Quilty fails...or are they??

Are our fails truly fails? 

It is my preference to see all experiences as learning experiences. Before I tackled that first pattern I picked up at Quilt Expo, I thought it best to dabble in some projects that were more experimental. Don't want to take on that first serious project and potentially ruin all that fabric. What I did have on hand was a decent enough stash of fabrics to start participating in a quilt challenge that has changed my life.

Fail #1

Kim Lapacek has been hosting Project Quilting for 10 seasons. I started participating during season 8 with my first mini-quilt. The season opened with the challenge theme "Eight is Great" where participants were to incorporate the number eight into projects as we interpreted with additional basic guidelines. I had what I thought looked interesting on paper and in my head, but the end result was not as grand as I had hoped. From the uneven measurements to the added flare that really wasn't all that flashy, here is what I called "Infin-8":

Fail #2

My second fail is actually my very first quilt. It was made from a fat quarter bundle that came with a free pattern I knew was easy enough to assemble. The catch? I had zero experience with binding. None. When working in the factory we finished quilts differently, so I decided to ask my mom and reference video tutorials. The binding on this quilt is quite embarrassing, but what I learned was so very valuable. Since this quilting encounter, I have dug deeper watching more tutorials and reading bloggers suggestions on machine binding because my fingers have a hard time with needlework. It was essential to find a better way. If you click on the photos to get a closer look, feel free to zoom in on the top photo (the back of the quilt) to see just how uneven that binding turned out:

Fail #3 

The third fail I am going to share is another Project Quilting challenge piece also from season 8 but week 5 with the theme "Well Dressed Man". I missed some stitching around one of the areas on this quilted pillow sham I made in honor of my husband's many years dedicated to our country serving in the Wisconsin National Air Guard. This mistake was not noticed for at least a month. I learned to look my work over better before calling it complete. Here is the photo of that fail we love to this day:

Final Thoughts

My fails are never fails. Every single one has been a stepping stone on my quilting journey. I jumped into this world with some rather big ideas knowing that there was much learning to be had before I could put those ideas into motion. This blog is one such idea that has come to fruition. The opportunity for pattern testing is another. Pattern design is another path I am starting to explore. All of these possibilities have opened because I took the leap on those learning experiences - not fails.

What do you consider a quilty fail? Have any you care to share in the comments?

Keep quilting!

Fawn