You all know I was making flying geese units last week. Most of them turned out fine and dandy like the one pictured at the top of my photo. A few turned out not so great, like the one below. See how the fabric doesn't match up at the top?
Obviously, both units need trimming (the little "dog ears" should be snipped off). But here's the question.
What would you do with the lower unit? Would you take it apart and re-sew it so everything lined up perfectly? Or would you take your scissors and just trim that entire left hand top side so the top edge is lined up evenly? Which of course would make your rectangle not so perfect. You can always sort of fudge things when you sew the piece together with whatever it is lining up to, so the inner point is not completely cut into. Can't you?
What would you do?
I know what I "should" do, but I would probably just cut it.
I'm trying to get more precise but with working and everything, sometimes when I finally get to quilting, I just want to get it done.
I know, bad.
So, what did you do?
Posted by: Di | June 22, 2009 at 04:42 AM
If there are just a few lopsided geese, I would take them apart and resew. If that doesn't work, I would cut new patches. Crazy, I know but that's what I would do. It could also depend on the project they are going in.
Let us know what you do.
Have a great day,
Christina D
Posted by: Christina D | June 22, 2009 at 05:07 AM
Knowing myself like I do (I can sometimes be quite persnickety), I would take the geese apart and re-do. That doesn't help you a whole lot, but it would be what I'd do.
Posted by: paula.thequilter | June 22, 2009 at 05:17 AM
Oh, that never happens to me! OK, that's a fib. I really don't like ripping out and sometimes with those bias edges, you end up in worse shape. I would try to "fix" it by lining it up with the adjoining piece and see if the mistake can be lost in the seam allowance. I don't like cutting off points, so if that didn't work I'd probably cut a new piece.
Posted by: Cindy | June 22, 2009 at 05:22 AM
Perfectionist that I am, I would take it apart and resew.
Posted by: Karen | June 22, 2009 at 05:42 AM
I hate to unsew, and I avoid it if at all possible. As long as there is a reasonable amount of fabric left so I can sew without chopping off a point, I leave it. I would probably trim this by placing the 1/4" line of my ruler at the point, then trim whatever extends beyond that. I'd put a pin it the piece so I know that I have to fudge it when I sew it to another piece.
Posted by: Sandi | June 22, 2009 at 05:44 AM
sad to say that it would depend if the quilt was a gift or for me. I have a whole flying geese quilt on my bed made from somewhat imperfect geese from another project. It doesn't bother me since I love the scrappy fabric ad it's just across the bed in case I get cold(like that could happen!!!I'm afraid that when making gifts, I tend to be wasteful in that I would just make another perfect one and move on saving the imperfect for another thing.
Posted by: dee mcdonald | June 22, 2009 at 05:45 AM
it all depends on how many i mess up, how bad, and what the project is for... i should take it out and do it again but my choice is determined by the above factors... and more often than not if i can work with it i do!
Posted by: jaybird | June 22, 2009 at 05:47 AM
You know me - I would have to take it out and redo, or toss it aside and make a new one. I love the Elenor Burns flying geese rulers - perfect geese every time!
Posted by: Lisa D. | June 22, 2009 at 05:55 AM
Sorry Nicole, but if you don't unpick you will lose the point at the top and that won't look too good.......for the few seconds it takes it is worth it.....after all you will be looking at the quilt for many years to come.
Posted by: Maggie | June 22, 2009 at 05:56 AM
If I could fudge them and still get my points I would not rip them. I have been known to use an 1/8" seam allowance. I have to have my points when doing geese. I would kick myself later If they were cut off and ask myself why did I let that happen.
Posted by: Charlie | June 22, 2009 at 06:11 AM
Fudge it. If I can get away with it I will fudge, fudge, fudge. I almost end up stretch the fabric somehow when ripping seams, or nicking myself in some inventive manner. Cutting leaves room for more...um....oooops. Especially when I'm distracted, which is almost always. 1/8 seam allowance, and a little stretch, normally work for me.
Posted by: Cara | June 22, 2009 at 06:18 AM
I redo the block. Otherwise everytime I see the quilt my eye goes directly to that one tiny block. My friend on the other hand, feels that matching points are happy accidents because she has a "10 feet from a running horse" rule. (If you can't see the mistake from 10 feet away while on a running horse, it's close enough).
