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First of all here is a photo of the hour-glass quilt with borders on. The fabric is a Moda one and I think works quite well. I didn't want this to be too pink and kept coming back to this one. Don't know when this will get quilted but at least it's a step closer - I usually stall at the borders.
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Anyway as to the title of the post. Do you ever wish you had put your brain in gear before you opened your mouth ? Well I do..... A few weeks ago my friend asked me would I be willing to make a quilt for a lady she works with for her daughters birthday. The girl will be 18years old and her mother wanted to buy her something a bit different. Now I don't normally make quilts to sell and as the birthday was just a month away I knew I wouldn't have enough time anyway. BUT I found myself saying I had a quilt half made and if I finished it in time she could buy it from me. This quilt had been sitting about for months and I was hand-quilting it and it was taking a long time. Basically I had lost interest in it and kept doing other things instead.
So I got on with the quilting and have worked really hard to finish it. The whole middle section is outline quilted around every piece and the border was machine quilted in a cross-hatch pattern. Here is a photo of the binding going on. This is truly a scrappy quilt which was made to use up some scraps. I was never sure what was going to happen to it when it was done.
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BUT - the more I quilted it the more I started to realise that basically I don't think I want to part with it. In fact I would go as far as to say I love it. As I was quilting away I came across fabrics I had used in other quilts. Some of the fabrics I don't have anymore so I would not be able to make another the same even if I wanted to. So what do I do ? The lady who may buy it hasn't actually seen it yet so I am sort of hoping she doesn't like it and doesn't want it. I can't go back on my word as that is not right. Honestly I am so silly sometimes !! Also all my friends at my quilting group say the price I am charging is not enough. My family agree !
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I am taking it to my friends tomorrow and she will pass it on to the potential buyer. I think I may just have to put this down to experience and think twice - or even three times before I do such a thing again. I have told my friend to tell her colleague that if she doesn't want it that will be absolutely fine and not to feel like she has to have it because I have finished it for her. Will let you know the outcome when I know anything. I could slap myself sometimes - lol !!
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Anyway because I have been working on this excusively for days I am a bit behind on emails and such. Not to mention cleaning !! Some serious catching up to do...
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Anyway because I have been working on this excusively for days I am a bit behind on emails and such. Not to mention cleaning !! Some serious catching up to do...
34 comments:
Oh both lovely quilts. I have the same problem. Open my mouth before my brain fully thinks out what I am about to say. It will work out fine.
What a gorgeous quilt! I can see why you're hopoing the woman doesn't like it and you can keep it!
Oh lord! I see what you mean. Well, worse case scenario and PERSONALLY I'm glad to see how fantastic your machine quilting is. Wow!
So lovely, I can see why you don't want to part with it! Would it be possible to ask if they would be willing to wait for you to make another one? If you do only machine quilting on that, it wouldn't be too long.
I love the scrappy quilt too. Do you have another quilt you could sell her instead?
No wonder you don't want to part with it, it's goooooorgeous. Put your price up, that may frighten her away.....lol....
The quilt is gorgeous! I can see why you don't want to part with it! Hope the lady doesn't like it!!
If you didn't charge at least $600USD for it (should be more than that though), you unsold yourself. It is incredible and gorgeous. I can see why it would be hard to part with it. I'll cross my fingers and toes and hope the potential buyer is not interested!
It is gorgeous. Tell her that due to the hand quilting, the price will have to increase.
I put my foot in my mouth all of the time. I always think that I have more time than I do. Live and learn!
I think I would just tell her I changed my mind..and have her get color choices from the gift-ee. Most teens I know wouldn't love my scrappy quilts like I would. I also would not hand quilt anything that might not be LOVED well! (lady in my chat room made her grown daughter a double wedding ring-hand quilted. The quilter found it a couple of months later. The dog was sleeping on it IN THE GARAGE!)
Beautiful quilt with a LOT of piecing in it - it's no wonder you love this quilt! Why don't you call that your "practise" quilt and make another similar one??
Hmmm- that is a Tough call.
I would write a note to go with the quilt, stating that the more you worked on it, the more you loved it, so if she doesn't like, she doesn't have to buy it. Emphasize that you want to keep it LOL
Beth's reponse made me laugh- Our guild was just contacted by a representative from the goevernor's office, who wanted to see if we would like to have our quilts used as picnic blankets out on the lawn of the capitol building.
