ruby2shoes

I've been battling putting my latest top together this afternoon. I've grumbled my way through unpicking the seams joining my rows and re-sewing them, I've tinkered with my tension and my foot pressure and I've set and pressed each seam with dogged diligence. And still I'm not happy, I stand back and wince at bits of it; I've walked away in exasperation and sat down to watch the cricket on the T.V (Big Bash Cricket...love it so much more than Test), grabbed myself a beer and wondered why the heck this wretched quilt top is giving me so much more grief than my previous one...which was the same, very simple basic pattern. And it has just dawned on me.....it's not that this quilt is being so much more difficult but rather, I've gleaned that little bit more experience now and am seeing faults that I never noticed or cared overly about in previous quilts.

So when I next venture back into the sewing room I won't go in there with the mindset "determined to battle this quilt top" or "the" machine. Instead, I'll go in there with an appreciation of how my quilting journey and craft is unfolding. Mind you, it may never "unfold" into anything stupendous or exhibition worthy but it will amount to accomplishment of some sort!!

patricej

look at all you've learned and grown as a quilter.
i'd say that amounts to quite a bit of accomplishment already.

Beachbound

What a great thought! Thanks

liking quilting

I'm with you. I seem to "unsew" (rip stitches) as much as I sew lately. I, too, feel more self-imposed pressure on myself because I know more about how it's supposed to be than I did when I started. I'm by no means a perfectionist, and I don't take quilts to shows that give ribbons or critique my work. It's far from perfect, but I am learning so much with each one I make. (A lot of, don't do it like that next time!)

ManiacQuilter2

I think we have ALL been in your situation at one time or another, at least I know I have. I usually change directions and work on something else until I have the patience to go back to the problem one. If I had a beer, I would have then crashed on my bed falling asleep.

Sharonquilts

I agree. I think I learn a little something with each quilt I make. Keep at it. I think of what Tim Gunn on Project Runway says all the time ... "Make it work". HA! Even though I, too, rip stitches, I finally do make things workout and usually have a "light bulb" moment of what I was doing wrong.

bearisgray

Awareness is a huge step -

Even though I tend to be in the pickier group - there are times when "good enough" is the best that one can do at the moment or that the materials will allow.

toverly

Great way to rethink a challenge. Some quilts do give one set of hurdles after the other and I am oh so happy to pass them onto someone who doesn't know the struggle I had with it. Sometimes finished is better than perfect.

pal

When I have a problem with a project I put it away and work on something else. The solution to the problem usually comes to me in my dreams, maybe weeks later!!!!! I wake up and I know what to do. Don't know how it works, but that's what happens. And it's a great feeling!

Kaye

Thanks for reminding all of us that quilting is a journey! I have my first quilt over a rocking chair in my den. I only did minimal stitch in the ditch and have never washed it! I often think about adding more quilting to it now that I know how but then it wouldn't represent how far I've come since 2009!