I kinda wish I had read that sentence a few hours ago to be honest. Let's just call this a cautionary tale in which a viable idea got destroyed because I couldn't just leave the sewing alone and go sit on the sofa!! Want to see my craft fail?
Well, it starts with this pretty little layout for my scrappy mug rug swap. Perfect little hexies thanks to the Go! Baby.
I'm pretty sure my partner likes this whole vibe, so decided to get sewing up the hexies last night. I machine pieced them, but didn't feel I did a great job - some of the seams are a little bulky and because I found turning on the corners a little tricky, I think some of my hexie shapes are not as perfect as I would like...eeek. That's without even mentioning the number of times I had to rip back the hexies.... I debated just starting over, but I hate giving up on a project.
I decided that the quilting might even out some of those problems so decided to press on tonight with the backing. See this nice, simple little backing?
Looks very straightforward, right? You would think so...but no. This was the 3rd attempt at making a backing on this tiny little mug rug. My brain was so tired after a rotten day at work that I couldn't figure out my measurements on the first. And the second. Then I messed up the cutting. I really should have thrown in the towel at that stage. But remeber that sentence back up there - you know, hating giving up on a project, you see, I just couldn't let it go. So I got this done at last and was happy with it...and got a rush of blood to the head, deciding (foolishly) to keep going.
I FMQ'd it (obviously, without pinning because it was so small, and you know, things were going so well for me at that stage ...) and I knew when I turned it over it wasn't good. So I decided to trim...to make it look better... and fell foul of the classic cutting-your-kids-hair trap (you've never done that? really? ) trimming off little bit after little bit to even it up and realising too late that I'd gone too far. Except here, there is no hairdressing equivalent of a quilter to fix my stupid mistake. The top hexie is too close to the edge for me to do a proper binding.......
And the back is crooked...but not crooked enough to make it look properly, intentionally wonky......
So its a bit fat fail for me... and back to the drawing board on the mug rug.
So, my wise friends, other than your virtual sympathy, could I have your opinions please. I have plenty of fabric to recut the hexies and start over. What do you think, will I give it another go? Should I handsew the hexies this time? Any other advice?
And is there anything I could do to retrieve this one? (Remember the whole never giving up business I mentioned? Lol!!) I do think its quite cute and if I could fix it a little bit I would happily keep and use myself despite its imperfections.
On another happier note....next Monday is my 1st year blogiversary and I have a really exciting project to announce that day!! It involves a good friend and lovely fabric and I hope you'll be as excited as I will be about it.... Plus I'll have a little follower giveaway later on in the week!
Oh cr@p, well, sometimes perseverence just bites us on the arse! Whack a border of a couple of inches on it (perhaps with wonky blocks for the back to match the wonky lines) and call it good... Tomorrow. Do it tomorrow ;o)
ReplyDeleteYou could turn it into a trivet or pot holder. It would still be useful and really add punch to your kitchen. That way, having the one hexie inside the binding wouldn't be such a huge deal. I also actually really enjoy the look of your backing. :)
ReplyDeleteKeep your chin up! we all have craft fails... they make us wiser and make the successes all the more exciting. It's still pretty darn cute!
ReplyDeleteI think its great! Okay so the top hexie will sit on the binding, but use white binding and trim a little more off the bottom to even it out! The back is perfect as it is :-) I know how you feel though, I tend to do that a lot...
ReplyDeleteStinker, Sarah! I like the idea you are working with and the feel you're going for, so maybe let this one go and start fresh tomorrow? You don't give up on the project, but have a fresh start? Walk away, my friend, walk away.
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to see what you have coming!!
i agree with sarah, cut a little more off the bottom to match the top and add a wee binding. saved!!! i think this is super cute.
ReplyDeleteif you were to attempt it again i would try handpiecing...its fun.
Bind that sucker. Somebody will want it or buy it and love it to death. I know I like it. :-)
ReplyDeleteI think it's super cute and would trim a little off the bottom too. Or why not make the back the front and the hexie as the back? Just a thought :-)
ReplyDeleteOh I know that kind of day and I too have a hard time walking away but as Cindy said, walk away, walk away! :)
ReplyDeleteIt will indeed be fresh tomorrow and you'll know what to do. It's cute at any rate!
We live and learn, don't we?
ReplyDeleteI did a similar thing last night - pushed on when I should have stopped.
