Crafting Blunder and the aftermath

[davi_el_mejor]

We picked out some amazing fabric that we loved and I had this grandiose plan of making a tree skirt.

First picture is all the fabrics.
Second picture is what the skirt was supposed to kind of look like, spider webby but in a christmasy kind of way. Stripey teal up top, then alternating blocks of designed fabric, then a solid block of the ornament looking fabric, then alternating blocks of fabric.

I started by sewing 2 triangle legs of the skirt. But when I started to stitch them together, the angles got all wrong and I had a lot seam allowance and I didn't think it was going to work. So I started sewing each ring, starting with the teal then an alternating block of designs.
Well that turned to poo too. So, I got disgusted gave up, took some scrap and turned what I had into an ugly ugly bag. that I may just throw away.

It was going to be such a lovely tree skirt. If only I knew what I was doing!

Anyone else want to relate a crafting blunder or pass along some advice so I can try it again... correctly?

 

[swimmer]

Hmmm, so did you sew those first fabrics together? Do you have a rotary cutter? They make quilting projects so much easier. Cutting a template for your triangle (leaving room for your edging is key). My issue when making large circles is keeping it all flat, so ironing after every step has really been the trick. I'm not sure what is going on in the last photo, but it could be fun! hey, any "mistakes" make awesome pillows. You had fun right?

 

[davi_el_mejor]

Thanks, it's an ugly ugly bag now.

I used a rotary wheel to cut all the shapes and folded the fabric so they're all the same size and shape. I gave myself 3/4

It was supposed to be a 16 legged wheel. When I started attaching the triangles, I had 3/4 allowance at the top and about an inch a quarter at the bottom following a straight line from the top.

I think my pattern skills are non existent. I cut a triangle out of a sheet, the full size I wanted with 1 and a half inches thrown in for seam allowance (3/4 on all sides). Then I cut that triangle into the segments and cut out the corresponding fabric. Lined up the edges and sewed 'em together. That gave me a step pyramid, and all the extra seam allowance at the bottom.

Then I tried sewing each segment all together. The blue stripes worked out fabulously, then I did the second row. When I tried to attach them, that's when it all went to poop. I should have need 16 segments to get around, but only ended up using 12. So I scrapped the whole thing and turned it into that ugly ugly bag.

ETA: I realize I should have just stuck with the first way I tried, with triangles. If they didn't meet a circle type shape, that would be a lot easier to fix and wouldn't have turned into a silly looking bag.

 

[davi_el_mejor]

The bag has been donated to the Regretsy Holiday Regrets fund

 

[VRBeauty]

You chose a challenging design for your tree skirt! And some pretty neat fabrics!

If you want to try that project again, you might consider a strip piecing method - cut long strips of each fabric, sew those strips together to create a striped fabric that's as long as you want your tree skirt to be (center to outer edge), and then cut that striped fabric you just created into striped wedges. If you create two or more pieces of "striped fabric," arranging the strips in a different order in each, you'll get a spiderweb effect when you sew the wedges into a circle. If you want the solid teal ring in the center, be sure to begin and end your striped fabric with a strip of the teal. That way you can cut alternating wedges (right-side-up, upside-down) and still have the solid teal ring in the center. Good luck!

 

[tyty333]

I just want to commend you for making an attempt...sometimes things seem like they shouldnt be that hard
but turn out way more difficult then I had expected. I have a stack of bloopers in my closet (so dont feel bad). I
limit myself now to repair work or sewing straight things like curtains. Anything simple you can use the rest of
the fabric on? Table runner maybe?

 

[Cehrabehra]

I just want to say that fabric far right I love love love and you still have it to blunder another day! I mean, oh I'm sorry it didn't turn out the way you'd hoped