Introduction and a question
06-13-2020, 04:14 AM
#14
Super Member
Join Date: May 2017
Location: Sunny Florida
Posts: 4,427
Rob,
What machine does she have now? Feel free to post if she has questions. Someone here probably has the same or similar machine.
Love the hoaq initials too. They say so much! My husband went one time to the quilt store. One time. His eyes lit up when saw a panel with his Mustang. Tag on the panel display was 149 and he thought expensive! It was the number system of their panels to make them easy to purchase.
What machine does she have now? Feel free to post if she has questions. Someone here probably has the same or similar machine.
Love the hoaq initials too. They say so much! My husband went one time to the quilt store. One time. His eyes lit up when saw a panel with his Mustang. Tag on the panel display was 149 and he thought expensive! It was the number system of their panels to make them easy to purchase.
06-13-2020, 06:16 AM
#15
Super Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Carroll, Iowa
Posts: 3,431
She is so lucky to have her partner in life interested in what she loves to do. Good for you. As to get her to feel better about her craft, maybe she should enter some in some local county fairs. I've seen some I couldn't understand why they were there but maybe they also have confidence issues too. Keep building her confidence up and keep up with your designing part of it. I've used EQ for years but really didn't understand all the possiblities with it so decided this year when I upgraded to EQ8 I'd take some online lessons. I've had a ball and have learned a bunch. Still taking lessons online too. Checkon EQ site for the OnPointQuilter........I think that's what they're called for the lessons. Don't know if they're still taking on new students but if nothing else you can put your name on their list for when they do open up for new ones.
06-13-2020, 06:23 AM
#16
Super Member
Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: Greater Peoria, IL -- just moved!
Posts: 6,141
Welcome aboard, Rob and Wife too 
Isn't it wonderful when two people find the right two people? What a wonderful supportive husband, I am lucky enough to have one almost as good even though after 15 years he still hasn't been to any quilt show with me (truthfully, mostly I leave him behind on purpose). I'm sure he measures up in other areas.
It can be hard for many of us to fully respect our own work. It is very hard for most of us to hear the criticisms from others, and we imagine hearing more criticism than praise. It was hard enough of me to allow myself to be judged by others on my successes. When I decided that I would go ahead and post pictures/show and tell my failures as well, I imagined all sorts of terrible things would happen. None of them did and I have learned to accept that sometimes things don't quite work out the way I planned. Sometimes the fixes/corrections are better than the original intent -- but mostly they are not, even if someone else viewing it isn't aware it is a correction. I can always make a perfect quilt next time.
I have a friend and after 30 years and many spectacular projects she is considering showing her first quilt ever in "just" a guild show, not even an officially judged one and she is already so nervous about it she can't stand it. Maybe taking a year off for Covid will help her get over the jitters. She could have entered state/national juried shows at least 10 years ago.
So keep on encouraging her to show her quilts to others. Even "just" at a show and tell, at a guild meeting or show. Let her hear the positive comments of others until she feels confident. Speaking of comments/critiques and criticisms, they all have their place. Just as a general rule for life, I use "If one person says something to you, you can probably ignore it. If two people tell you the same thing, you should at least listen. If three people tell you something, they are probably right." Doesn't mean you have to agree with them, you should follow your own heart and convictions.
There are rule sets for making wining quilts. We can choose to follow those or not, while I can do the work and I have the eye, it's just not as much fun for me when I can otherwise do it in half or less time for non-show quality. I enjoy slicing and dicing and zooming along. Plus I am in the position where I honestly prefer a batting/quilting combination that is not currently popular. That is, higher loft and less quilting. That does not make my preference wrong in any way. But it's not going to win as many awards, it's just not. If I am judging a quilt, I am going to most likely give the top with more quilting more points, other workmanship being equal. People love applique and with good reason, but I don't applique either. Nothing wrong either way, it's a style and preference.
And then there is art. For me, part of my definition of "what is a quilt" includes the idea that it might be made with three layers but if you can't/wouldn't wrap a sick child in it, it's not a quilt. That's not a slight on the textile artists but just one of the constraints I choose to work under. Some of us are doing absolutely wonderful and fantastic expressions of art and craft, even if the rest of the people don't appreciate it and it doesn't win awards or create excitement. It creates a nice warm and pretty blanket.
