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Ugly quilting and veterans quilts

5/7/2021

 
When I used to teach beginner longarm quilting I had a saying that I hoped would give the new quilters the confidence to jump in and quilt anything. So many new longarm owners are afraid to quilt once they get their machines so I would say to them over and over:

Ugly quilting, done consistently, looks great.

Repetition is the secret to "hiding" mistakes or bad designs. Repeat that bad design enough and it looks intention and creates it's own pattern.

​Well, I got to test that out for myself again this week!
Picture
Picture
Picture
On this quilt I wanted to mimic the ribbon design but what I really meant to do was the ribbon meander. Instead I quilted the first pass with large loops and then realized my mistake. You can't ribbon meander a loop! Well, I do not ever take out quilting on veterans quilts. My goal with them is to quilt as many as possible so we can cover more veterans. I decided to ribbon the loops by going outside of each loop. Close up it's kind of a mess but from far away it looks like an intentional pattern. It's not my best work but it's OK.
Picture
Picture
This is what I intended to do on the first one!
Picture
Picture
This one is pieced with squares so that almost always means a wavy cross hatch for me. I quilted this quilt in about an hour.
Picture
Picture
In my quest to finish a lot fof quilts over the next week or so, I'm going to be doing a lot of ribbon meanders!
Claire
5/7/2021 11:37:08 am

How do you do a ribbon meander? One set of lines and then semi-echo the second? Looks like something I could use occasionally. Thanks.

Kristin F
5/7/2021 02:42:57 pm

The 'mistake' looks good to me! I'll have to remember your mantra!

Gene Black
5/7/2021 08:41:12 pm

I am with you on the idea of repetition hiding mistakes. It does look like an intentional pattern. Most people will never notice that it wasn't what it was 'meant to be' because they didn't know that to start with.
My one and only piano recital, I made a mistake in the first section. I was so nervous that when I came to the repeat of that passage, I did it again. And advanced student later told me that he heard what I did but it was smart because anyone who didn't know the piece heard it the way I played it and it sounded intentional. (so maybe two wrongs can hide a mistake even if they don't make a right.)

Carole @ From My Carolina Home link
5/8/2021 06:52:01 am

Brilliant save!! I am in awe of your productivity!

Mary Anne
5/8/2021 08:54:46 am

Sure doesn't look like a mistake to me! Perhaps you've simply just created a new design.

Gail link
5/8/2021 09:20:17 am

That's been a sewing/crafting mantra for years - once is a mistake, repeated it's a design. sigh... I should put that on a sign on my HQ - not sure why I'm having such issues getting started quilting the one that's been on the frame for weeeeks :-/

I like your spur of the moment designs.

patty
5/10/2021 08:33:17 am

Your mistake looks pretty good to me!


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    About Vicki

    I'm Vicki Welsh and I've been making things as long as I can remember. I used to be a garment maker but transitioned to quilts about 20 years ago. Currently I'm into fabric dyeing, quilting, Zentangle, fabric postcards, fused glass and mosaic. I document my adventures here.

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  • Welcome
  • Blog
  • Galleries
    • Quilt Gallery >
      • 2025 >
        • Hanover Country Life Quilt
        • Oak Moth Quilt
      • 2024 >
        • Red SunsetQuilt
        • Big Blue Quilt
      • 2023 >
        • Heirloom Bear
        • Firefighter Quilt
        • The Goldfinch
      • 2022 >
        • Summer Sunset Quilt
        • Soundwave Quilt
      • 2021 >
        • A Big Green Quilt
        • Finally! Quilt
      • 2020 >
        • Jackies Choice Quilt
        • Penguins on Ice Quilt
        • Corona Cats Quilt
        • Kim's Garden
      • 2019 >
        • Indonesian Batik Quilt
        • Lost My Marbles
        • Remaking Flora's quilt
        • I'm Not a Snowflake Quilt
        • Where In The World Is My Cat Quilt
        • Fireworks
        • The Groovy Quilts
        • The Puppy Quilt
      • 2018 >
        • The Maine Quilt
        • Stars At Sea
        • Antelope Canyon Quilt
      • 2017 >
        • The Wedding Quilt Quilt
        • Rainbow's End Quilt
      • 2016 >
        • CSQ Challenge Quilt
        • Wholecloth Quilt of Valor
        • Luras Choice Quilt
        • Black Swan Quilt
        • 2016 Quilt of Valor Quilt
        • Non Unus Pluma Quilt
      • 2015 >
        • Snaps Quilt
        • Batik Crossroads Quilt
        • Wild Goose Chase Quilt
        • Fractured Fragments Quilt
        • Tell It To the Stars Quilt
        • Cathedral Window Quilt
        • Time In Place Quilt
        • Shaken Not Stirred Quilt
        • Pleiades Quilt
      • 2014 >
        • Spinning Stars Quilt
        • Fractured Spiral Quilt
        • Autumn Leaves Quilt
        • Sea Dreams Quilt
        • Woodland Star Quilt
        • Zombie Ball Quilt
        • Innova Angles Quilt
      • 2013 >
        • Murder For a Jar of Red Rum Quilt
        • Patroitic Quilts
        • Red Sunset Bedding Quilt
        • The Infamous Fish Quilt
        • Gratitudes Quilt
      • 2012 >
        • Illuminated Blocks Quilt
        • Kims Wedding Quilt
        • Crossing The South Anna Quilt
        • Coming Home Quilt
        • See Reverse Quilt
        • Overboard Quilt
        • Floras Fans and Modern Crumbs Quilt
        • The Patriot Quilt
        • On Point Quilt
        • Grinch Quilts
      • 2011 >
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        • On A Whim Quilt
        • Catena Quilt
        • Zig Zag Scraps Quilt
        • Purple Keepsakes Quilt
        • Fiberactions Challenge Quilts
        • Journal Quilts 2011
      • 2010 >
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        • Fiberactions Challenge Quilts
        • Wootten Memory Quilts
        • Teal Tomorrow Quilt
      • 2009 >
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      • 2008 >
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        • Citrus Quilt
      • 2007 >
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        • Quilts of Valor
        • Other Quilts
      • 2006 and older >
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        • Flora's Dutchman's Breeches
        • The Gift Quilts
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      • Quilting Snowball Blocks
      • Easy Longarm Piano Keys
      • Using Channel Locks
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      • Adding backing on the longarm
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      • Crochet Wheelchair Shawl
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