Posted by: Patty | June 22, 2009 at 06:21 AM
I hate when that thing happens with the flying geese. It would be easy to trim the fabric but then you wouldn't have that 1/4" seam allowance. I guess I vote for the re-do, it's only one flying geese, it will go fast.
Posted by: Carol Lewis | June 22, 2009 at 06:24 AM
I've gotta agree with Maggie - this one is enough off to "need fixin". What method did you use - Miss Rosie's with 1 large square and 4 small squares or sew and flip with 4 rectangles and 8 squares? I would rather do Miss Rosie's method, but if I have to do sew and flip - they never come out exact for me and I only trim away the excess star point fabric and leave the rectangle uncut and at least it fits with the other pieces even if it's a "little off". Have a great week!
Posted by: di | June 22, 2009 at 06:28 AM
I would tackle the problem differently depending on how badly skewed the geese was. If it has completely abandoned the flock and there is no was that I can herd the piece in without chopping off the point. I would discard and start over (nope, would not resew, I would just toss), but if the errant geese is just a bit off kilter I would fudge it into place at the time I put the geese together. As long as I get my points to show and that it doesn't 'bubble' the spot, no one will see that instead of a quarter of and inch seam I have an eigth.
Posted by: Sandy (Strlady) | June 22, 2009 at 06:32 AM
Probably try to fudge. Me and triangles don't get along all that well. So I would fudge, and then it wouldn't come out right, but I would convince myself it was fine, and it might not be, and then I would never finish the project. lol
On the other hand, if I really (really, really) loved the project, I would probably unsew it and fix it.
Posted by: MichelleB | June 22, 2009 at 06:59 AM
Unpick, redo or start over. :~)
Posted by: Julia | June 22, 2009 at 07:02 AM
I would toss it and make a new one, unless you are running short on fabric, which I suspect NOT to be the case. I too use Eleanor Burns flying geese rulers and get good results.
Posted by: Thelma | June 22, 2009 at 07:10 AM
Hi Nicole . . . I would take it apart . . .
but . . . I have to tell you . . . I don't have this problem anymore . . . since I bought the Kaye England rulers . . . everything lines up . . . PERFECTLY . . . no more cutting pieces in half etc . . .
you cut the middle piece with one ruler . . . and the side pieces with a different ruler . . . and they just match . . .
I now have all her rulers . . . the only ones I use now . . . plus a portion of the money spent goes to the Susan Komen Breast Cancer Foundation . . .
Posted by: Cheryl | June 22, 2009 at 07:14 AM
unsew, resew, if that didn't work, recut, resew. It just makes the rest of the project more enjoyable.
Sharon
Posted by: Sharon | June 22, 2009 at 07:39 AM
What you need is Deb Tucker's new ruler "The Wing Clipper" and her new method for doing flying geese. Just google Deb Tucker or Studio 180 Design and click on Shop. Hope this helps, Judy
Posted by: Judy | June 22, 2009 at 07:44 AM
Fudge! Fudge! Fudge is my middle name.
Posted by: Susan Ramey Cleveland | June 22, 2009 at 08:01 AM
If I didn't have enough fabric to make a new one, I would carefully pick it out and re-do. All this is a moot point as I know that you will re-do it as you are a perfectionist! It would drive you nuts and jump out like a neon light to you in the finished quilt if you didn't.
With that said, I like to make my flying geese a little differently. I cut a rectangle and then do two magic corners. I'm sure you know what I mean. After sewing on and ironing back the squares, you cut out the middle layer. Never, never cutting off the back piece ala Mary Ellen Hopkins. She would send the quilt police after you if you did!
Posted by: Jean | June 22, 2009 at 08:03 AM
I'm comfortable fudging that. My mentor once told me that part of the skill of a quilter isn't just precision.
...It's also the ability to Fudge! Fudge! Fudge! Working with your mistakes and still making a near precise (if not precise) quilt.
I've learned that sometimes I'd just rather re-piece because sometimes the to fudge requires more skill. I wonder what Susan RC would say to that?
Posted by: *karendianne | June 22, 2009 at 09:29 AM