What I'm good at / what I'm bad at
 

Quilting edition. I am constantly amazed that I can still thread #10 beweens hand quilting needles. At the age of 67 I would have thought those days were over. On the other hand, I have been using a sewing machine for well over 50 years, and I still do not always remember to start sewing while the needle is in the up position, so when I start, the thread comes out of the needle. And then I go "Duh!"

Your turn!

I am relatively good at figuring out geometric designs/ patterns.

Applique designs - definitely need a pattern for those.

I am really good at discovering new ideas.

I'm really bad at remembering those new ideas.

I am really good at starting new projects.
I am really bad at finishing old projects.
Squirrel!! 🤣

I’m good at dreaming & planning my next quilt

I’m bad at giving my sewing room a thorough cleaning.

I'm an imprecise quilter. I don't like to follow a pattern - I'd rather swerve off the page now and then. I have to remind myself that accuracy is often important, but I do give myself license to make improvisational things sometimes. And I, too, think about my next project while trying to finish a UFO.

I'm good at buying fabric, just because I like it with no project in mind.
I'm bad at planning a project with the new fabric. I do find enjoyment out of dreaming about using all this "had to have" fabric.:)

I'm with Peckish and copycat on this one!

I'm good at making blocks, especially if they are from a sampler type quilt (not applique, not my thing, but like Barn Star Sampler or Moda Blockheads).

I'm bad about putting those blocks together into a top!

I'm good at: fabric selection for my quilts.
I'm bad at: tidying up before starting next project.

I am good at machine quilting. What I'm bad at is being organized when I sew. I have stuff scattered everywhere for one project.

I'm good at drawing out designs and quilt math.

I'm pretty good at organizing stuff.

I am awful bad at cleaning up and putting the stuff where it is supposed to go :(

I’m good at choosing fabrics/colors for my quilts. I’m bad at being creative. I’d much rather follow a pattern. I’m more a technician than an artist.

My sewing room is a disaster. I'm a hoarder.
Had some kind of stroke (doesn't show up on the MRI) in July, so not feeling like I'm good at anything right now.

Quilted Sunshine, you are good at collecting fabric. And you will make the sun shine again!

I’m known for unusual fabric choices that work fabulous together. I’m bad at follow-the-leader therefore Veteran’s quilts are boring.

I don’t fit in a box. Just the opposite, I’m good at thinking outside the box and being creative.

I’m trying to be thankful. For the things I’m bad at, there’s an instance that can be used for good. And the flip, if I’m really good at something, I’m learning to recognize the value of the opposite; example is unusual creative color choices provoke thinking and can be mind boggling whereas traditional color choices can be soothing.

Healing takes a lot of energy. Allow yourself to rest. And celebrate the victories.

I'm very good at following the latest "shiny object". I see a quilt, fall in love, gather/buy fabric, get pattern....wait...here comes another one, and the process starts again. Got derailed in early November by Covid, with DH getting it two days later. We are both still not back yet, but hope to be by Christmas. This has given my plenty of time to think, plan and slowly reorganize. Hopefully 2024 will be the year to re-evaluate each shiny object and decide if I still love it or not. Currently I have over a dozen projects ready to go. I have two WIPs, and I also had been working with a friend on a quilt for her son for X-mas. As it so happened, she came down with Covid at the same time I did. We recently put our heads together, and decided that by altering the pattern, we still can make it happen. I'm also a perfectionist, so everything has to be done perfectly.(I know...I'm working on that!)

good at thinking outside the box and adapting to the mudballs life has thrown me.

Am Really bad at staying in contact with people I care about, I hate talking on the phone, I just freeze up.

I am very organized and my sewing room is neat. I have no talent for improvisation, and am happy to rely on the patterns and tools of brilliant quilters. I love fitting a pattern to a group of fabrics. I've done a lot of planning, less actual doing.

I'm in Joe'smom's boat. I am pretty much OCD, not clinically diagnosed, but my sewing space is clean, picked up, organized.

I have tried improvised blocks, scrappy blocks, and it just never looks like the block I've seen or followed on a blog or Pinterest, let alone actually be square..🙄. My brain needs a pattern, and tools to make a block apparently.

I am absolutely GREAT at agreeing to help out or 'clean up' someone else's unfinished project for community projects (our charity quilt group) I love to try out, analyze and 'fix' a new to me pattern. I love love love colour.