Leave it for a few days - you'll know what to do!
Oh baby. I totally recognize that [groan] at a fail, although I think your mug rug will look cute with the binding to finish it up!
ReplyDeleteHere's a YouTube video that I keep watching as I try and shore up my courage to try machine sewing hexies: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQG0V42O0f
I also saw somewhere a tip to make a hexie die, whole punch 1/4" marks at each point of the hexies, then pencil mark those points on your fabric... that way you know where to stop the sewing. Haven't tried it, but another tip I thought I'd share.
Here's another good one: http://sohappytosew.blogspot.com/2010/09/how-to-sew-hexagons-by-machine.html
I think it looks awesome as is! That is part of the beauty of handmade. I'd be thrilled to use this mug rug!
ReplyDeleteI feel for you girl,have one of those projects going on right now. Which is why I am sitting at the computer instead of in front of the sewing machine.
ReplyDeleteIt is cute the way it is,bind it!
I would say definitely give it another try, and I would also give machine piecing another go! I find it super helpful to mark my 1/4" seams on the wrong side so you have a very definitive start and stop point when stitching. Any time I get lazy and don't mark, I end up with yucky hexies! Good luck!!
ReplyDeleteI would trim it evenly all around and put a binding the same color as the cream hexies. On the back, I might sew a strip by hand that intersects the other two stripes diagonally. .....just a thought. It's too cute to give up on!
ReplyDeleteOh no! I like the previous commenter's idea of using the background fabric for binding. I'm sorry this happened, they are terribly cute!
ReplyDeleteOh Sarah! I feel for you, but I've been there countless times myself. Smaller projects can often be the most troublesome. I would definitely hand sew the hexies next time. How about some hand stitching on the back to make it look like it's designed wonky? Go ahead and put binding on it. It won't look as bad as you think! Jxo
ReplyDeleteI think your mug rug is super cute, even with the slanted backing, it looks purposeful, not a mistake. I'd make it a little bigger using the quilt as you go method and adding a border. Keep it for yourself if you don't think it's good enough for the swap.
ReplyDeleteLOL at your commentary. I've had sewing days like that. I agree with the above posters that if you just trim the bottom a little it won't be as noticeable. If you give it another shot, I would handsew the hexies. There are great tutorials on jaybirdquilts.com and theplaidscottie.com. It's really quite addictive!
ReplyDeleteDon't you love sewing days like these? :-) I think its cute, despite what you think are imperfections. I think you should finish it and keep it for yourself. Maybe trim it so all the hexies are the in the binding. ?
ReplyDeleteI'm a bit like that - I can't leave a project if it's starting to go awry. I have to keep going until a get to a point where I know the rest will go well before I can leave it.
ReplyDeleteDitto to trimming the opposite side so that both hexies will touch the edge.
Teresa x
You are brave. Paper piecing each hexie has consistently given me lovely hexies.
ReplyDeleteI hate to have to remake, add on or whatever, I'm just way to impatient for that. But I can see you are going to get it right on the machine. Yeh!, I can hardly wait for that tutorial. LOL
I feel your pain Sarah! Personally I always hand sew my hexxies, double check that your templates are accurate, b/c if not then you can have a prob!
ReplyDeleteDon't give up start again, just do it when you are not on low energy.
Re salvaging the first attempt I'd be interested to see what you can turn it into!
Fi
I'd probably bind it and keep it for myself. As for the hexies, http://sewhappygeek.co.uk/index.php/2011/08/02/tutorial-tuesday-hexy-mug-rug-tutorial/ is a tutorial I did on hand sewing them, and you can see the mug rug I made with 31 or whatever it was. It was really fun sewing it all together by hand, and I even made another one and hand quilted it! Which I'm quite proud of :)
ReplyDeleteI looked into machine sewing hexies but it looked like more of a headache than doing it by hand, so I'm afraid I'm useless for pointers on that score. But I do totally recommend trying to baste your go baby hexies by hand. It really won't take long and you can carry them everywhere and do it while you're waiting for other stuff!
I can't add anything that isn't already said. Hate when things go wrong and don't turn out the way you want. But still think that you are being too harsh on yourself. If I could make things as beautiful as you I would be soooooo smug!!
ReplyDeleteDont be disheartened, I think it still looks really sweet
ReplyDelete