quilting not for me
 

Do you have to be perfectionist to quilt? That's not me.

No. Only if you want to be competetive.
I am far from being a perfectionist. My motto is finished is better than perfect and the friends who get my quilts never see any errors, even though they are glaring to me.
If you enjoy your sewing, just do it. Remember, there are no quilt police, and we all improve as we go. Just enjoy it.

I'm a "kinda sorta person" and that's how I quilt. Although I seem to have some organization process. Pre-planning.

If a person needed to be a perfectionist to quilt, I could not quilt. I'm into quilting for the fun of it. Love the process from picking fabrics to the last stitch in the binding. I don't look for mistakes, just to the enjoyment of having something colorful and useful.

The beautiful thing about quilting is that it allows the maker free reign to do as they please I have never read anywhere that quilts must be perfect. Relax and enjoy the process, there are no quilt police.

You don’t have to be a perfectionist if you choose the right pattern. E.g. you would not choose a star pattern where the points come together. There are plenty of patterns out there for you.

If you can't see a error in the quilt when you're on a horse galloping by, it's all good. :)

Quilting is a personal journey. I look back on prior mistakes as a learning lesson and move on. I try to do my best with all projects. I have also learned to relax and enjoy the ride.

If you are "casual' about other areas in your life you will be 'casual' about being perfect in your quilting or other crafting. And, you will be happy with the outcome. You get to choose your own comfort level about sewing, cleaning, organization, etc. You are the only one who gets to choose. I hope you will enjoy sewing or quilting at whatever state of perfection or casualness that you are happy with. I enjoy that philosophy in my life.

Quilting is supposed to be fun. I don't know of any perfect quilters, actually I don't know of any perfect person. LOL If you're new to quilting and are concerned about it, don't worry, you'll get better. I've been quilting for about 15 years and have definitely improved over the years, but it's still not close to perfect.

That is the beauty of quilting. Nobody can tell you, you can't do it that way. For me, I like the slow and steady route. I like seams to match up and points to be present. Does it always happen, no, but I strive for it to. I think when things do match up and I do follow a pattern it makes it easier and more enjoyable in the long run. Quilt making is a process that builds on itself and if you take care of the details along the way you won't have to stress how to make it come together in the end. My friend is fast and casual and I am fine with that. She is happy and I am happy.

Are you kidding?! No quilt is perfect! I'll even bet that the fancy ones hanging in the best quilt shows have a few mistakes! Relax, enjoy the process of making them, and the warmth and love the bring.

The word perfect isn't in my vocabulary and I'm really glad. It would take the fun out of so many things for me.

Some of our quilting ancestors were so good they probably could have made a perfect quilt. But that would be challenging the creator so they included deliberate mistakes. I personally never let perfect get in the way of good enough.

I've been told there is no "perfect" quilt which I'm glad to hear about but I do try to be as perfect as possible. I know I can't stitch a straight line to save my life but I do the best I can and make it work. I quilt my own quilts and I have robotics but from time to time I don't make accurate moves or choices, still no problem but I do try to work around it and better my techniques with every quilt I make. Of course my quilts will never be in a quilt show and that doesn't matter to me as I make my quilts as gifts to others and I know they will be happy to receive it knowing all the work that went into it. They won't look for the flaws........which is good to know, they'll look at all the love I put into it to make it special just for them. That's what matters to me.

Heavens No! The Quilt Police will tell you that you do and the competitive people who quilt for Shows will tell you that you do. But the joy of creativity overwhelms the critics. Like Nike commercials, Just do it. Have fun. Watch a few Jenny Doan tutorials and you will see how to have fun with it.

One of the ladies in my small group is an improvisational quilter. Her blocks are similar but do not exactly match. Depending on what she is doing, her seams don't necessarily match. She has a great eye for color, loves to have a sense of movement, and her quilts are always gorgeous.

I'm a bit more precise/perfectionist/OCD whatever you wish to call me. But I'm also dealing with progressive vision loss. My best quilts are probably behind me, but I have years of quilting ahead of me (I hope!). I'm trying different styles like string quilts where matching isn't so important. I use techniques now that I used to call "fabric wasteful" like making half square triangles by taking two squares, drawing a line down the middle and sewing on that line, cutting off the excess, instead of cutting triangles and piecing them together "properly". Because I can't read rulers well any more, I make a lot of templates and what I call "snubs" which is a template of what to cut off rather than what to keep.

