Does anyone miss being a quilting newbie?
 

Remember the days when everything was new and bright and shiny in the quilting world? When you just couldn't get enough of it, and your non-quilty friends almost walked the other way because they knew you would talk about nothing else?

Do you now find yourself somewhat jaded? You once looked at everything with wonder, now you look at it and see all the hours of work, or turn away because applique is of the devil and you just hate it?

Do you miss the newness and magic of being a newbie?

Not really. I'm awed every year when I go to Houston Quilt Festival and it renews my spirit. The same happens at guild meetings only on a smaller scale.

Actually, no. There is always something new to try. I never start a project unless I am excited about it. For me, quilting is not a chore, but an adventure.

Yes. I miss the days when I didn't know I didn't have the skills yet to do a certain task and just did it. I miss the days when I was so proud of myself when something came out right. Now it's just "that's too easy" and I tend to get bored more easily.

Cari

No I don't !! I actually love becoming a better quilter, it gives me the confidence to try new things and experiment with different techniques. While I will never be as good as others, I don't miss those days at all!! I still love fabric, I still look to others for inspiration and I'm still in awe of how everyone here is so helpful and always willing to share their knowledge!!!!! It's what has kept me from getting discouraged at times.

That was so long ago I really don't remember.

I get a little jaded feeling sometimes, but it's always a temporary thing and I can usually point to something else in my life that's causing that feeling, almost always it's work. Sewing is my de-stresser, but if I'm TOO overworked I just can't get into it, especially on week days.

Quilt shows ALWAYS revitalize and inspire me, doesn't matter if it's my beloved PIQF with quilts from all over the world, or my equally-beloved local guild show with quilts made by local quilters - I find them all to be equally inspiring and refreshing and I can't wait to dig back into my stash when I get home.

I DON'T miss feeling like I'm ruining fabric, I don't miss worrying that I don't know what I'm doing. Now I KNOW I don't know what I'm doing sometimes, and that I'm ruining fabric sometimes, but I've totally stopped worrying about it. I think I enjoy my quilting more now, because I'm more relaxed about it and errors don't seem quite as big of a deal as they used to. I now know that I can fix it, replace it, or consider it a challenge to be worked around. It really is just fabric, and if Bob Ross can have happy accidents in his paintings then I can have happy accidents in my quilts!

Plus, there are always a huge list of skills that I haven't yet mastered (or even tried yet), so I'm still a "newbie" on some level, and I always will be because I will always be trying new things!

I've only been quilting about 7 years, so I still am a newbie! There are so many techniques I haven't yet attempted. My non-quilty friends still roll their eyes, but they hold out the hope that they will some day get a quilt so they tolerate me!

Nope, as I still am in awe of what some can make! I still copy and save many pictures every week of quilts I'd like to duplicate. Love looking through my saved pics when deciding what quilt I'll make next.

I enjoy the way I feel when I can look at a quilt and figure out the layout. Thank you Suzie Payne--loved her sampler quilt class!

Love seeing the progress I've made since I started quilting ~15 years ago. Love that I can bang out quickly what used to challenge me to the point of putting it away, when I was at my wits end! Yes, I still might put things in the corner (I punish the project when I don't get it, or when it surpasses my ability) until my knowledge is equal with the directions.