Wednesday, March 12, 2014

I Am So Disappointed! Any Suggestions?

So I finished the Fruit Bounty, aka Fruit Salad, block from the A Bountiful Life quilt.  I really like this one becuase it reminds me that Spring and Summer will return after the bitter cold and snowy Winter we have had. 
Here is my finished block.  Isn't it pretty? I definitely made the right choice to go back and add the stems for the cherries.  What was I thinking?  I think I will also embroider some stems on those grapes.  Once the block was complete, I hand washed it and dried it on a towel.
Once it was completely dry, I pressed it on a nice towel - face down.  When I turned it over.. this is what I saw.  OH NO!!  Look at those wrinkles on that grape leaf!! UGH!!!!! 
Does anyone know how to avoid this?  What went wrong??
I tried pressing it again, startching it... nothing helped.




Here are some of close-ups of other parts of the block.


 These grapes really are purple and not as bluish as they appear. 
I am seriously considering getting the seam ripper out and re-doing that grape leaf.  It bothers me everytime I look at the block.  Don't you hate that when it happens?  Any suggestions?

Happy Sewing... and Un-sewing!
Deb


Linking up at Let's Be Social!

16 comments:

  1. I do not know much about appliqué, but would it be fixed with quilting or embroidery to stitch it down? Other than that, I would say to do what would make you the most happy in the long run. You will be putting a lot of time and effort in this quilt, and you should love the finished product.

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    1. Thank you for your comments! You make a very good point - if it bothers me I should change it now and love the finished product. Or it will bug me!!! LOL I need to get that seam ripper!

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  2. I think the work and artistry involved is amazing and perhaps only you would ever notice the little wrinkle? But, if it really bothers you, do what you must! Let's keep hoping for spring.

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    1. Thanks. I did what I must and feel much better about it! Thanks for your comments and visiting!

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  3. i have had that happen. i think it is because i haven't pinned it good it enough. some hand quilting on it later might help but you might want to take it off and redo it so that it is not the first thing you see every time you look at the block.

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    1. You might be right. I may have neglected to baste that one down. Lesson learned! I have replaced it. Thanks!!

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  4. Your hand work does take so much time and care. I just know this leaf will continue to bother you until it is 'fixed'. I may not know you very well, yet..... But you probably have already ripped and restitched by now! Ha, ha! The block is beautiful and all those fabrics are so pretty, Debra! Well done!

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    1. You are right.. it continued to bother me so it has been removed and a new leaf put in its place. I will post a follow-up! Thanks for the advice!

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  5. What a beautiful block! Your work is lovely! I would think that quilting and/or embroidery would fix this without having to rip it out. However, ripping just one side and smoothing it out might be all that's needed if you really want it to lay flat. Gorgeous fabrics!

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    1. Thanks Lorette for your advice. I thought about trying to smooth it out.. that was a good suggestion. But in the end decided to replace the entire leaf - with something with more pattern in case it happens again!

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  6. Hi, Debra! Your work is always exquisite! I know that you will not be happy if you don't fix it. If it is really bothering you now, it will always bother you. I have been known to take entire quilt tops apart because I didn't like a certain fabric choice. The problem could be the fabric, since all your other pieces turned out perfect. I would choose another green entirely and try again. Eileen (Sorry for the anonymous profile, but I don't have any of the other types set up).

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    1. Eileen you are exactly right and thanks for the advice. I have a couple of quilts that I did not follow my gut and today still bother me when I didn't take the time to make a change. I think another green is definitely the answer. The fact this this was almost a solid probably did not help disguise any imperfections. Thanks for visiting.

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  7. I'm not sure how to fix it now, but when you iron applique it helps to put it face down on a towel. Good luck!

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  8. This is my first time visiting your blog. Your work is exquisite. It's so hard when we find something we don't like, in our work. Even when we're the only ones who will ever notice it and it's only a few grapes amongst a lot of other applique. If you haven't already ripped it out, I say put it aside for awhile and work on something else. If you go back and it still bothers you, rip it out and start over. The quilt has to make you happy.

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    1. Thanks - great advice! I did put it aside for a week and every time I looked at it, it still bothered me. So, out came the seam ripper and I felt so much better once it was off the block. I have replaced it and will post a follow up. Giving something a rest is always a good idea. Revisiting with fresh eyes always helps.

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  9. Maybe doing some hand embroidery, some veins on the leaf would distract your eyes from it? I didn't really notice it, but I know that when something bugs me, I do have to fix it :)

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