Author Topic: Do you see what I see? (Read 1993 times)

Joybell · « **on:** February 27, 2012, 09:27:46 AM »

I thought something was off while I was quilting the top of this quilt....but I only realized what it was when I was making my last row of stitching to finish the quilt (except for the binding).

Do you see it?

sdBev · « **Reply #1 on:** February 27, 2012, 09:31:58 AM »

Nope. Looks lovely to me.

Sewshopper · « **Reply #2 on:** February 27, 2012, 09:38:58 AM »

You have to be really looking! It is easy to turn things the wrong way.

Karleene

Janis · « **Reply #3 on:** February 27, 2012, 09:44:15 AM »

Joybell, I'm sure it's driving you crazy, but nobody else will see it. I had to look and look and look before I finally spotted it. It's a gorgeous quilt.

Elona · « **Reply #4 on:** February 27, 2012, 10:14:26 AM »

Since it's only one teeny little blue triangle off and you really have to concentrate to see it, no non-quilter is going to notice. And anyhow, in some cultures, it's important to leave a little flaw so that the spirit of the thing can roam, if it wishes.

You have made a lovely quilt.

ladyampton · « **Reply #5 on:** February 27, 2012, 12:38:35 PM »

a lovely quilt

Zalin · « **Reply #6 on:** February 27, 2012, 12:39:10 PM »

What a beautiful quilt. I love the colors and the design.

Joybell · « **Reply #7 on:** February 27, 2012, 01:04:13 PM »

Thank you for all of your comments. It was a pain to make this one!

So none of you think I should try and rip out that section and fix it by hand as best I can (probably slip stitch two sides and then top stitch after?

BeeBee · « **Reply #8 on:** February 27, 2012, 01:10:07 PM »

Honestly? I'd probably try to fix it. While it took me a while to see it, once I found it I couldn't stop seeing it. But I'm pretty @n@l that way and most people probably aren't. Sorry, but you did ask.

Joybell · « **Reply #9 on:** February 27, 2012, 02:37:28 PM »

Yep I did ask. And it does bother me.

So now, technique.......

Since I am not going to take the complete top off, I will gently rip the stitches and take the panel of 4 triangles off (there are actually 4 triangles in the wrong place), turn it, hand stitch two sides and maybe part of a third side, slip stitch the rest and then lightly top stitch to keep the slipped stitched edges from unraveling.

Any other way to do this?

Then again... what was that comment about a mistake being done on purpose so that the quilt will have a spirit and fly off somewhere (wish it would!)?

Bunnykins · « **Reply #10 on:** February 27, 2012, 02:53:37 PM »

I've looked and looked, and I know now it's supposed to be a blue triangle and I still can't find it.

BTW, I was once told by someone kind that a small mistake in something only shows that it was made by a person, not a machine. That was after I had a large, complicated sweater all put together and found a small mistake near the beggining of the pattern I'd knit into the back.

marciae · « **Reply #11 on:** February 27, 2012, 03:18:00 PM »

Quote from: Joybell on February 27, 2012, 02:37:28 PM

Then again... what was that comment about a mistake being done on purpose so that the quilt will have a spirit and fly off somewhere (wish it would!)?

I had to make the screen larger and I "think" I "might" have seen the problem. However, I have a lot of Navajo rugs and they all have a spot where the spirits can get out! It makes it quite unique - while I, too, am pretty a*al about things I'd be very tempted to leave it - and let the happy spirits take over.

peter · « **Reply #12 on:** February 27, 2012, 03:25:18 PM »

I'm in line with the last two posts. I think this makes your quilt very special. At some point way down the line when your descendants are looking at it they may find that it says something about you as a person (in a good way of course!). Is there a bit of a rebel/revolutionary locked up inside you. Those are your spirits trying to get out.

kaaren · « **Reply #13 on:** February 27, 2012, 03:33:46 PM »

And other cultures say if it is too perfect, you are trying to be god/God. And remember you are human. But fix it if you wish, yes, I have taken out top stitching that bothered me and nobody else. I think it also depends on the use the beautiful quilt will get. Animals around? babies? Or just use it as a reminder to check and double check and then let it go and tell nobody when they say incredible quilt. Kaaren

Hen · « **Reply #14 on:** February 27, 2012, 05:14:09 PM »

Not that I saw the mistake immediateley, but you will see it every time you look at the quilt and be annoyed. So I am with BeeBee, fix it.
Having to fix it is annoying, but only once. I am sure the spirits can get through the slip-stitching!

ETA: Anyway, beautiful quilt!

