I am so disappointed right now. Last night I decided I would get started on the letters to appliqué my kids names on the back of there quilts. After getting the stuff together I realized that I didn’t have any fusible web…no problem I will just glue them to the quilt and hand stitch around the letters. Laying in bed last night after getting the letters cut out and glued in just the right places, I realized that my letters would end up fraying after being washed (I didn’t cut the letters so that I could needle turn). I haven’t done too much appliqué especially on things that would get a lot of ware and washing. So new plan…I in all my infamous wisdom (haha) I decided that to cut a piece of material to match the back of the quilts and then machine embroidery the letters. I planned to needle turn appliqué this patch to the back of the quilt…Great idea, right? WRONG! I seem to have forgotten one tiny little detail…I have NEVER machine appliquéd before! Some of the letters didn’t turn out too bad, but the curved one look AWFUL!! I don’t know what to do. I have spent 5-1/2 hours working on this. I still have Kyle’s to do (thank heavens his name doesn’t have any curved letters in it. If I would have known when I was naming my kids that one day I would be trying to machine appliqué the letters of their names on crap I guarantee Parker and Hunter would have different names!
By the way…don’t try to rip out a satin stitch…IMPOSSIBLE! Don’t ask me how I know :(
So what would you do? Would you use them anyway after working so hard and using good material? Or would you scratch the idea of having their names on the back? I have more matching fabric but it was put aside for another project…I guess I could start all over…I don’t know what to do??? Take a look at the pics…any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
Doesn’t look too bad from this angle. It is when you get close up that things start getting really UGLY!
The U is the worst and the second letter I tried to appliqué (not smart). I also tried to use a smaller zigzag stitch on this one…didn’t work! For the rest of the letters I did a zigzag stitch that wasn’t so small and just went over it 2 times… I also used black to do my stitching…another not so good idea!
The T and the E actually turned out ok…
Another bad R…
The R just looks crummy!
By the time I go to this R I was getting a little better…still looks awful!
Posts
Stash Manicure Challenge
9 comments:
Rene, I know how you feel! I've spent many nights wondering how I was going to get something done. I have created a tutorial for starch applique. No fusible and I get very little frey when I wash the quilts. The tutorial is on my blog http://www.piecenquilt.blogspot.com called Starch Applique. Let me know if this helps at all.
Don't beat yourself up. The quilt police will not come knocking at your door! The main thing to remember is that you are giving something that was made by you. Your gift will be loved whether it is perfect (in your eyes) or not.
Your kids will be absolutely overjoyed with their names. They will not see mistakes but only the love you put into the quilts.
I can understand you wanting the names to come out better than they did. But honestly the kids aren't going to notice they're not perfect! They'll just be thrilled with the quilts and the fact that their names are on them! :0)
They look great! But if you absolutely do not like them you may want to do the blanket stitch by hand or by machine. I find by hand I have more control with the smaller pieces. I use the pearl cotton.
I know how you feel when you are not satisfied with somehting in your project.. it will always stick out like sore thumb no matter how many people tell you it's OK.
I think they look really good.
I think they look good. They have the homemade feel to it! And I agree with what has been said, your boys won't see the mistakes that you see. I think they look good, and I know I would like them if my name was Hunter or Parker! :D I would say leave them how they are! They have a lot of love in them and they are perfect how they are!
Hey Rene!
Gosh I wish that I could help you, but I have never tried doing machine applique! All of mine are done with needle turn.
But I do know that a lot of people are doing the raw edge appique right now. It seems pretty easy but once again I have never done it. You could probably google it and find an easy tutorial.
Anyway, I love the look of the names on the back.
Good Luck and I totally feel your pain!
I think the letters look pretty dern good!! I would leave them as is. The boys are going to love them. Once they are washed and dried a few times maybe you will be happy with them too. We are all so hard on ourselves/ :S
Post a Comment