I'm guilty, too....usually trying to be such a perfectionist that I lose sight of the fact that quilting should be FUN above all else. I have definitely noticed that the more fun I have, the better the quilt turns out!!

Here's my contribution to perspective: about 6-7 yrs ago I was a leader for high school students on a missions trip in NYC. We were at the Met Art Museum for the Michelangelo exhibit. We stood in line for 90 min. to see his little sketches that were behind magnified treated glass. No paintings or sculptures just little sketches. If anyone would have told him this would be happening centuries after his death, I'm sure he would have laughed himself silly because they were just little doodles to him. I know most of us are no quilting Michelangelos, but over self criticism is a waste of time and energy. Keep "sketching" everyone--who knows what the future holds!?!

In my last quilt I did a lot of ripping out and redoing my mistakes. But in the end I intentionally left in an error that no one but me will know is there. It's a good reminder that nothing in life is perfect. And the imperfect is often beautiful because of it's imperfection.

There's a tradition among native craftsmen (and women) to always put a flaw in their work, as a reminder that humans cannot create perfection. Sort of a reminder to stay humble.