Yes... we all want our quilts used as outdoor carpeting, don't we?
Oh I hope for your sake the lady won't buy the quilt, but I am sure she will! Who could resist, it is just gorgeous!!
I am ok about parting with quilts, as long as I know I am making it for a gift. I have some I would never part with, but I have others I would like to just give away!! Anonymously, so noone knew it was my rotten design!
The border on your pinks is just perfect!
Oh, dang! I love that quilt! I, too, don't seem to know when to keep my trap shut! I also stall on borders, so we may just be more alike than I realized. Why do you think I have so many UFO's? ;-)
We are all human, Andrea. Whomever is the final owner of this quilt will be truly blessed...whether it is you or the young lady. It is gorgeous!
Love your hourglass quilt too! You are on a roll!
I'd want to keep this quilt too! What gorgeous work you do...love both quilts.
Your post just saved me. I have a ton of 9-patch blocks done, and wanted to add a companion block, but nothing was working. LOVE your quilt and now I'm headed back to my quilt room! Thank you so much!
Two beautiful quilts. I have to say, if I was 'that lady' I'd be buying. I hope it all works out good for you.
Such a shame that you are selling the quilt when it has so many memories attached. Maybe you could send the pink 9patch top as well and offer a 'choice'?!?
It is a beautiful quilt! You did a great job! I like the nine patch too though...
Awww Man! I love both of those quilts - the scrappy one is really pretty! I love all of the bright colors with that white in there! Way to go... sorry about the rotten deal selling it though. Maybe you could give her a new price? You may just have to tell her that it's taken longer than you expected and wasn't one you were planning to sell anyway!
I have a horrible feeling you've lost the quilt as it is so beautiful! I would love to own it.
I do hope that she won´t like it because you should not part with that quilt. It is BEAUTIFUL.
Oh gosh, you're a good person! Honestly, I probably shouldn't admit this on the internet, for the world to see, but I'd probably lie through my teeth! LOL* I would say there was a horrible accident involving teenagers or animals and the quilt was damaged...but you'd love to make another for her, and let her choose the fabrics.
I speak before I think all the time, and have offered to sew MANY things for others that I have later regretted! Good luck to you, and both of your quilts are SO BEAUTIFUL! :)
Yes, it is a very pretty quilt and would be hard to part with. I, too, sometimes find myself saying yes when I shouldn't. Hope you get to keep it but if not, chalk it up to experience. And charge more!
oh you poor thing! I'll be crossing my fingers for you that she doesn't want it, but honestly, it's gorgeous! Who wouldn't want it?
It's a beautiful quilt - I can see why you don't want to give it away. I often feel that way with things i give to other people, but then again, i can't keep everything I make, right? It's easier if you start a commission from scratch, though... the parting is less difficult.
The hour glass quilt has turned out beautiful. I like the border very much.
The scrap quilt is wonderful. I can see a few not-so-nice-anymore fabrics which to my point of view belong to a good scrap quilt. I hope for you that the mother doesn´t like it! I would have problems parting too! Take care.
I hate to say this, but she will like it. We all do! I love the nine-patch too though!
I'd just be totally honest with her and say that you fell in love with it while you were quilting it (you found that some of the fabrics had special meaning once you looked closer) and would she mind waiting for another? Then start another right away--thinking "detachment" from the beginning. She's human too, and I'm sure she'd understand!
Mmmm, it's so wonderful! I hope you get to keep it. I especially love the border. That sounds like the kind of thing I'm doing all the time, and yeah, it's always frustrating to have to follow through. Good luck! I love the hour glass, too...
OMG what a beautiful quilt. I'd hope she doesn't like it too so you can keep it. I hope you charged enough for it.
Oh no!! I love the scrappy quilt, it's exactly the right amount of scrappy to organized for my taste... plus I love the color.
I'm sorry you got put on the spot about making a quilt. It seems really presumptuous for someone to approach you to commission a quilt on such short notice and without seeing the finished product.
Oh well... live and learn.
Practice saying "I only quilt for love... not for money!" ;)
Oooh...I hear you on this lesson, let me tell you!! Sigh. Live and learn. I think you just gave the gift of a lifetime to this girl. If she doesn't realize this, I truly hope someone helps her understand so she takes good care of it.
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