Perfect is over rated so better done than perfect. Enjoy the process and share the love as no one is going to be looking for all the little design elements we call mistakes.

I strive for perfection but haven't come close yet. I keep trying though and learn some thing new with each small quilt I make. Learning something new each day is more important, I think.

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*** I just do it my way - mistakes and all.
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*** If the recipient doesn't want it then I will keep it for myself.
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*** No one has turned down a quilt so far & they are being used.
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The very first quilt I made was a gift to my sister maybe 10 years ago, give or take. It definitely had seams that didn't quite match and the quilting left a lot to be desired, but I was so proud of it. She still has it on her bed and it hasn't faded or started falling apart...That to me is perfection...lol

I agree 100 percent and we all just need to keep quilting....

I made a quilted table runner for my daughter for Christmas. It had some mistakes, but it turned out well. Her boyfriend's Mom gave her the MOST gorgeous long-armed quilt. It was really spectacular. Put my little table runner to shame, I thought.
This thread makes me feel better. I did my best and I made it with love and I'm sure she'll pull that table runner out every Christmas season. That's good enough for me.

Watson

Good timing for this topic, when my 50 yr old daughter came for a visit last week she brought a quilt for me to repair that I made for her about 20 years ago when I was beginning to quilt. It is so very worn, it would be easier to make a whole new quilt but she wants this one, it was so very poorly made, cheap fabrics that have just worn through but somehow I used a good cotton batting because that is still intact & the backing fabric has held up. In some areas I am making new blocks, like a mini pillowcase so I can turn in raw edges & appliqueing them over the worn out blocks. Other areas I am just darning. It will never be pretty but she is attached to this one even though over the years, as my skills increased, I have made her better quilts. Like someone said, people look at quilts with their heart.

THE TRUE STORY OF A NEWISH QUILTER

Once up a time, in a land far away in a place called Texas, I grabbed my shirt collar by the back of the neck and marched myself to stand in front of a big mirror.

"Self," I said, "get a damn grip. When making quilts you are working in fabric. It's soft. It's not stone. Or wood. Or plaster. It moves, it wiggles, it slips, it has a mind of its own. You will NEVER be perfect with it because it just won't let you. Get over it."

Once upon a time, again in the far away land called Texas, I stood at my design wall and looked at my blocks.

"Self," I said, "you're getting pretty damn good at this 'acceptance thing'. Your quilts are looking more playful, happy, colorful, and downright you these days! Who gives a hoot what anybody else thinks anyway? You go girl!"

And I lived happily ever after. The end!

You'll have to forgive the language because, after all, it WAS quoted; it's maybe not exactly what I'd say to your face now. :cool:

Jan in VA

LOL Jan! I love it!

As a quilter, I have never dreamed of perfect quilts, just finished long term hugs from me to my favorite people. I do have a cute "perfect" imperfect quilt story for you. One of the members here wanted to try and copy an old family heirloom quilt to use everyday, to save the original to pass on. I offered to make her a pattern, and she agreed. I spent two weeks studying the photo of the original, and noticed that the original maker had put two rows in backwards, so, hoping to be helpful, I corrected the error on the pattern and sent it to her and told her I had "fixed" the mistake. She messaged back as politely as possible that she had wanted it exactly the way the old one was! I just smiled to my self and spent two more weeks redoing the pattern to reflect the "perfect" heirloom she had. Makes you feel kind of embarrassed/arrogant for having made it "better" when the family loves the original enough to want it copied exactly. Mea culpa......