Rodney

Perfection is impossible. There is also the law of diminishing returns. I do the best I can and check for mistakes as I go. I fix the big ones and don't worry about the little ones. They'll all blend together when the quilt is done. I want good results but I'm not going to lose any sleep over a non-perfect quilt either.
Rodney

cathyvv

When it's done!

Grace creates

When point's are not right, I will generally rip out once, maybe twice but that's it.

ArchaicArcane

Or you put the seam ripper through the fabric the time you say "just one more try, if it still doesn't match up, I'll leave it".

That was devastating... I now call myself a recovering perfectionist.

MacThayer

I'm one of those people who have to make the block as perfect as I can, and I will re-do it, and re-do it until it's the very best I can do. Once the quilt is done and quilted though, then it's done, and any imperfections are just "variations". If I needed to change something major, I'd do a new quilt rather than spend time "un-sewing" at that point. I need to finish projects, and it would be so boring to have to take apart most of a project in order to fix it. Which is why I'm so fastidious about making each block perfect. I shouldn't have to "fix" a whole quilt after that!

jeaninmaine

There are a lot of people who purposely put a mistake in their quilts, the Amish or Shakers, I think. I have a book called Calico & Beyond and she purposely cuts her plaids a little off because it adds to the interest of the quilt. And her quilts were VERY interesting. I just loved them.

ghostrider

This is a complete and total myth. The same is said about Mennonite quilts, Persian rugs, Chinese carvings, gothic architecture, and Native American crafts to name just a few. Whether it's called the humility block, the humble stitch, the spirit bead, or something else, it's a myth.Think about it. To assume that you have to include an intentional mistake in order to show your humility, that you are not perfect and are not to be confused with a higher power, is the very height of pridefulness...something that is neither an Amish nor Shaker trait.

nanac

If the mistake is "glaring", I will fix it; otherwise, I don't do anything. You know the old "galloping horse" thing...
Once I made a double Irish Chain quilt. When I picked it up from my LAQ, she said "are you trying to be Amish?", and said that I had one row of blocks turned wrong, which she hadn't noticed when loading the quilt, but did when she quilted that particular block. It took her about 15 minutes to find it again to show it to me. Even now, I still have a hard time finding that one block, but it doesn't take away from my enjoyment.
I say if the recipient will love it either way, give it to her, and let her enjoy the one you made with such love.

captlynhall

I try to always do my best, and take my time to get it right if the quilt is for a gift. However, my skills are not perfect, so I will live with small flaws. I know the person receiving the quilt will be looking at the 'big' picture, and will never know about those tiny imperfections. I consider it a learning opportunity, so that next time, perhaps, I won't make that mistake again. Even when I strive for perfection, I don't have what it takes to do a quilt for show. I don't let that bother me.

jfowles

When it is finished !!!!!