GrammaNan

You can always send it to me so you won't have to look at it any more. I am always here to help out when needed! LOL :-) I really like it. I am sorry that it did not turn out as you had envisioned it, but it is a beautiful quilt.

Gerbie

Rachelcb80:
I'm a native Texas and see nothing wrong with this quilt, you have the State flag colors, the Lone Star, and the 'Best Shaped State' lol just a little prejudice. If you think it is too plain, just add some appliques in the open spaces, an oil derrick, some bluebonnets, a long horn steer, a yellow rose, some cotton, the Alamo, etc. Perhaps the space shuttle, or because of Johnson Space Center in Houston, or anything related to this great state. . If you aren't from Texas and don't know for sure what you might want to add, ask DH. I think you did a great job, and if he said he loved it, I am sure he does. Looks good to everyone else, so be proud of it.

missgigglewings

And when you are adding all those awesome Texas things....

Remember the Alamo!

Gerbie

Hey Alaskan Sunshine,
We have a bit better weather most of the time, and any type of weather or terrain you might want down here. We were the largest for a long while, but glad to have yall up there with us!! Maybe I should say at the top just above the '48 and we're at the bottom, so we have them all covered and sandwiched between us, with Hawaii out in the water keeping an eye on all of us. Just had to give you a little gig. lol
You're right we do brag quite a bit, but have a lot to brag about and a true Texan, loves this great state and will tell all who listen.

grammypatty7

It's a sharp quilt. What don't you like about it? If you're husband says it's fine, then it's fine but you can still make him another quilt if you really want to do so. You made the quilt with love, the fabrics are beautiful and I see and feel the love by looking at the photo. Don't pay attention to it for about 4 weeks and then look at it again and see how you feel. Upon completion of an item, the "Picky Patty" comes out and I see everything I wish I'd have done differently or better but I go ahead and finish it for whatever reason. Put it away and get it out a month or so later and realize "WOW! That's really nice. I did a good job after all."

Maybe you just need some time and space away from it to feel better about it. From what I see, you did a beautiful job and have no need to feel the way you currently feel about it. Have you started on another project? If not, get started and focus on it. I suspect you're in the finished project let down which sometimes happens to many of us. As I reach the finishing stages of a quilt, I begin to focus on the next project and will purchase fabric and begin cutting and piecing to give me a break from hand quilting. I quilt in panels and by the time my first panel is ready to hand quilt, my current quilting project will be completed and I'm moving on. I've noticed I tend to feel better about my quilts since doing things this way. Since you're a machine quilter, this method may or may not work for you. I do it to give me a break with the hand quilting where I can relax, cut and piece. Just a thought. Beautiful quilt. Be proud of it. If you still feel the same a few months down the line then definitely make your husband another quilt if you still want to but there is no reason to feel badly about this quilt - it's beautiful and remember, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Now smile and enjoy your day. I suspect your husband feels the love you put into this quilt every time he uses it and if he hasn't used it yet, put a smile on your face, present it to him with a big hug and kiss. Sounds like you have a keeper.
Hugs
Patty

Rettie V. Grama

Patty Loved your response. I also get the let downs. Your suggestions are excellent.

grammypatty7

Rachel, we can all have the same fabric and the same pattern and be turned loose and every one of our quilts would come out totally different due to the different personalities going into those quilts. I can't design quilts like Marilyn (Danmar) does but mine are good and I'm proud of them. We tend to be our own biggest critics but it's ok to look at something and say "wow, I did ok this time." My Mom wouldn't agree as she always said we should NEVER be proud; others should be proud for us but we should NEVER be proud. Well tough. I'm proud of the work I do and it's ok and you should also be proud of the work you do. It's ok to not always like every part of it but learn from what you don't like, move on and improve - that's the key. Learn, improve, continue growing, learning and improving.

grammypatty7

Thank you Virginia. I was raised to be a perfectionist and very critical of everything I did. Nothing, I mean nothing, pleased my mother and she was so negative. It took me until a teacher tactfully pointed out to me that my son was striving for perfection and working at it too hard, that he needed to relax and enjoy life more and to realize that everything he was doing was fine and actually better than what most people can do. No one can achieve perfection, that's a reality of life. Realizing that for my son's sake, I HAD to change some attitudes big time and praise, compliment and encourage him - and he's one wonderfully talented, intelligent, mature young man, good husband, father, son, friend, etc, etc, etc.

We need to strive to do the best we can, most definitely but when we fall short; learn from those shortcomings or mistakes and next time around do better. It's quilting, not a life and death situation but it could be if we agonize to the point of givine ourselves a stroke. My quilting for me is therapy. My quilts bring joy, happiness, and love into the lives of my family members who use them daily - they tell me this so I know it's true.

I recently did a wall hanging that hasn't been hung yet. It's beautiful but it sure isn't perfect because it's a "learning tool" where I tried several new things and definitely did learn a lot. The wall hanging is labeled plus has a hanging sleeve in place but upon completion I realized that I actually like it better as a bed runner. No one will get it at this point in time but I bet that one day, someone will treasure it. One day I will find a place to hang or display it and know that too but I needed some space from it. It's beautiful and definitely not perfect. See photo.

It was intended to hang above the bed (displayed on the head board in the photo.) I felt it overwhelmed the quilt on the bed (QVC special since I can't quilt the double wedding ring yet.) After seeing the photo, (faults don't show too much) I realized it's as pretty as I thought it was but . . . I just couldn't put holes in the wall above the bed at this time (new house) so returned the rod I bought to display. My goal is to learn to work with doilies plus I needed to learn how to bind off the scalloped edge and did a perfect one on my round robin quilt. (click on my user name, go to bookmarks and click on Patty's round robin) The binding on a scallped edge needs to be narrow so obviously, this was a learning tool or practice piece. If it survives me, and it should, it could very well be a very valuable piece in it's imperfection. LOL.

deborah

it does really look great...hint that i am trying to live by ....when making a quilt ...make the idea...finish the project...and move on to the next....i dwell way too much on what i should have done and get nervous about next project......

grammypatty7

Thank you. Knowing this project was practice, I wasn't too concerned as I knew I was practicing using $store doilies. Being a hand quilter, I tend to have 2 or 3 quilts in progress in various stages. Not UFO'S as each one is finished in a timely fashion and when one is completed, I begin working on a new one. At the moment I have 3 works in progress and will finish one up in the next two weeks. In a month, my round robin comes back to me and then I'll again have 3 works in progress. I try to time it out that way and I plan to make 2 quilted sweatshirt jackets between now and October - one is a gift and one for me. Actually I bought the sweatshirts to make two for me and hopefully I'll have the time to do so but if not, I'll get it in 2011 for sure.

I totally agree, plan a project, finish it, move on to the next.