Zalin · « **Reply #15 on:** February 27, 2012, 06:01:03 PM »

Whether you fix it or not is up to you, of course. Personally, I think it's quirky and will make for a great future story or game. "Remember when grandma/great aunt joybell made this quilt and she put one of the triangles in wrong just to trick us?"

Whatever you decide, it's still a beautiful quilt.

Sewshopper · « **Reply #16 on:** February 27, 2012, 06:22:59 PM »

I am reminded of what my mother used to tell me: "people only see things that are pointed out, so don't point them out!" I bet after awhile, you won't be so conscious about it either. Sometimes, it is being annoyed because one is not perfect. The quilt is lovely and I bet if you don't mention it, nobody will see it. And, if they do...what difference does it really make; the quilt is still beautiful and in 'good spirits.'

Karleene

KathrynT · « **Reply #17 on:** February 27, 2012, 09:26:46 PM »

I studied the monks that did the illuminated manuscripts, Book of Kells, Lindisfarne Gospels, etc when I was at school and they used to deliberately put a mistake in their complicated knots because "only God is perfect." Personally, I'm with making a thing of it. Every time anyone comments say "Well spotted. I always wait to see how long it takes people to notice."

ejvc · « **Reply #18 on:** February 28, 2012, 04:15:32 AM »

I see one triangle out, but I don't think it detracts! I found it because I noticed I was looking in that area. I think it's still lovely and I wouldn't fix it.

Elizabeth

fzxdoc · « **Reply #19 on:** February 28, 2012, 04:34:21 AM »

I can see the error but would not have if you hadn't told us to look for it, joybell. I'm with BeeBee, though. Now when I look at the quilt, that's the first place that my eye goes to. If you're the same way about it, and it bothers you, then you should definitely fix it. An hour or two spent now will be worth not having to see it for years and years in the future.

I still have an intricate cross stitch sampler that I made in graduate school. There is one small place where I used the wrong color of embroidery thread. All of my friends told me not to fix it, that no one would ever notice it. Well, perhaps they don't, but I do. Every time I look at that sampler, I see that error and it bugs me to this day.

Kathryn

Joybell · « **Reply #20 on:** February 28, 2012, 05:34:24 AM »

My decision?

I will fix it.

The quilt is already not "perfect" - some of the whites are a little yellow and the pinks faded. It is made from an old pink cotton curtain, curtain backing (white), a blue dress and a red remnant left over from my Mom's stash when she used to quilt.

Lots and lots of places where the spirits can escape, not to mention my probably less than perfect repair!

LindaE · « **Reply #21 on:** February 28, 2012, 06:04:52 AM »

Good luck on fixing it..

My first thought was H@ll no but after reading thru the different posting..

I probably would fix it also if it were me.. It would annoy me to no end being off..

Doris W. in TN · « **Reply #22 on:** February 28, 2012, 01:10:31 PM »

Unless I was planning to enter the quilt into Houston or AQS show, I would leave it alone. When I took my beginner's class, the teacher told us we'll always end up with a "humility" block. She told us some quilters put one there on purpose, to remind themselves that they are not perfect.

I have yet to finish a quilt that did not have some sort of mistake. I noticed one recently(!) on a quilt I had finished a few years ago! LOL

lydia · « **Reply #23 on:** February 28, 2012, 05:02:27 PM »

Definitely fix it --- it will drive you crazy if you don't. I speak from experience. I made a log cabin quilt from an old Better Homes and Gardens kit, had it all finished, bound - the works. Took it to the local quilt guild for show and tell. No one noticed the mistake, but as I looked at the quilt for a few days, something was wrong. Finally dawned on me that one block was rotated in the wrong order. Thank goodness I had made it the original Georgia Bonesteel method and had to just pick out the original stitching, rotate the block, resew it and finish the back side. I knew that I could never stand the quilt if I didn't fix that block. Another little story about that quilt: I spent most of a day sorting the blocks to keep a good color flow in the design. I had a cat named 'Tink" (short for Tinkerbell), who did not like her 'space' invaded (translate: living room). For some reason I had to run an errand and when I came home all the blocks were wadded up in the center of the floor and I never was able to get the right color flow again. Somewhere I have pictures of this. Tink was calmly sleeping on the sofa as if nothing had taken place! A funny thought: the mavens at the quilt guild never noticed the mistake!!! I took the quilt back to the next month's meeting and showed them the corrected mistake.

There are enough unintentional mistakes to keep me humble...........Lydia

Bunnykins · « **Reply #24 on:** March 01, 2012, 08:21:56 AM »

Well, Lydia, I agree: if it's bugging you and that's all you see every time you look at the quilt, fixing it is the only thing to do. Better than than wishing you had later.

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Author Topic: Do you see what I see? (Read 1993 times)