Tcharlie

Don't compare your work to others; read all you can, don't be afraid to try something because it looks hard. We should all strive to improve no matter what our skill level is. The main concern is "Does creating these quilts still give you that fun, happy feeling when it's done?" If so, then you are doing everything right. It should be fun and creative for you, who cares what others think.

Just be inspired by others, not compared to them!

ckcowl

you will of course get better with each project you work on...PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT
and as long as you are learning and enjoying that's all that matters...you better believe all those (even famous) quilters making beautiful heirloom quilts have a few tucked away that were (far from) good...we all had to start somewhere.
the very first one (i usually don't acknowledge) was an ABC quilt. i had no idea how to make a quilt...i had an idea, and i had a baby girl and time on my hands...it started with 26 7" white muslin squares which i used a pencil and drew something on each of to depict the letter...and many of my animals are about hilarious! omg...they were terrible. but i embroidered them by hand, stitched them together with blue squares in between and it was UGLY!!! and horrible...that was the winter of 1977... a gentle reminder that there is always room for improvement....( my 34 year old daughter still loves that horrible quilt and i quake when she shows it to anyone)
and as far as not wanting to send your quilts out...go for it...most long arm quilters would not think poorly of you or your quilt and may bring it to life and make it so much better than you ever thought possible.
i used to have a little elderly lady who would bring me a quilt to quilt for her on occassion...she would have 1" or larger seams, threads everwhere, nothing ever squared or corners matching....i don't think she could really see what she was doing, but she was trying to make quilts for her great grandchildren before she died...she said she didn't have anything else to give...most made out of what ever horrible fabrics....but they always turned out quite good when they were quilted...i think i quilted 8 or 9 of them for her before she passed away...and i know a couple of the (kids- adults) who received them and they absolutely love them...so,
remember we are our own worst critics...
a quilting friend once said to me...
if you can't see it from the brooklyn bridge what difference does it make?
when i was whining about how many mistakes i had made on a project...and it's true...no one but you is going to sit down and go over it inch by inch and critique it.(unless of course you are entering it in a show for judging) and most of the errors we make, no one knows but us that it was not intended to be that way. if you can hang your quilt on a wall and stand back 12 feet and like what you see...well that's all that matters...and keep working to improve techniques



:mrgreen: :mrgreen:

Juliebelle

You will definitely get better with each new quilt that you make. I have quilting for about 7 years and I am like you, I never feel mine are good enough. I think we all need to learn to be more forgiving of ourselves and enjoy the process of creating something that someone else will love and enjoy. As the saying goes if we were all perfect then what would we have to look forward too. Enjoy and keep quilting. :thumbup:

passionforsewing

I have always felt and still feel the same way you do, then I found this little quilt shop only about 15 miles from where I live and I took some of my projects to her, and she told me that not one, no not one quilt is ugly. She gave me some pointers (which have helped so much) and she has encouraged me to keep on going. I have never taken any classes, self taught, was and still am afraid of going to them for fear of others judging my work, but it is not going to stop me from quilting and sewing. Hang in there.

stefanib123

You guys are so great! I feel so much better after reading everyone's responses.

I am in a funk anyway, my dog has disappeared, and I was quilting to take my mind off it, and I'm in such a blue mood, everything I looked at just seemed terrible!

I had a talk with my wonderful friend Leaha from here today, and she really made me see a few things.

And you know, even if I never make "the perfect quilt(wink, wink, Leaha)', then I sure had fun trying! And I make quilts for my family and myself, and they are my biggest fans. They don't see a crooked border or cutoff points. They see something special I made FOR THEM.

You guys are great, you really are. I'm glad I posted this topic, if you pros's think like this, well, then I'm sure "normies" will love my quilts, LOL!

katier825

The more you do, the better and more confident you will get. You are off to a good start just by being on this message board! There is a wealth of info and always seems to be an expert on just about any quilting related topic you can come up with or someone who has done the same pattern or style of pattern.

If there's a particular thing you want to improve on, check here. You can try the search, post a question. I think we all love to see each other succeed. If you are a more visual learner, check out the tutorials section or look on YouTube. :)

jetnica

my secret?

EVERYTHING looks better in pictures. I'm working on mending several of my quilts over the summer -- seam errors, general crazy mistakes -- but the pictures look awesome.

That - and inspiration from the board.

wvdek

If I compared my work to some on here, I would never join any swaps or make anyone anything. With each item I make, I get better.

Life is too short to be so hard on yourself. Quilting is a hobby meant to rest and relax and be enjoyed.

Choose colors wisely, styles, fabrics, and don't do something beyond your ability.

You will be fine.

franie

Of course you will get better. Rome was not built in a day!

Lori S

Relax .. they will get better .... I sometimes look back at some of my first quilts and ... really do not want to claim them as something I made. Some I have even tried to reclaim from family members so that no trace of their existance can be found.
Sometimes it helps if you have a quilting buddy , someone who shares your interest to help mentor you through the ruff spots. If you have a local quilt shop they can do the same thing.. give you pointers and helpful hints. even though I have been quiting for ... well... lots of fabric has gone under the needle, I still like to take an occasional class to learn some new techinique ... and to meet quilters.
Keep in mind we all have our moments of ... frustration... it comes with challenging yourself.