For sure! It seems like there are important factors at every step of the process, and man there are a lot of steps!

Agreed! My first few quilts and even blocks on this last quilt were a mess because sewing 1/4 in seam was tricky!!
But! I finally found a system that is working for me and has improved my accuracy immensely but I still finished out those slightly wonky quilts and will use and love them.

Wavy borders, non matched points and all. ❤️

"done is better than perfect."

true enough since i don't think a truly perfect quilt is even possible.

i just don't think it should be taken to the extreme of "i don't care."

"finished, admittedly imperfect, but the very best i could do."

I have learned over the years that everyone’s “good enough” is different. As long as someone is happy with their work that’s all that counts.

I had made a charity quilt with scraps, and ended up with two large pieces of the same green in one block. I thought "finished is better than perfect", and it's only a charity quilt. But I usually hang my almost-finished quilts on my design wall in the living room where I see it every time I walk into the room. I couldn't stand it. That was the first thing you saw when you looked at that quilt. It came out. It was a five sided piece and took me about 10 minutes to replace.

I have had times where something in my quilt bothered me but it was too late to change. Well, after awhile I forgot all about it and have even looked for it if I remembered. So there is something to be said for being too picky I think.
I can't abide cut off points but a turned seam here and there I can live with. I do the best I can without going crazy.
Perfection would kill quilting for me.

It is always my goal for accuracy and precision. I have a Sally Collins book open to that page most of the time as a reminder. Is my work perfect? Of course not. But it isn’t sloppy either. There is a wide range between perfect and good enough.

Again - my point is/was - the "perfect" 1/4 inch seam is only part of the process of attaining the expected/required size of a unit or piece.

For some things, the "finished size" really does not matter. For others, the whole thing goes together better when the pieces/units line up properly.

This post was/is meant to be a reminder that if things are not ending up the size you expect/want/need - there are other things to check in addition to seam allowance width. Adjustments can be made in several places - cut size, thread weight, did an unwashed piece shrink while it was being pressed?

The reasons I am aware of these things is because I have overlooked them or messed up somewhere along the line.

Intersections that don't match drive me up a wall. I just worked on a piece that I started years ago - and I fiddled and faddled with a couple of intersections on that top - and they still aren't right - but after about three tries, I have decided I can live with it. The worst part of it is - I still don't know "why" they aren't lining up properly. I've checked the size of the pieces, checked the seam allowance width -

So - out of 25 blocks, I have three or four intersections that are "off" - I am not happy about it - but this is a piece that is going to go into the "finished is better than perfect" pile.

Please don't be discouraged comparing yourself to someone who has been quilting for years and therefore has the skills to be very picky. I might not be quilting today if it hadn't been for the nice ladies in my LQS. I brought my first quilt top in to choose borders and I was so embarrassed! It was a mess. But the associate who helped me looked at my top and said it looked fine to her, and the owner of the shop said, 'We're here to have fun, not to be perfect.' I'm so thankful they were my first contact in the world of quilting! My pickiness has increased as my skills have improved, and I'm sure it will be the same for you.

I quilt for myself. Not for anyone's inspection. I don't quilt to enter shows. I do care about the finished look of my quilts but still suscribe to "Better done than perfect".