I found the Quilt Police!!
 

I found the Quilt Police!! They live in my head!! They fuss about my points! My sewing techniques, my choice of design and won't let me sew at all without having the ripper within close reach. Heaven help me if a seam line is slightly off!! Will I ever learn to just enjoy sitting down to sew??

What is it about our heads? I have an unsolved problem on a quilt; I won't let myself work on the parts that aren't a problem. I just stew and worry and fret about the part that is unsolved; so nothing gets done on it at all. I am apparently waiting for a bolt of lighting to strike me or the answer to be written on my wall. In the meantime I have gone back to sewing up a fall wardrobe for mysellf.

We are our own worst enemies! We drive ourselves crazy, worrying and fussing about the imperfections in our projects. These will never be noticed by others but we can't stop ourselves from pointing them out. I am making a conscious effort to not point out my oopsies to others. If it was my quilt, I wouldn't fret over it so why do I have to make sure that everyone sees my mistakes?

We are not perfect ... so our sewing will not always be perfect. It is what it is! Can it be seen on a galloping horse?

These are some of the 'sayings' that I try to remind myself when I go into 'Quilt Police' mode.

Yes, you will! I used to be like that, believe it or not. :D Way before quilting, I used to sew garments and craft items. If I noticed a stitch out of place, out came the seam ripper. Drove myself crazy. Well, my eyes aren't as good as they used to be (even with glasses) and I no longer have the patience for "perfect" stitches. I still try to have my points and seams where they should be but no longer beat myself over the head about "the little things." Thing is, most people don't even notice those little things, whether they're perfect or slightly crooked. I don't enter contests and am the first to admit my sewing isn't perfect . . . and am a lot happier for it! :thumbup:

Like I tell my DGD, strive for perfection but be happy with well-done. :)

My motto from day one has been "done is better than perfect." Perfection is unattainable. So just finish it.

there is nothing wrong with (striving) to improve your techniques- work at getting things as right as possible- but remind yourself (Only God can create perfection) and since you are not...
and if you stop & look around you---ever seen 2 leaves the same on a tree? or 2 flowers or 2 of anything???of course not- that is a lesson all it's own- strive for the overall beauty & don't try to be better than the only creator of perfection.

I heard this years ago and believe it. " A man on horseback will never see it, and a blind man will be glad to see it."

Thats all I'm going to say!!

I can't tell you how many times I have fussed over a decision on a customer's quilt, should I do it this way or that way? I ask them and get the answer, Whatever you pick will be fine. So I am trying not to fuss so much!!

I get the same way sometimes but I've gotten pretty good at just shrugging and saying to myself, "Lesson for next time!" and moving on. I rip out some mistakes but I leave a lot of them too. Some day I hope I'm as skilled as my grandmother, who deliberately added mistakes to her quilts! For now, plenty of them happen all on their own, LOL. And most of them wouldn't be noticed by a non-quilter anyway. I don't make show quilts (yet) - mine are designed to be portable hugs, and who will complain if a hug is not perfect!? It's the love that counts.