#1) Unstitching takes several times longer than stitching, when you are quilting.
#2) Thread tension can look perfectly fine from the top, while being a hot mess on the bottom.
#3) Unstitching three times in the same area is frustrating.
#4) I don’t hate unstitching. But I’m ready to stop now.
Catbird Quilt Studio 
A bit late here but oh the frustration of ripping out….ugh…just finished my third quilt and had a similar situation. Beautiful on top and the bottom…oh my gosh…a big bundle. After ripping for quite some time, re-threaded and started again. Ugh, the joys of quilting! BTW…when binding this same quilt, my thread kept getting tangled and knotted. Oh my, I am so glad to be done with this quilt!
Sometimes you just have to do it. I have ripped out a whole quilt before but I don’t think I’d ever do it again. Sad and horrible!
I had to make a similar decision earlier this week on my granddaughters wedding quilt; starting over….ugh!
One of those days huh? I’ve been there… *sighs* Hope it got better!
It got better because I stopped. 🙂 I finished it yesterday, not without some more frustration.
I found that the top tension had been pulled out of whack, though I’m not sure how. So I adjusted, tested, decided it was okay. Started again, ran out of bobbin thread… Shredded the thread again… Ran out of bobbin thread with only about 100 square inches to go… 🙂
And it’s DONE!!! 😀
Oh my… I bet you are looking at that quilt thinking “thank goodness you were worth it!” LOL!
It was a rougher “finish” than most. Today’s task: binding it. Hope I don’t hit snags! 🙂
That is always the easy part for me… almost meditative… since I hand bind everything. 🙂 Good luck!
I agree!
Yep!
I spent hours unstitching hand quilting last month–but I guess, now, I’m glad I did!
Oh yes, glad I did. That’s why I don’t really mind doing it. It’s a means to an end.
Thanks for taking a look.
Unstitching is a horrible job but sometimes necessary. I’m sure you will conquer.
That much is done, as long as I don’t need to again! Thanks.
Ain’t that the truth!
Yes, unfortunately!
Reverse quilting is definitely not my favorite thing to do either! Even worse than bad tension is when you quilt an 8′ border and then decide you can’t possibly do the same thing on the other three borders and spend 8 hours ripping out perfect stitching!!! Feel your pain!
Oh my, yes. I haven’t done that but too easily can imagine it. And really I don’t mind ripping (unstitching is what I call it — sounds less violent.) But doing it over and over… discouraging.
Unstitching is the worst! It’s similar to alteration. Because friends know I can sew, they always ask me to alter their clothes. Oh, they offer to pay, but I hate doing alterations. It’s so boring! I’d rather make something new. 🙂
I’ll alter stuff for Jim if it is simple. But anything complex needs to be done by someone good at it. And anything for me needs to be done by someone who can mark it correctly. That’s almost always NOT me. 🙂
Oh, Melanie, you have just described my morning. Sigh…definitely truth.
Sorry… 😦
unwelcome truths but truths nonetheless
It is just part of our lives as quilters. And really, if this is the worst thing, it’s not so bad! JUST frustrating!