Saturday, March 19, 2016

Would you re-do - or take the easy way out ?

I finally finished the last corner block for my Mrs Millers Journey quilt. I've trimmed the edges and laid it all out.
The background fabric is directional and I was very careful to mark the right way up for each block but not quite careful enough. I got of them the right way and one of the basket blocks upside down.
Would you re-do? 
It means removing all the applique and sewing it on again. I have enough of some, of the fabrics, to just re-cut the piece but not enough to recut all of it.


 
 
This is what the background looks like in 8 blocks.

 
and this is how it looks in 1 block
 
 

I have an easy solution. I can change the 3 correct basket blocks around then all 4 would be in one direction and the middle and corner blocks would be the other way.
 
I haven't decided what I'll do yet.
 
I bought a vintage doll's quilt top quite a while ago and finally decided I would make it into a quilt. I used a plain cream fabric for the backing and the binding and did a few diagonal lines of quilting. I'm happy with how it looks.
 
 
 
 
 
 

24 comments:

Judith said...

Tricky question! BUt I think you know the answer. I probably will bug you until eternity! I am afraid you might want to unpick it. And to be hornest, although I always end my posts by saying; "better finished than perfect" I think I would to. Good luck deciding.
But the quilt sure is GORGEOUS!

Susan said...

Oh dear Dorothy. To be honest, I think it would be fine if you left it. But if you're like me and you have enough fabric, I'd be re-doing it. Unfortunately it would be the first thing I looked at every time. I think the option of changing the direction of four blocks is a good compromise.

ES said...

Yes, I agree with the above comment. How annoying will you find this one 'odd' block?

Anonymous said...

Zo moeilijk. Ik denk ook dat de dames boven mij gelijk hebben. Succes

Chantal said...

It is so pretty Dorothy, I love this one. To answer your question: I wouldn't. It makes it more antique by having a "mistake because only God is perfect" block. It is such a subtle one with that. It is very obvious to you and it was not what you had planned and I can understand the disappointment. But after it is all quilted, most people will look at the appliqué and not notice the background much. Anywho, good luck with that decision. It is still a great quilt. ;^)

WoolenSails said...

I would have never noticed if you hadn't told me and since it is on the opposite side of the bird and going in the opposite direction, it almost looks right to go in the opposite direction. Love the little quilt, beautiful piece.

Debbie

Lori said...

Wow! What a quilt. If you are asking your blog readers, than obviously you feel a need to fix it. If you are entering it in a show, then yes, for myself, probably I would not change it. I still can't really even notice it in the photos.
Love the little quilt!!

Lida said...

How nice is that quilt now! And I would change all the blocks and give them an other direction, because you have not enough material to make the one again, seem the best solution! Greetings
Lida

Mary said...

No way would I redo. I think it gives it character. It is not that noticeable and the quilt is lovely. Congratulations on a job well done!

Mary

QuiltMargaret said...

Is the pattern for that quilt (Mrs. Miller) available somewhere now? I've seen pictures or it, but no mention of pattern.

Anonymous said...

Leave it. Barely noticeable.

Karen said...

Oh, hard question, Dorothy. It will be interesting to find out what your decision is. From the photo of all the blocks together, I can't see a difference. Maybe it would be different if I was there with you looking at it. It is probably going to be the first thing you look at when viewing the quilt but not sure anyone else would notice unless they got up close and studied it. The quilting may make it even harder to discern.

Holly said...

Such a beautiful quilt!! I can hardly tell which one is upsidedown. I'd be tempted to unpick because 'I would know,' but in the end, no. Hard decision.

Dorothy said...

The pattern for Mrs Miller's Journey is by Liz Willing. It will
be available in a month's time. You can reach Liz on FB or I have
her email if you contact me.
Dorothy

Flickenstichlerin said...

Lovely quilt top, and what a hard decision to make. Would have to sleep over that one for quiet some time to end up unpicking the least pieces possible. Good luck on making the decision.
Greetings,
Sylvia

Every Stitch said...

Just the sort of thing I'd do too Dorothy ...and I'd be deliberating too :)
The truth is it is probably not noticeable from any distance (as in first picture) and if you are happy with that then leave it. It is a gorgeous quilt and I love the background fabric choice!

Thimbleanna said...

Oh Dear -- what a dilemma! I think it depends on how much it's going to bug YOU. My mother once unpicked an entire cable hand-quilted border on one side of a large quilt. Her stitches were so tiny and perfect, I have no idea how she could even unpick them. But, somehow, the cable got going in the wrong direction and she knew it would bug her forever, so she unpicked -- months of quilting down the drain! Good Luck with your decision!

Lizzy D said...

Gorgeous! I d redo the one block [pick it apart, if need be], just because it s so beautiful and it must bother you or you d not have asked us. I can t see rotating the corner blocks instead.

The doll quilt is adorable, so sweet.

lizzy

PS Your header quilt is also so lovely, what beautiful quilts you make!

Wendy Caton Reed said...

Oh Dorothy, no, no, no! THat is one of the things I love about antique quilts. You see things like this all the time. It adds to the charm. It is simply stunning!

Phyllis said...

Usually I would say leave it in. I love the odd 'mistake' in old quilts, the cut-off points etc. But then these are usually utility quilts, not the really nice applique ones (like Baltimore quilts etc). And this is a really, really nice, beautiful applique quilt and therefore that mistake would really look out of place and it would really annoy you whenever you saw this quilt, even if others will not see it, you know it is there. I have heard the phrase 'better finished than perfect' on more than one occasion when I was in the US, but that is not always the case. Sooooooo.... I would correct it.
Lovely work.

Charlotte said...

I enlarged the photo of the quilt and I could not find the block with the bg fabric going the wrong direction. So, the "mistake" is not jumping out at you. However, if it bothers you and will bother you every time you look at the quilt, then you will need to change it.

The quilt is absolutely gorgeous and I can't imagine the hours of work/love you put into it. I admire you for taking on such a huge project.

Charlotte

Featheronawire Sally Bramald said...

Leave it, we only know be because you told us. And even knowing this, I still cannot see it. BTW it is lovely.

David said...

I remember CA Wells (cross stitch artist) telling me in a class in London a few years ago :"You know David, there is perfection and there is life so if I were you I would live and move on... and your project will still be awesome ;-)" Though, I am kind of a perfectionist myself, I try to remember these words... So, I wwould not unpick :-)

The Quilted Finish said...

I do love David's comment! Whenever I have had a situation similar to yours I am reminded of the practice (I think the Amish often did it)of leaving a mistake for God to acknowledge our lack of perfection! I've always thought it was a wonderful idea, particularly when faced with the choice of leaving the error or hours of unpicking!!