Should I just give up?
02-09-2011, 08:54 AM
#121
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 922
Don't give up! Sometimes I get intimidated looking at all the wonderful work on here, and then some of the people in my community also are super quilters who do very detailed neat work. I admire them a lot! BUT then I try to remember that they didn't start off that way, and the only way to learn and get as good as they are is by trying. Try looking at it as a learning experience. Will your quilt be "perfect"? probably not, I don't think there are such things as "perfect" quilts anyway, it seems to be very difficult to have every single stitch absolutely perfect, but if you like it in the end then it will be PERFECT for you :) and that is what matters most! Keep at it and know that with every cut and stitch you are learning and gaining experience and are one step closer to being who you admire!! When I first started quilting I made my sister a quilt. After I gave it to her I told her some of the corners weren't even...she said right away "Laura, if I wanted a perfect quilt I would have gone to Walmart and gotten a factory produced quilt. This is the way a quilt is supposed to be!!" and she does love her quilt! She is right :)
Originally Posted by MissBarkey
I am part of a Block of the Month group at my local quilt shop. I've been quilting for about 2 years and haven't really accomplished much, but I wanted to join this BOM to learn more about quilting and to end up with a beautiful quilt for my bed. Bad move.
The owner of the shop is a wonderful lady who is patient and helpful and the other ladies in the group are equally helpful. No -problem there. The problem is me and my lack of self-confidence and skill. These ladies are good....really good. They are doing this quilt as either an investment (it was costly) or as an entry in shows. I am totally intimidated by their abilities and have ripped out all my blocks I've done so far.
My question is this, should I just give up and chalk it up to an expensive lesson in "look before you quilt"? I really don't know what to do. Thanks for letting me vent.
The owner of the shop is a wonderful lady who is patient and helpful and the other ladies in the group are equally helpful. No -problem there. The problem is me and my lack of self-confidence and skill. These ladies are good....really good. They are doing this quilt as either an investment (it was costly) or as an entry in shows. I am totally intimidated by their abilities and have ripped out all my blocks I've done so far.
My question is this, should I just give up and chalk it up to an expensive lesson in "look before you quilt"? I really don't know what to do. Thanks for letting me vent.
02-09-2011, 08:57 AM
#122
Member
Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 26
Please don't feel bad about your first quilt. Just this morning I was trying to resurrect a Bethlehem Star that I pieced by hand in 1975. I can't get the corner squares and triangle right. Then I looked at the piecing and realized that each seam is a different width, some 1/8 inch up to 5/8. I guess I didn't know about the importance of keeping the seams at least the same. So, I think I will give up on this one. But that was one of my first attempts. Stick with it and you'll learn a lot and get much better at it. I should have had some mentoring back then.
02-09-2011, 08:59 AM
#123
Super Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Newberg, OR
Posts: 1,911
If you give up, you will deprive yourself of a valuable and supportive opportunity to become the quilter you want to be. That would be a shame. Eyes on your own quilt, and don't compare yourself to others. They have all been where you are.
02-09-2011, 09:02 AM
#124
Junior Member
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: McCalla, Alabama
Posts: 143
Just one block at a time, please. Don't compare blocks unless you really can't figure it out. I recently worked on a quilt with my group and I was surprised to find that finally, I could not pick out my stitches from anyone else's stitches. Yay me, and yay you. Keep on, keeping on.
02-09-2011, 09:11 AM
#126
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Carp, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 36
Originally Posted by Doris Sumnicht
I fully agree with all the comments these fine quilters have made, based om our experiences that you must not give up with the BOM project you have started. In fact, I am sure that anyone in this group would answer questions, show how to do something through the PM system, and remember that, in this craft, there is no such thing as a "foolish question" from anyone--including toward those ladies in your LQS group in the same BOM as you are in. Keep us all informed with pictures; we want to watch your progress. As a sideline, I suggest you consider to make two of each block in the series, perhaps in another colorways, to end up with an almost finished second one at the same time as the "official" series.
thanks for the help, though and I shall be in contact, most likely, asking questions.
02-09-2011, 09:12 AM
#127
Junior Member
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Illinois
Posts: 286
I just started to quilt, found a shop in the town we are retiring to and she got me started doing her BOM. You should see my first block it was so bad I had to buy another one to get it finished, the next one was a bit better and now after 10 of them I can take mine to class and be prod to show it to everyone, sure some are way better but I am getting there.
Do not give up...I know everyone here had to work at it, they just did not wake up one morning a great quilter.
Do not give up...I know everyone here had to work at it, they just did not wake up one morning a great quilter.
02-09-2011, 09:28 AM
#128
Super Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Brewerton, NY
Posts: 2,489
That's the way you learn. No one started off being first place prize winner. I can see the exact same quilt that I just made, made by someone else. But my quilting techniques are about nil, and their quilting just makes the quilt pop. So I just keep trying new things. Sometimes they turn out sometimes I wouldn't even show my dogs. So hang in there.
02-09-2011, 09:41 AM
#129
Junior Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: TN
Posts: 167
We were all beginners at one time. Stick with it. Even after 35 yrs of sewing I don't, and I am sure other QB members, have had the same feelings at one time or another. I am best friends with "Jack" the ripper. Worn out a couple over the years. As with everything else practice makes things close to perfect. Wouldn't it be a strange world if everyone was perfect and did everything to meet others expectations? The quilt is yours enjoy the class and make the blocks to suit yourself, if you have problems the other people will help not judge.
02-09-2011, 10:19 AM
#130
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Lorain,oh
Posts: 642
sometimes, we are own worse critics! Take the classes! If you're not brave enough to say something in class, call the owner, Tell her your overwelmed w/ your shortcomings & the talent of the other classmates---ASK her whatyou can do to have a better experience. You'll probably get more help & find you're not doing so bad after all! GOOD LUCK!!
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