It's a wonderful thing for me to be supported by my husband, not just monetarily (but yes there too), emotionally and creatively. I have the joyous ability to work in my chosen field of art and expression every day. For me, recognition is nice but daily life is better and I'm not really feeling the need to enter my work at this stage.
Isn't it wonderful when two people find the right two people? What a wonderful supportive husband, I am lucky enough to have one almost as good even though after 15 years he still hasn't been to any quilt show with me (truthfully, mostly I leave him behind on purpose). I'm sure he measures up in other areas.It can be hard for many of us to fully respect our own work. It is very hard for most of us to hear the criticisms from others, and we imagine hearing more criticism than praise. It was hard enough of me to allow myself to be judged by others on my successes. When I decided that I would go ahead and post pictures/show and tell my failures as well, I imagined all sorts of terrible things would happen. None of them did and I have learned to accept that sometimes things don't quite work out the way I planned. Sometimes the fixes/corrections are better than the original intent -- but mostly they are not, even if someone else viewing it isn't aware it is a correction. I can always make a perfect quilt next time.
I have a friend and after 30 years and many spectacular projects she is considering showing her first quilt ever in "just" a guild show, not even an officially judged one and she is already so nervous about it she can't stand it. Maybe taking a year off for Covid will help her get over the jitters. She could have entered state/national juried shows at least 10 years ago.
So keep on encouraging her to show her quilts to others. Even "just" at a show and tell, at a guild meeting or show. Let her hear the positive comments of others until she feels confident. Speaking of comments/critiques and criticisms, they all have their place. Just as a general rule for life, I use "If one person says something to you, you can probably ignore it. If two people tell you the same thing, you should at least listen. If three people tell you something, they are probably right." Doesn't mean you have to agree with them, you should follow your own heart and convictions.
There are rule sets for making wining quilts. We can choose to follow those or not, while I can do the work and I have the eye, it's just not as much fun for me when I can otherwise do it in half or less time for non-show quality. I enjoy slicing and dicing and zooming along. Plus I am in the position where I honestly prefer a batting/quilting combination that is not currently popular. That is, higher loft and less quilting. That does not make my preference wrong in any way. But it's not going to win as many awards, it's just not. If I am judging a quilt, I am going to most likely give the top with more quilting more points, other workmanship being equal. People love applique and with good reason, but I don't applique either. Nothing wrong either way, it's a style and preference.
And then there is art. For me, part of my definition of "what is a quilt" includes the idea that it might be made with three layers but if you can't/wouldn't wrap a sick child in it, it's not a quilt. That's not a slight on the textile artists but just one of the constraints I choose to work under. Some of us are doing absolutely wonderful and fantastic expressions of art and craft, even if the rest of the people don't appreciate it and it doesn't win awards or create excitement. It creates a nice warm and pretty blanket.
It's a wonderful thing for me to be supported by my husband, not just monetarily (but yes there too), emotionally and creatively. I have the joyous ability to work in my chosen field of art and expression every day. For me, recognition is nice but daily life is better and I'm not really feeling the need to enter my work at this stage.
Last edited by Iceblossom; 06-13-2020 at 06:25 AM.
06-13-2020, 06:45 AM
#17
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2020
Location: On the sunny side of the street
Posts: 45
Again, thank you all for your kind comments and advice. I told her I posted on here last night and she didn't seem too upset (or upset at all). Yesterday she actually watched a YouTube video on getting points to line up, which she is having a big problem with. She's making a Morning Star quilt with a pattern from Accuquilt and her points are not lining up. She decided to put it aside for a while and come back to it.
Rob, thanks. Wow. Two Robs, no waiting.
Rhonda K, she has a Janome MC6650, which is an upgrade from her MC6500. She was looking at one Janome at the last quilt show we went to that cost more than my first three cars combined.
Look forward to sharing with everyone in the future. You guys are making my head swell with the kind words.
Rob, thanks. Wow. Two Robs, no waiting.
Rhonda K, she has a Janome MC6650, which is an upgrade from her MC6500. She was looking at one Janome at the last quilt show we went to that cost more than my first three cars combined.
Look forward to sharing with everyone in the future. You guys are making my head swell with the kind words.
