How I React When I Fail: A Lesson of Soup Stains

...not that I'm dramatic or anything!

I'm between projects right now, which, to me, is the perfect time for small things.  I'll learn new blocks or techniques because I have the time to waste.  We bought a coffee table a few weeks ago, and I've been meaning to make coasters for it.  You don't realize how often drinks sweat until you have a new piece of furniture.  I thought coasters made from wonky stars would be adorable, and after admiring the tiny wonky stars at Little Red Hen, I was pretty much sold.  Plus, I got a charm pack of all the Cotton Couture solids at Quilters Take Manhattan (every.single.color), and I've been dying to rip into it.

After careful choosing of five colors, I used the Silly BooDilly tutorial recommended by everyone ever to cut the pieces, except I cut my blocks at 1.5", instead of the 4.5" she recommends.  (This was recommended by Little Red Hen.)

Choosing colors...this is harder than you'd think.

So many charms!

 I also cut out a larger star--three-inch pieces--for good measure.

1.5" squares on top of 3" squares

So I start assembling, and seriously, it's the easiest thing ever.  I'm not great at improvising, so some of my points were too short, but whatever.  It's part of the process, right?  After I sewed all five small stars, I decided I wanted to quilt and bind the coasters instead of sewing the front and back together and turning them right sides out.  

Well, that was a mistake.  See Evidence A:

Duh.

Obviously, this is too teeny to be bound.  It is a mess.  The corners didn't turn, the stitching is off.  This was supposed to be a quick project, and now daylight is gone and I'm stuck with coasters that won't work!  (This is also more evidence of drama: they're ugly, but they work.  Keep it together, Emily.)

So, I thought I'd just make a mug rug with the large wonky star.  This will still work for the coffee table, except now we'll use one large coaster.  There aren't really more than two of us here at a time, just me and Nick, so it's a good idea in theory.  

I sewed the remaining four stars together in a 2x2 block, and then adjusted the size of the finished large star to match the height of the block.  I sewed those together, and then sewed backing.  The small squares are quilted (and backed, but that's hidden now), so they're absorbent, while the large square is more for pretzels or candy or whatever.

It's not pretty, by any stretch of the imagination.  And it really disappoints me because it didn't work out.  I just wanted it to work out!  Such a bummer.  Also, the photos are awful because it was dark by the time I took them,

I set out on the coffee table and told Nick he was free to use it.  And he did.  He ate a bowl of chicken tortilla soup (with a tomato and chicken stock base) on it...and left big, red stains all over the white Kona.

Sigh.

So this project took too long, looks like crap, and is now probably permanently stained--the cherry on top.  I realized I paid nothing for this project, that it wasn't on a deadline, and that it really could be thrown away without repercussion, but it's still just kind of a disappointment.

However, looking on the bright side of things, I can make wonky stars now!  I'm tempted to turn my entire charm pack into wonky stars, just for the hell of it.  

What are some of your sewing fails?  Were you dramatic too?  It's okay to own up to it!