Drew,
I think it might have taken me several months after a screw-up like this before I could even get philosophical about it, let alone laugh. I guess you can just think of it as getting more practice with your machine quilting. The quilt is beautiful, by the way; I, too, love Erte's stylized work.
Robin

Yes, I learned that water soluble thread really IS water soluble beyond a shadow of a doubt!

Stinki wrote:

Too funny Drew... although at the time I am sure u didn't feel so. But look at all the lessons u learned thru it!

Carla

OMG!!! - look at this way you didn't have a whole bunch of little threads from unsewing to pick out. LOL javascript:emoticon('')
Laughing I would have had a really good cry over that one.

BTW your quilts are wonderful -- the tip about red markers is a great one -- that is probably how most of our tips happen from our mistakes.

Hang in there -- it really is a great quilt, especially sewed together. Sorry, I couldn't resist.

Sharon in Colorado

I had to share this with you guys, no one in my immediate circle of friends could grasp the magnitude (or the humor) of my dumbest act to date.

I recently finished a wall quilt (Flirting with Erte..its in my profile). It took me several weeks to complete. I used Ricky's piped binding technique. Those of you "in the know" know that Ricky suggests that you use water soluble thread in the first step of the piping process. Works great. Love the technique. Its also the only time I ever need water soluble thread.

WELL, I had several bobbins of this thread in my thread stash from a previous quilt. I finished piecing my current quilt and went on to the machine quilting and turned out beautiful. I then went on to the piped binding. It ALSO turned out just perfect.

Pleased with my project (and myself) I decided to block my quilt as I have all of my other quilts. I usually submerge them in hot water for a few minutes, spin the water out of them in the washing machine then block them so they are square.

WELL GUESS WHAT? What I THOUGHT was regular bobbin thread was actually WATER SOLUBLE THREAD and had used to to quilt the entire quilt. My first thought was "okay, you are a total doofus and have no business around a sewing machine!!!" I then went on to rant incoherently for about 15 minutes. [At this point I thought about trying to blame Ricky, he is after all the one use suggested the water soluble thread. ( I know, I know, I really couldnt make that leap of logic either). So, in the end, I was the only one left to blame.]

Once I was calm again and no longer hyperventilating I assessed the situation and decided to requilt the piece using REAL bobbin thread. As it turned out, all was well, you really wouldnt know the peice was quilted TWICE unless I told you.

I now color my water soluble thread bobbins with a red permenant marker so I won't make this mistake again.

I guess it's just I good thing I make quilts and not swim suits!

Hope you had a good chuckle.

Drew