Maybe that’s a bit dramatic…..perhaps A Cautionary Tale might be better….. Anyway, here goes. I finished this quilt and loved it ( notice, past tense).
I spent a lot of time on the quilting, and while there were some areas I would change, I learned a lot and was pleased with most.
I’ve had this button fabric in my stash and it made a perfect backing, though the quilting doesn’t show at all.
I took the photos above and then I washed it. Ugh. Take a look at this misshapen mess.
I should have known better. I used a Moda crossweave for the alternate blocks. I had forgotten how much this stuff shrinks. The shirting fabrics were obviously prewashed, but the crossweave was not. I also quilted more heavily in the alternate blocks than the shirting blocks.
This lead to uneven shrinkage and lots of distortion. Those seam lines that wave like the sea, were straight before washing. In the photo below you can see how even the edges of the quilt now appear scalloped. And this is one of the better sections, because I quilted this one shirting block more heavily than the rest.
There is no fixing this. Blocking might help a little, but not enough.
I’ve mixed washed and unwashed fabrics many times, but I’ve never had this much disparity in shrinkage.
Thankfully, this quilt had no intended recipient. I won’t forget the lessons learned. And yes, this is a true, first world problem. No tears were shed, I’m moving on.
Have a great day!
KatyQuilts 
Wow, really great custom quilting Katy and I love the visual design of this! The bonus of this project was all the longarm quilting practice you got. Thrown on a bed or a lap, I don’t think the wavy edge will be as apparent. Even if it is, as you noted the first rule of quilting is that every project is practice for the next even better one. The second rule is even a “not what I expected” quilt will keep someone warm!
it is a beautiful quilt, and a learning quilt. Lap sized? Snuggle with it, or gift it, it is still beautiful and the quilting iis gorgeous!
I would love to buy this special quilt, if you will consider selling it. Think about it, no hurry. Cindy Nelson
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Dearest Katy..no one likes a perfect quilt, nor a perfect person. That quilt is so lovely and no one cuddled in it for warmth and comfort will notice it one bit. Actually I have, in my past, paid a pretty penny for antique quilts that had distortions…. Why we try to outdo our ancesters with perfection is beyond me. xo
You are way too hard on yourself. I think we all are, but the bottom line is – you made a truly beautiful quilt and you enhanced it with wonderful quilting. It IS a work of art.
As an aside, I wash every piece of fabric that comes into our house. I have issues with whatever is in them and washing ahead of handling saves me lots of itchy rash. I’ve also had bad experiences with bleeding, so all around pre-washing is just a good idea for me.
But. I do love your quilt. I think I would mount it on the wall and enjoy looking at it every day..
You’re too hard on yourself, Katy. I like the wavy seams. Just tell yourself you planned it that way. Haha.
Oh I will shed a few tears for you.
How disappointing for you. But I really like the quilting. I think you can be happy about that. And I love the pattern! I have a ton of scraps I would love to use to make one like this.
I still think it is a lovely quilt!! The quilting is so neat, the different motifs, I just love. It’ll be great to snuggle with and when it’s laying across someone you’ll never even notice the parts your not happy with. Have a great weekend. Hugs,
I agree with Wendy, the quilt doesn’t look bad at all in the photos. Maybe in time, you’ll just come to love it for all its quirkiness. I sure do like it, and the quilting is so cool. It will still make a great quilt to snuggle under with a good book!
Drat! So sorry about the outcome.
Sorry you feel discouraged by this. It is still a lovely quilt with lovely quilting. What size were your rectangles and squares for the blocks or if easier, what was the original size of your large solid rectangles? I really liked how this quilt turned out and the pattern would work nicely for donation quilts.
So sorry for your dilemma, but honestly it doesn’t look bad in the photos at all. I can slightly see it in the binding area, but maybe after a few washings it will settle down. It is a wonderful quilt and hope it keeps you warm this winter!