DIY projects you regret trying doing or didn't work

**samiam2714** · 09-16-2011, 16:48

I myself have had none that I actually regret doing upon completion, but while working on my karo top and under quilts I wish I had just bought them.

How about everyone else?

**jima59** · 09-16-2011, 18:35

Well when I started figuring up what I have spent on all the parts and pieces I see I could have probably bought a complete hamock and quilt by now. But I wouldn't have learned anything. I'm getting ready to take my hammock apart and make it a double layer and trim the size down just a bit. Also work on a pl-uq and a top quilt of some sort. I don't regret my choices.

**plaunius** · 09-16-2011, 19:59

I'm a hard core fabricator. I spend quite a bit of extra money on new ideas and projects that I design myself. Translated, I end up with 75% of the stuff I make being useless. Every once in a while I strike gold.

**Merganser** · 09-16-2011, 20:48

Results? Why, man, I have gotten lots of results! If I find 10,000 ways something won't work, I haven't failed. I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is often a step forward....

Thomas Edison

**Avenger** · 09-16-2011, 21:12

Originally Posted by Merganser

Results? Why, man, I have gotten lots of results! If I find 10,000 ways something won't work, I haven't failed. I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is often a step forward....

Thomas Edison

+1.

**NCPatrick** · 09-16-2011, 21:17

I once made a hammock sock out of non-breathable material. That didn't last long. (it was a sauna!)

**ljcsov** · 09-16-2011, 21:51

I made a backpack and I am not all that happy with it. However I think I could fix it up to make it better. No big deal either way, it was pretty experimental.

**Roadrunnr72** · 09-16-2011, 22:31

My Tarp. The ridgeline gave me a fit. I thought I had everything lined up, but found out after I finished sewing and hung my tarp. The ridge was terrible. Misaligned, crooked, out of wack, you name it. Was ready to just toss it, regretted ever starting it. Then I got my second wind, decided to cut the ridge and sew again. It couldn't be any worse then it was before, right? Got my edges lined up and sewn. It came out better than I ever thought it would.

**JohnSawyer** · 09-17-2011, 00:26

I took a cheap sleeping bag, cut out the zipper, darted the ends, and fought it into an UQ. Never could sew it right, as the bag was too thick. It never really worked right, so I gave it away.

Years later, I took a kid's sleeping bag, and turned it into a rectangular UQ. I should have learned my lesson the first time.

I started with nice, straight seams, and by the end was so frustrated I just sewed it together...

It's functional, reasonably light (for synthetic), but I would have been better off buying some climashield and making a good DIY UQ.

**MAD777** · 09-17-2011, 07:14

My only "failure" was, like roadrunnr, with my 1st tarp. Previously I thought nothing could be simpler to make than a tarp ...wrong! That ridgeline has to be spot on or else. I was aiming for an assymetrical diamond, and got an origami! I cut it up & made various other items including a Bishop's Bag.

BTW Samiam, tha Karo Step quilt you made was a first class job! I'm making one now using yours as a gide