Does this ever happen to you?
You haven't had time to sew in ages. Finally, a day off presents itself with no other obligations! You can spend the entire day in the sewing room working! You start a new project. From the first moment, everything goes wrong. You measure wrong. Your fabric choices are wrong. You can't sew a straight line to save your life. You spend more time using your seam ripper than you do sewing. Your work seems sloppy. You hate your project.
That, in a nutshell was my foray into A Year of Schnibbles. I think I was trying to rush things, and finish the top in a day. Haste makes waste. An old adage, but so true. Proceeding too quickly can ruin an enterprise.
I wasted an entire layer cake of Gobble Gobble, the adorable new collection by Sandy Gervais for Moda. I was stupid about my fabric use. I lost sight of the fact that the Flying Geese are supposed to stand out, not blend into the background squares. Plus, I have never made such terrible Flying Geese in my life. I do not think two of them were the same size. I even thought for a minute that if I ripped everything apart I could still put things right. Nope. When Humpty Dumpty falls off that wall, he is broken Friends.
Darn. I really liked that fabric. Into the wastebasket it went. I turned off the sewing machine and closed the door. Friday was not well spent.
However, things changed overnight. Check in tomorrow to see what happened.
50 responses to “These Geese Crashed and Burned”
A cliffhanger post…..the suspense will kill me until tomorrow. Sounds like we may have a happy ending!
Is a bad day in the sewing room better than a good day at work?
That Gobble Gobble is pretty fabric, looks good even in the trash!
A cliffhanger post…..the suspense will kill me until tomorrow. Sounds like we may have a happy ending!
Is a bad day in the sewing room better than a good day at work?
That Gobble Gobble is pretty fabric, looks good even in the trash!
Laid an egg, did they? Yup, we’ve all been there. So sorry. How frustrating! But I am looking forward to seeing what comes next!
Can you save “some” of them?
I am going to go look up that gobble gobble fabric.
Laid an egg, did they? Yup, we’ve all been there. So sorry. How frustrating! But I am looking forward to seeing what comes next!
Can you save “some” of them?
I am going to go look up that gobble gobble fabric.
An experience we can all relate to. A great post, Nicole. I feel the experience now as I type. Even with Flying Geese although a simple expedition into Nine Patches has left me frayed and frazzled. Personally, when I’ve had a day in that place it just doesn’t matter what I’m working on, any work – it’s all in the trash! Thrashed Quilters, *karendianne.
An experience we can all relate to. A great post, Nicole. I feel the experience now as I type. Even with Flying Geese although a simple expedition into Nine Patches has left me frayed and frazzled. Personally, when I’ve had a day in that place it just doesn’t matter what I’m working on, any work – it’s all in the trash! Thrashed Quilters, *karendianne.
Even though they were bad, why not donate them to a charity or guild that could use them for something. It is a shame to waste such cute fabric.
Even though they were bad, why not donate them to a charity or guild that could use them for something. It is a shame to waste such cute fabric.
OMG you threw them away????
OMG you threw them away????
How frustrating! Yes, I certainly have had those sewing days.
Instead of throwing them away maybe you could make something unusual, or put them on the back of a quilt.
I used a failure block in the center of this quilt and I really like how it turned out.
http://humblequilts.blogspot.com/2009/07/more-finishes.html
How frustrating! Yes, I certainly have had those sewing days.
Instead of throwing them away maybe you could make something unusual, or put them on the back of a quilt.
I used a failure block in the center of this quilt and I really like how it turned out.
http://humblequilts.blogspot.com/2009/07/more-finishes.html
When things are going wrong for me, I just put them away in a small box and let them sit for awhile. I think quilting gremlins get in and make changes during the night. I’ve yet to open the box and not been able to do something with fabric. May not be what they started out as, but never wasted. Good luck.
When things are going wrong for me, I just put them away in a small box and let them sit for awhile. I think quilting gremlins get in and make changes during the night. I’ve yet to open the box and not been able to do something with fabric. May not be what they started out as, but never wasted. Good luck.
Well, I guess you know best, Nicole, but those geese in the trash can look pretty good to me.
Well, I guess you know best, Nicole, but those geese in the trash can look pretty good to me.
I love the look flying geese give to a quilt. For some reason I find that the geese make a quilt flow. Unfortunately I am terrible at making them. Oh don’t get me wrong, I fudge the darn things in place but they usually end up stretched out and not very pretty. I am dreading having to make them for my Schnibble. I have even considered paper piecing them (I don’t like pp at all). Anyway, I’m sure you will persevere. Funny that you are using Gooble Gobble since I was just playing with my Gobble Gobble charms this weekend as well. I love that line. I picked up my 2 charms of Simple Abundance for my foray into Schnibble land. Hopefully it will not frustrate me too much.
I love the look flying geese give to a quilt. For some reason I find that the geese make a quilt flow. Unfortunately I am terrible at making them. Oh don’t get me wrong, I fudge the darn things in place but they usually end up stretched out and not very pretty. I am dreading having to make them for my Schnibble. I have even considered paper piecing them (I don’t like pp at all). Anyway, I’m sure you will persevere. Funny that you are using Gooble Gobble since I was just playing with my Gobble Gobble charms this weekend as well. I love that line. I picked up my 2 charms of Simple Abundance for my foray into Schnibble land. Hopefully it will not frustrate me too much.
You are scaring me! I have never made flying geese and just this weekend I cut my fabric for my Year of Schnibbles. If mine doesn’t turn out, i will chuck it up to old age as well (even though i’m only 42). I’m sure your 2nd attempt will be beautiful!