But my biggest advice for new quilters is to work really hard at a consistent seam allowance. A basic 9-patch is probably not what drew you in, but it is a great thing to use to work on those matching seams and seam allowance. I really stress what I call "driving practice" to new quilters. Learn your machine, develop your hand/eye coordination, and learn that seam allowance! You don't get to drive the Indy 500 with a learner's permit. When I first started quilting I was self-taught, it was before rotary cutters, I came from a garment construction background and I used a 1/2" seam for years as 1/4" seemed so impossibly tiny.

Been quilting some 40 years now, and while some projects have gone together easily and well, I've never made a perfect quilt either. I believe I can/could... but LOL never had to add a mistake, those just happen naturally. But what I've learned is how to work around those issues and make a quilt of lasting beauty and comfort. For me the end goal is a usable quilt, not a wall hanging.

Realize that being close up with your project magnifies its flaws to you. Step back, let some time pass and it will all be just fine. It's that thing Sandy said early in the thread, if you can't notice the flaw from 6 feet away from a galloping horse, there is no flaw! And as one of my other small group members says friends don't look for flaws, they look for love and they see the love :)

Why do you think that? That mindset is crippling. If I let the thought of not doing something perfect stop me then I'd have a dull life for sure.

An Amish person told me that was not true. No Amish would ever presume they could make something as perfect as God could so no deliberate mistake was needed. She had no idea how that myth got started but she has heard it all her life and no Amish wants to be perceived to others as they think they can be perfect.

Some of the best workmanship in quilts I have seen have been made by Japanese quilters.

I am a perfectionist in some areas of my life because what I do for a living demands it, but I also recognize that I am human and humans aren't perfect. When I'm quilting, also because of where I am in my life right now, I'm in the have fun, get it done, make something of good quality someone can enjoy, and move on to the next project. For most of us, this is a hobby and something we do because we enjoy it. It definitely doesn't have to be perfect. Let go of the perfectionism if it's not an aspect that you enjoy.

Some people really enjoy getting perfect points and will rip out the seam and try again to get it perfect. I rarely ever rip unless it's something I really can't live with, like joining 2 rows and being off by an inch :D If I get a perfect point, yay me! If I don't, meh it'll quilt out anyway. No one is ever going to pick on you about whether or not your seams match or if your points are pointy unless you ask them to - like a judge in a quilt show.

So, it's your hobby. Please enjoy it! Delight in it. Rub your face in the fabric - I know I do sometimes!! I definitely go pet some fabric when my tots are being monsters and they love to come in the guest/fabric room with me to pet fabric so everyone can calm down. Rejoice in those perfect points when you get them, and if the points really frustrate you - there are tons of quilts that don't require points :)

Forgot to add: There is a really great book called The Improv Handbook for Modern Quilters (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/16...?ie=UTF8&psc=1) if this is more your style of quilting. I bought the book because I was inspired by this quilt: http://patchthegiraffe.blogspot.com/...t-score-9.html There is some great advice in the book about letting go and being free to cut and piece. It was a great read even if you never make any of the projects out of it.

Does one need to be a perfectionist? Short answer - no.

But I am happier with my work when it turns out to be " good enough for me".

If you think you have to make a perfect quilt then quilting is not for you because you will be disappointed over and over.

Agreed, all you have to do is look at some of the amazing quilt show pictures from Japan - the level of talent and skill amazes me!

See now, with the story about the Amish/imperfection thing, I always thought it was a flattering thing, because their work is so good, fairly impeccable! Not that they *claimed* it, just that their reputation as craftspeople was worthy...

Goodness knows I'm a zillion light-years from perfection myself. I think I've come to realize and accept the things I do will never be show-worthy let alone perfect. Nonetheless I like the *practice* of quilt making, as I'm always learning things. And in the end I end up with a perfectly serviceable object, right?

The short answer to your questions is no! I would venture to say that even quilters who have won top prizes in top quilt shows have imperfections in their quilts. After the quilt is washed you will find that so many of the things you see as mistakes will just blend right in & not ever be noticed. When I first started quilting & gave a quilt away I would always point out my mistakes to the recipient. Finally I came to my senses & realized that most people don't even see the obvious mistakes that I make on quilts & more important than that, they don't care about mistakes...only about the fact that I made them something special. So my suggestion to you is don't ever apologize for a mistake on a quilt or point it out to others. You will feel much better & so will the one who receives it.
Just do what makes you happy & enjoy your new found hobby.

