remember when I was not as good as I am now. I'm glad I'm still progressing...
Hugs,
Gayle

I just forced myself to finish and bind my first attempt at machine quilting. I love the project, but the quilting is terrible. I too tried SID and if you stay back, it looks OK, but don't get too close. I have done echo quilting a few times since then, and find it much easier, as long as I use my walking foot. We all learn from each project, so welcome to the learning curve. :-D

I use a walking foot on my machine and it makes a tremendous difference in your stitch in the ditch. Could not keep from making tucks in the backing without it.

I actually seem to find quilting like 1/8" away from the ditch to work better for me. 1/4" seems too far away, and as some of the others have said, staying right with sid is sometimes pretty tough...so, after experimenting, 1/8" away seems to look pretty good...my quilty sisters from my local group think so, too...

You might try temporarily leaving all the old stitches in, and re sewing "the ditches" that displease you. and after you have done that, very carefully remove the old wonky stitches.
This holds everything in place, no chance of sliding, and is really faster.
JPthequilter

Good Advise!!

The three foot rule is so true. When you make a quilt you are practically sticking you nose on it looking for the flaws. Except for the Quilt Police, everyone else will be looking at the overall effect. They will ooh and ahh over the color, the design, even the quilting.
We are our own worst judges.

Once it is washed, I'll bet you won't see the Craptacular sewing and you'll be able to enjoy the quilt - let it be - it can't be that bad... even if you got out of the ditch occasionally.... good luck!

Just follow the 5 ft rule. If you can't see it at 5 ft away on a galloping horse, it doesn't exist. Don't put the pressure of perfection on yourself with your first attempt. You will do just fine

I have "unquilted" an entire queen sized quilt made for my then 4 yr old son who could have cared less....I might add he is now 8 and 3/4 and the darned thing is still sandwiched sitting next to one of my machines just begging to be requilted...............someday...after I get over it! LOL

Don't worry - it will come in time. I got a quilt frame for Christmas and just now have learned to use it!!

I did my first SID and it turned out halfway decent so I went on to do more. What a mistake, the more I did the worse it was. Next time one SID then do a plain diamond quilt.But if you don't get too close they look good. Keep trying jus not one after the other.