Crafting disasters!

wmpdd3

Inspired by the cooking disasters thread, I propose a crafting disasters thread.

I started a baby blanket that was to be 26 letter squares plus 2 squares. This thing would have covered a double bed at the rate I was going at, so I just did 10 random letters and 2 squares.

I have half finished felted arm warmers that are so big they look like vets gyne gloves. I have even put them in the washing machine to supercharge the felting process.

Every time I make a cardigan I manage to get 20 rows in before I realise I have made the same side I have just made again.

When making a jacket I always attach the sleeve right side to wrong side instead of 2 right sides together.

I can still hear my teacher saying measure twice and cut once, but still I usually have to buy more material for each project as I have cut out wrong.

But other than that I am a master crafts person!

LoonyLovegood

The amount of times I have dropped stitches, not realised and sew it all up together again. Argh!

vitani

Every time I try to make something for myself, I get carried away looking at the pretty model on the pattern and imagine how wonderful this new cardigan or whatever is going to look on me. So far, I have a shrug that's more like a blanket, a short-sleeved cardigan that makes me look like a grandmother and I'm nearly finished another cardigan that's way too short for my tastes.

I'm not giving up though! I've a pattern for another cardigan that I want to start next week. And if that doesn't work, I guess I'll just I'll stick to children's clothes and quilts.

Jellybaby1

I'm sure there are lots of crafters like me with disasters normally hidden from view! I once came across a 'Pinterest failures' type of blog from the US. They tried crafts found on Pinterest and then uploaded photos of their own effort to their blog. Whether the ladies were totally truthful or not I do not know, but it was absolutely hilarious. I must look for that site again.

cuilteanna

The quilting equivalent is Ami Simms' Worst Quilt in the World contest here.
http://www.amisimms.net/ofconen.html
The comments still make me laugh every time I read them.

I have had a few contenders myself, one is even hanging in the house as a reminder of what NOT to do. I don't think it has a straight bit of border or sashing anywhere (and it IS meant to).

My other disasters tend to be got rid of very quickly. I'm sure they'll come to mind again at some point!

Jellybaby1

, I have heard of painting by numbers, but never have I heard of quilting, by numbers! Just as well all the quilt makers were numbered instead of named and shamed. However, even though the quilts are so badly made, it still took a heck of a lot of stitching to make them. They must have laboured for ages on their creations!

wmpdd3

I refuse to waste the supplies so things are just reworked!

cuilteanna

The one who stuffed her quilt with bread wrappers really makes me wonder!!

Sometimes if I can take a disaster apart and salvage bits I will, but other times I've just had to give in and put something in the bin.

The quilt I mentioned earlier I had put so much hand stitching into that I decided to call it "wonky" and keep it. Another that I used to practise free motion machine quilting ended up being so awful I had to dump it. I really wish I could have salvaged the fabric - the backing at least - because it was so pretty! But no, those stitches were less than 1mm apart and they were NOT coming out. I even tried to "skim" the top off with a sharp seam ripper but just ended up cutting it.

There is one quilt I have a constant urge to take apart and remake. Part of the blocks were made by fussy cutting a large stripe/print fabric. Stupidly I thought by folding it in half I would have the same design on both sides. I didn't. So what should've been half gold/half red turned out to be 3/4 of one color and 1/4 of the other. Being lazy, I got a bit more of the fabric and appliquéd bits over the worst problems and quilted over it. The replacements are coming loose where they aren't quilted down, and the pieces I didn't cover look all the worse. Someday...

One time I was making an appliqué block for a group quilt and pressed it with a really hot iron while it was wet. The red of the flower bled into the background! Since the background was sent to me by the group I couldn't replace it; luckily I managed to get the stain out eventually! I never knew a hot iron on wet fabric could do that - certainly the fabric hadn't bled when I washed it!!

Another quilt ended up too short. I added a border to the bottom AFTER the entire quilt was finished!

Quilting can sometimes be far more forgiving than other crafts, especially once you've embraced the word "wonky"!

wmpdd3

Wonky is right, with out a cutter and ruler and a mat, all you get is wonky.

I tried with marking the fabric and cutting with a scissors and it was a disaster.

cuilteanna

My first ever quilt was cut with scissors and wasn't half bad! What we had to do was make templates from report cover plastic for both the cutting and sewing lines of each shape. Then we marked both, so if you didn't cut straight on the outer lines it didn't matter so much as long as you sewed on the inner line accurately (and the templates weren't wonky).

Even the cutter and the mat sometimes don't help that much since a tiny cutting or sewing error will multiply quickly the more seams you have. I don't think I ever had a block turn out entirely accurate until I discovered foundation paper piecing!

wmpdd3

Loads of terms there for me to google!

Jellybaby1

Jellybaby1 wrote: »

I'm sure there are lots of crafters like me with disasters normally hidden from view! I once came across a 'Pinterest failures' type of blog from the US. They tried crafts found on Pinterest and then uploaded photos of their own effort to their blog. Whether the ladies were totally truthful or not I do not know, but it was absolutely hilarious. I must look for that site again.

Found it! Spent the last fifteen minutes helpless with laughter!

http://www.pinterestfail.com/

You really must see the Easter Bunny Pancake!
http://www.pinterestfail.com/page/3/

cuilteanna

Jellybaby1 wrote: »

You really must see the Easter Bunny Pancake!
http://www.pinterestfail.com/page/3/

That's a scary bunny!
I also really enjoyed the pumpkin cake and the smiley apples. Great laughs!!