Not at all, but if you want points to be pointy you need to be careful. I find that using the quarter inch foot and not worrying about it results in most being pointy. And if you press things so seams nest together that helps keep things matched up. There are lots of patterns without points or matching seams.

I quilt because it is so relaxing and I enjoy it so much. I definitely am not a perfectionist but as I look back at some of my first projects I can see big improvement in my matching corners and making more exact blocks. I am sorry that you feel you need to be a perfectionist because I don't think that is why most people quilt. Just sew if you enjoy and your preference will be very rewarding to you.

Since there is no such thing as perfection of course you do not have to be a perfectionist. I believe as long as you strive to do the best you can that is enough. You are the only one you need to please. Every quilt has some sort of ( blooper) enjoy the process, the creativity and the pleasure of making something- with practice workmanship gets better and better. And remember in nature- no two leaves are identical- the perfection is in the imperfections.

How do you define “perfectionist”?

Perfectionist means different things to different people or quilters.

Same for me.

Seazteddy, I am curious, have you made any quilts or just thinking about it? Just wondering how your question came about. Quilting can be like many things in life, make of it what you will. People can enjoy making something that will warm and comfort someone and that is great. Others may enjoy challenging themselves and making intricate and amazing artwork. Do what you enjoy!

I think the wonderful thing about quilting is that it allows so much freedom--you can be perfectionist or a 'close enough' piecer, a hand, machine or quilt by check quilter, piece precision patterns or improv, bedsize to mini's; all sorts of fabrics and colors; traditional or modern--so please join the ranks--there are no real rules (although getting a decent 1/4" seam sure makes life easier!)

I am not a perfectionist by any ones definition! What quilting has done for me over time is to slowly, every so slowly develop an understanding of accuracy in cutting and sewing. My quilts are Never perfect. I have kept my joy of color and just love the puzzle aspect of creating a quilt. I can admire quilts of perfection but I also know I am not one to reach that goal. I quilt for the pleasure of it and to bless others with something created for beauty and warmth.

No one is perfect... heck, we probably cannot agree on what that even means. But we all have our own standards of what is good work, and should try to do the best we can. With practice we get better and more accurate quilting results. I re-sew seams if I think I can make them better the second (or third) try. Why not? The “galloping horse” theory doesn’t work for me because I am not looking at my quilts from a galloping horse. We each decide for ourselves what level of flaws we can live with.

To me, it would be sad if we didn’t continue to try our best with each piece we make.

Heavens no dear woman. If I were a perfectionist and everything I made turned out absolutely perfect I would be God. There is an old saying that every quilt should have at least one mistake somewhere to remind us that only God is perfect. I'm not highly religious, but I do believe this to be true.

One of the reasons I enjoy hand applique, both in wool and cotton, is that i can improvise quite a bit. I tend to be a little picky when looking at pieced items, and I notice most of the wobbles when I machine quilt. But I have found that there are times to be nearly perfect and times to just let go and enjoy. You will learn what works for you with time and you will most likely gravitate to those things (if you want to).

'Perfectionism is the enemy of Creativity' this is a sign I have in my workroom and on the front of the student guides I give out. I like to tell my students that they are not making mistakes, they are adding design elements. Rejoice in what you have made because you have made it! Most folks will never make a quilt - But you did! And, if it is a gift and the only words out of their mouth aren't 'thank you', then take it back! LOL!

No. But there are some rules that just make all quilts look right. Seams that match. Points not cut off. Edges that are not too wavy. Quilting that doesn't have to be fancy but that serves the purpose while enhancing the top ......in my opinion. And when learning, one might as well learn these things early and do the best one can to achieve them.....again, in my opinion.

I don't call that perfectionism but a desire to follow the rules and improve the skills of one's craft or hobby, no matter what it is.

This is my philosophy and rule of thumb, too.

Just last night I made a pieced heart and discovered I had sewn slightly over the bottom points, blunting them. I was tired and thought, "oh, well, it'll do." This morning I know I'm going to resew that seam.