You are scaring me! I have never made flying geese and just this weekend I cut my fabric for my Year of Schnibbles. If mine doesn’t turn out, i will chuck it up to old age as well (even though i’m only 42). I’m sure your 2nd attempt will be beautiful!
OH man! The same thing happened to me. I took my schnibbles to a quilting retreat, thinking what a great place to do this quilt. I started making those geese and NONE not ONE turned out. I was doing “hushabye” and thought it would be great. I tossed it all. Ordered new charm packs to make a baby quilt using the border and backing fabric.
It was good for me, though. I used my brain and tried several times to do the block. Using your brain is very important.
I think it was a good effort…but not a quilt for me.
I’ll try it again next month.
OH man! The same thing happened to me. I took my schnibbles to a quilting retreat, thinking what a great place to do this quilt. I started making those geese and NONE not ONE turned out. I was doing “hushabye” and thought it would be great. I tossed it all. Ordered new charm packs to make a baby quilt using the border and backing fabric.
It was good for me, though. I used my brain and tried several times to do the block. Using your brain is very important.
I think it was a good effort…but not a quilt for me.
I’ll try it again next month.
My wastebasket was also filled with wrongly cut pieces—I wasted a lot of time drawing around a template with it facing the wrong way!
I love all Sandy Gervais’ designs and GobbleGobble is a really great looking line! Hope to see happy quilting news tomorrow!
My wastebasket was also filled with wrongly cut pieces—I wasted a lot of time drawing around a template with it facing the wrong way!
I love all Sandy Gervais’ designs and GobbleGobble is a really great looking line! Hope to see happy quilting news tomorrow!
Please don’t throw them away! Maybe they can live on the back of something? Or you could give them away?
I have a flying geese tutorial on my blog, not sure if it would help – everyone has their own favorite method.
Lovely fabric!
Please don’t throw them away! Maybe they can live on the back of something? Or you could give them away?
I have a flying geese tutorial on my blog, not sure if it would help – everyone has their own favorite method.
Lovely fabric!
Can I have your wastebasket? 🙂
Can I have your wastebasket? 🙂
I know exactly what you’re talking about. Can’t you save the “bad” flying geese and use them on the backing? The ones in your picture don’t look that bad to me. Hope things go better the next time you get into the sewing room.
I know exactly what you’re talking about. Can’t you save the “bad” flying geese and use them on the backing? The ones in your picture don’t look that bad to me. Hope things go better the next time you get into the sewing room.
Been there, done that. I have tossed stuff away like that because it was hopeless too.
Been there, done that. I have tossed stuff away like that because it was hopeless too.
I hear ya! That’s happens to me too!
Nancy in WI
I hear ya! That’s happens to me too!
Nancy in WI
Bad, bad geese. They just don’t know how to behave. Gobble, gobble.
Bad, bad geese. They just don’t know how to behave. Gobble, gobble.
MMMM YES ! however, I also learned we are our own worst judges about everything, so stop judging yourself and just make it into a positive, like perhaps a sort of string quilt or a pot holder? or an imperfect piece of perfection 🙂
MMMM YES ! however, I also learned we are our own worst judges about everything, so stop judging yourself and just make it into a positive, like perhaps a sort of string quilt or a pot holder? or an imperfect piece of perfection 🙂
You’re brave. I have some stuff that hasn’t turned out that I have yet to throw away. Some I have been able to make into a quilt. Looking forward to tomorrow’s post.
You’re brave. I have some stuff that hasn’t turned out that I have yet to throw away. Some I have been able to make into a quilt. Looking forward to tomorrow’s post.
Oh yes…I had one of those days yesterday, Nicole! It wasn’t until AFTER I posted my work that I realized the huge mistake I’d made! Oh well – some days you’re the bug and some days you’re the windshield, I say!
Cheers!
Oh yes…I had one of those days yesterday, Nicole! It wasn’t until AFTER I posted my work that I realized the huge mistake I’d made! Oh well – some days you’re the bug and some days you’re the windshield, I say!
Cheers!
Um… my scrap pile, um, er, trash needs a little “filler” to be completely full… I’d make sure your scraps were used, um, disposed of properly… 🙂
Veronica
Um… my scrap pile, um, er, trash needs a little “filler” to be completely full… I’d make sure your scraps were used, um, disposed of properly… 🙂
Veronica
I did the same thing with a Schnibbles pattern about 3 weeks ago. Couldnt wait to start a halloween quilt. Finally got the fabric got stuck into it and screwed it up so bad that the fabric is now in a box somewhere. Not happy at all. Very glad I am not the only one though.
I did the same thing with a Schnibbles pattern about 3 weeks ago. Couldnt wait to start a halloween quilt. Finally got the fabric got stuck into it and screwed it up so bad that the fabric is now in a box somewhere. Not happy at all. Very glad I am not the only one though.
Your bad day sewing report makes my day because you were able to share it with us!
Your bad day sewing report makes my day because you were able to share it with us!
Oh, pleeeeassse don’t throw them away. I can’t bear the thought. Are you sure they are that bad????? Could I use them in my postage stamp/scrap quilt. Could they be used in anything??????
I know, scrap saving is an addiction worse than stash-buying. Not being able to throw anything away. But I do use it, just cut it into smaller pieces!
Oh well, That’s the way it goes somedays.
Oh, pleeeeassse don’t throw them away. I can’t bear the thought. Are you sure they are that bad????? Could I use them in my postage stamp/scrap quilt. Could they be used in anything??????
I know, scrap saving is an addiction worse than stash-buying. Not being able to throw anything away. But I do use it, just cut it into smaller pieces!
Oh well, That’s the way it goes somedays.