I Am An Addict
#72
The "boo-boo" in the quilt was so that it wasn't perfect. Amish did it so they did not offend the Lord with perfection because only God is perfect.
#74
Super Member
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Southeast Georgia
Posts: 2,526
I sometimes think I have fabric so I can pet it, rather than hurt it by cutting it all up! I always keep several projects going at the same time. That way, if I get tired of one, I can work on something else for a while. Sure is cheaper than therapy--or maybe not! LOL!
#76
Super Member
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Chula Vista CA
Posts: 7,402
We all have that problem of perfectionism. It helps the read the "Dorky Homemade Quilt" book. I went so far as to buy a potholder made by an Amish person with an 8 pointed star in the middle. And the reason I bought it was because the center points were totally matched up perfectly. It hangs in my sewing room to remind me they don't have to be perfect. I also saw Georgia Bonesteel interviewed on a show and she said it will not be engraved on our tomb stone that all the stitches were even or there were so many per inch, more likely if it were mentioned at all it would be "She loved to quilt." So it is most important to love what you do.
#78
What you need to do is to make a colourful simple kiddie-winks quilt and give it to a poorly child and the pleasure you will see when they receive your quilt will drive all thoughts of imperfections out of the doors, I know as I am a Project Linus coordinator.
#79
Super Member
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Dallas area, Texas, USA
Posts: 3,050
The quilt-to-be on your design wall is going to be beautiful!
There is nothing wrong with giving yourself some time to get in the right frame of mind. Lynne Roddy Brown, who was a speaker at our guild recently, held up examples of lovely quilts that took her literally years to complete because she was waiting for that muse between the blocks and the borders. Unless someone is paying you to make them a quilt by a certain date, this is your hobby to enjoy on your terms. Instead of focusing on what you're not getting done, give yourself a pat on the back for the progress you've made already. Feel free to turn your back on it for awhile and do something else - whatever it takes to give yourself a sense of accomplishment. If you enjoy cross-stitch, why not make some designs in that that could be incorporated into a quilt? A few squares in a related theme, surrounded by sashing and cornerstones, and you'd have a pretty wall-hanging that represents both your hobbies. Hang it up where you can see it and tell yourself, "Look what I did!"
A lot of us have grown up being told to "color within the lines". Teachers and parents sometimes inadvertently set up a lot of barriers to creativity. It's time to "throw some paint" and see which splashes appeal to you and which don't. Cutting into the fabric is a way of throwing some paint. Just remember even if it seems ugly when it's done, it is not a waste at all - the cost and the time were investments in your learning process, not just learning techniques, but learning about what you like, that nobody else can discover or dictate for you.
There is nothing wrong with giving yourself some time to get in the right frame of mind. Lynne Roddy Brown, who was a speaker at our guild recently, held up examples of lovely quilts that took her literally years to complete because she was waiting for that muse between the blocks and the borders. Unless someone is paying you to make them a quilt by a certain date, this is your hobby to enjoy on your terms. Instead of focusing on what you're not getting done, give yourself a pat on the back for the progress you've made already. Feel free to turn your back on it for awhile and do something else - whatever it takes to give yourself a sense of accomplishment. If you enjoy cross-stitch, why not make some designs in that that could be incorporated into a quilt? A few squares in a related theme, surrounded by sashing and cornerstones, and you'd have a pretty wall-hanging that represents both your hobbies. Hang it up where you can see it and tell yourself, "Look what I did!"
A lot of us have grown up being told to "color within the lines". Teachers and parents sometimes inadvertently set up a lot of barriers to creativity. It's time to "throw some paint" and see which splashes appeal to you and which don't. Cutting into the fabric is a way of throwing some paint. Just remember even if it seems ugly when it's done, it is not a waste at all - the cost and the time were investments in your learning process, not just learning techniques, but learning about what you like, that nobody else can discover or dictate for you.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
craftybear
General Chit-Chat (non-quilting talk)
59
12-31-2021 10:53 AM