Originally Posted by Mattee
I spend a lot of time admiring everyone's beautiful work on this board. I am amazed at the stunning artistry of so many of this community's quilts. I have to admit, however, that I'm not sure I fit in.
When I am making a quilt, I often settle for "good enough." I quilt to relax, and because I love wrapping up in a cozy quilt. If I'm trying to make it perfect, it becomes stressful. I don't stress over mismatched seems, points that don't match, blocks that are a bit crooked or slightly different sizes, or any of the other issues that I know many of you go to great lengths to make perfect. The only thing that annoys me is bunched backing, but that's because I don't have any space to baste properly, so the lack of space annoys me more than anything.
So, what about it? Am I alone? Are there any others out there that notice errors and keep going anyway without ripping out seems? Do any of you make quilts that have quite a few obvious errors, and you chalk it up to "personalization" and "being unpredictable?"
I'm an ex-home ec teacher, so a perfectionist at heart. BUT, life experiences have taught me that good enough is good enough. I don't quilt for contests or shows so the recipients of my quilts appreciate the gesture and the warm hug of one of my amateur quilts. It's got to be pretty bad or pretty noticeable for me to rip. Once it's quilted, but flaws are much less noticeable. I'm with you, I do this for relaxation and the pure joy of creating something myself. That is one of the reasons I don't send out to have them quilted. I prefer my humble methods of quilting and knowing that I made it all myself. I do try to learn more and more, but with age and a few health problems, my skill level is not as good as it once was.
When all is said and done (and I'm gone) who will care if the seams are not perfectly matched, the points are tipped off, or the backing has a few tucks. The sentiment is what counts. I like your attitude.