Oh Boy…What Was I Thinking?

Have you ever made a quilt and then thought to yourself “Oh boy…what was I thinking???”  Welcome to my world.  Today I decided to quilt a top that’s been laying around for 2 or 3 years {don’t judge}.  But…I’m not really sure why I ever made it.  I affectionately nick named this beauty Mr. Fugly {pardon the expression but some things in life are just fugly}. And here he is in all his glory.

Box Step Quilt Pattern by Cozy Quilt Designs

I decided to use this top as practice more than anything.  Nothing could make it look worse than it already did.  I changed up my normal routine with Roscoe {my Gammill} just to see what I thought.

First, I decided to use polyester batting.  I never ever use polyester batting.  I’m a warm and natural cotton batting girl.  I just couldn’t bring myself to use a warm and natural batting since I didn’t like the top.  It seemed like a waste.  The polyester didn’t cause any real problems but I prefer cotton batting.  I’m not sure I’ll use polyester again unless it’s all I have.

I wanted to try floating my quilt top.  For those of you not familiar with floating a quilt top, that simply means not rolling it on the frame.  I put the backing and the batting on the frame then I laid the quilt top on top of the batting.  I had to baste the top down as I quilted but I really enjoyed quilting this way.

Each time I rolled the quilt, I basted the sides and across the length of the quilt.  This held the top in place as I quilted.

I was able to lift the top and smooth the batting if I needed.  I could also remove any pesky threads that stuck to the batting.

This would be very handy when quilting with white fabric.  I always get stray threads stuck to my batting and they show through the white fabric.  I usually can’t get to them if I’ve rolled the top onto the frame.  Sometimes I can squeeze my hand in there. However, if the thread is in the middle of a large quilt, there’s no way.  I just don’t have super stretchy arms but that sure would be cool.

Floating the top also seemed to help me keep the top straight.  You can see in the next picture that Mr. Fugly was pretty even when I got to the bottom.

I also wanted to try a new all over stitch.  I usually default to stippling because I’m good at it but I really need to broaden my horizons.  What better time to practice?

I had a few blurps in the design but overall it turned out ok.  I’m not sure why but I only went brain dead when I was on the black and white fabric.  Most likely because that’s the only time you can actually see the thread.  This thing was hard to quilt because I kept losing where I was.  The thread just disappeared in the prints.

The thread really pops on the black.  I need more practice….

Finally, I tried to get Roscoe on board with King Tut thread by Superior Threads.  I just love King Tut but I’ve yet to figure out the tension settings when I use it.  I just don’t get it but Roscoe seems to love the cheaper thread.  I guess that’s good for my pocket book but King Tut sure produces a LOT less lint.  Most of Mr. Fugly’s stitches turned out okay but they’re still not perfect.  I know my top tension is too loose but when I tighten it my top thread starts breaking.  Big sigh….not sure I’ll ever be able to successfully quilt with King Tut.

The best part of today…I showed Mr. Fugly to my hubby when he got home today.  He said “That doesn’t look like something you would make.”  Bahahahaha….I just smiled and said, “I KNOW!”

What was I thinking with all the same colored tiny mixed up prints?  I should’ve at least put more black & white in the quilt.  That would’ve helped break up all the prints.  I think it all runs together the way it is now.  I don’t even like brown!  I’m a full color kind of girl.  Although, I really love using a white background with lots of bright color.  I have to say that I think this would be a wonderful pattern {Box Step by Cozy Quilt Designs} with different fabric choices!

Mr. Fugly just isn’t my cup of tea.  Can you tell???  Let’s take one last look at Mr. Fugly.

Yep, he’s still fugly.  It’s interesting to look back at the projects we’ve made in the past.  Now I spend a lot more time thinking through my fabric choices.  I’ve learned that I don’t have to incorporate every fabric from a fabric line into one quilt.  I’m not sure what I’m going to do with Mr. Fugly.  I guess he’ll be hanging out here with us until I find him a home.  Let’s hope Mrs. Fugly doesn’t show up!

29 thoughts on “Oh Boy…What Was I Thinking?”

  1. I’m no designer butI think you’re wrong, it’s not bad at all, in fact I think it would look great in the right room with the right furniture. I’d use it as a wall hanging above the bed, almost like a mural. The furniture would be very contemporary and all very black, and shiny. Low slung.
    The bedspread would be black as well or perhaps variegated blacks and greys but nothing that stood out. This quilt uses a more country/vintage floral design in the squares but the larger black and white squares give it a very modern look. This would work.

  2. Wow, I don’t even like beige (it makes me kind of ill), and I think this quilt looks great (even over my obvious bias of being anti-beige)! It’s well arranged, and I think the quilting is lovely. 🙂

  3. Just because you are a color kind of girl you took a step outside of your comfort zone and it may not be for you but it is beautiful and the quilting is great, and some person would love it and be greatful for it. I think it is great you made this quilt and I frankly don’t think any quilt is ugly, they all are an art to themselves,something about it drew you to it or it would not exist. Great JOB ….Mary Hager

  4. On your tension problems with King Tut, try going around your tension disc one less time. When I use a thread that I have breakage problems on, like metallic, that’s what I do and it seems to work for me. I don’t have a Gammill, but it works on my Innova. King Tut is my go-to thread most of the time. Love the variegation in it and the minimal lint. Yummy colors too. Oh, a word of warning…don’t go to Superior Threads in St. George, Utah, because the colors look even better in person and your credit card can really take a huge hit!!! Ask me how I know!!!!!

  5. One person’s fugly is another person’s forgeous (forever gorgeous). I think you need to think of him as the frog prince. He’s a frog to you but a prince to me and a handsome one at that!

  6. Vicki, Mr Fugly may not be your cup of tea but I think it’s lovely. The small prints take on the appearance of solids and it appears as a very modern quilt. I like it!

  7. Isn’t it funny how you think it’s fugly but all these other gals like it? I have some quilts that I feel the same way about. And I have to agree with the rest of the gals……Mr. Fugly is quite beautiful. What fabrics did you use?

  8. It’s all in the eye of the beholder. I personally agree with you but then others love it and that’s a good thing = otherwise, if everyone liked what we liked then they’d never be sales on things because it would all be purchased! Your workmanship is perfect and if it wasn’t that would probably drive you crazier than the fabric choices if you’re like me!

  9. Poor Mr. Fugly! Maybe it’s the more ‘modern’ look of the quilt that you don’t like. I think it looks great and would be wonderful in the right setting. Isn’t it true that we are hardest on ourselves? I hope you’ll give Mr. Fugly another chance… if not, there’s always Etsy or eBay!

  10. I am sorry you son’t like your creature, but to me (I am not a pro.) it’s lovely, modern but not so “cold and straight” as other modern quilts I’ve seen up to now, I think it will soon find a new home and a family that will surely cuddle with it!

  11. I like it! Thanks for sharing, even though you don’t love it. I’ve worked on projects I thought I’d love, and ended up being mediocre over, and it’s always a shame. Feeling like you put so much work into something you don’t love is sometimes hard, but others can and will love it, so it’s always fun to share and see someone else enjoy your work 😀

  12. Isn’t it amazing when expecting something don’t want to really see but can’t help oneself…then it is a really wonderful quilt. It is modern monochromatic, just for fun enter it into a quilt show,,,,

  13. Leatherstockingal

    Hubby and I both loved this quilt. We love the neutral colors and the placement of the darker blocks and the black. It would look right at home in a modern setting, with black drapes and a black-patterned rug beside the bed. Give yourself a pat on the back, you deserve it. Sometimes it’s just serendipity!

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