I am really bad when it comes to sewing the last bits and pieces of project. Boredom often sets in at the 80% mark. Yes, I do push myself to finish, but I too have UFO's that are 'almost' done.

And my sewing room is ALWAYS a mess!!

I’m poor at repetition. Making 120 half square triangles will often stop me from making a quilt. Needs to be an alternate motivation.

That is where your unusual and fabulous color choices come in.

I am good at finishing everything I start. I only keep two projects going at a time. One for home
a s one to take to once a month quilting.

I am bad at precision. I use my screen name because I do a lot of ripping. I am not trying to be perfect because who is but I do want a nice result.

in also don't have a stash. Is that good or bad? My quilting friends gently tease me about that. But I do have a lot of scraps and like to make scrappy quilts.

I'm good at working on one project at a time from start to finish. I have no unfinished WIPs laying about. One at a time - Start to finish. Also good at organization and keeping a clean sewing room - while the current project is sitting out on work stations, it is an organized setting, with all un-needed scraps tossed or put away and quilting tools put in their place ready for next step/use, daily. Basically in my sewing room, everything in its place and a place for everything. Makes it so nice not to have to be frustrated by having to stop to try to find something. I know exactly where it is. This also helps me in doing each step of the current project/quilt. It is ready for working on as soon as I walk into my sewing room and I know exactly where I left off just by looking at how it is organized.

I'm bad about looking at the sales for fabric and patterns, in so that I have a lot of projects planned and bought for. That way as soon as I complete the current project/quilt, I can just grab the next project out of my cupboard and go for it. But the good/bad is that I have enough for future projects all ready and I really don't need to buy for a long while..... but those darn sales just keep happening!

Great at wanting to do it all. Every fun new pattern i see, project, buying beautiful patterns.

BAD BAD BAD at follow through, completion, cleaning up my space!

I'm good at not buying any more fabric! My stash is modest compared to some, but as it is I know I'll never sew through it in my lifetime. I'm bad at completing a project before starting another . . . or several more! Each time inspiration hits I just have to make a few blocks to see what it's going to look like.

I'm very good at being organized and wanting everything to line up and be neat and matchy-matchy. I'm also good at not collecting any more fabric than can fit into one large bin, as being around too much of any one thing makes me very anxious.

But ... I'm bad at actually using these fabrics. I'm being to wonder that if after 50 years of sewing I'm about all sewed out, and have become a fabric collector instead of a fabric sewer!

‘Everyone has strengths and weaknesses. How can a strength become a weakness? OR How can I overcome weaknesses?

So I listed repetition:
1.) do it with friends at a retreat while I talk
2.) do it late at night. When tired I can do repetitious work
3.) play music or books-on-tape
4.) break it into little segments and reward myself at regular intervals
5.) pep talk
6.) big-girl panties and discipline
7.) do it when furious with _____. The repetition gets my mind focused and concentrated on something else and I calm down. Bible study also works at these times. But that usually requires forgiveness. Actually I’d get a lot of repitition finished because I can be really slow to forgive and let go. Actually think I’m motivated to get those ### for Bonnie Hunter.

I'm good at coming up with my own patterns and finishing them. I don't have any UFOs. It's one at a time for me or I'd never finish any of them.

I'm fairly good at quilting although I hate that part. I was very surprised that one of my quilts was juried into Houston in the sit-down machine quilting category.

I'm horrible at following someone elses written pattern. Most of the time I can do it, but it takes me forever to figure out what is meant by the instructions. Once I made 14 (18") blocks from someone elses written directions and only one came out correctly. It's much faster to just do the designs that I see in my head.

I have no vision for art quilts. How to put a realistic person's head on a quilt escapes me. I have no interest in improvisation.

I hope that you feel better soon, Annette

I'm good at dreaming up new projects. I'm even pretty good at starting them.

I'm bad a finishing projects.

I'm absolutely terrible at keeping things neat and tidy.

I'm with you, Peggi! That was my problem when I was doing counted cross stitch, too. I guess finishing is not my strong suit. I have an alphabet sampler I started for my daughter when she was 2 that isn't done, and she is 48 years old.

Leslie

Is that why I lose my thread when I first start sewing? I have never heard that before. Good to know!

What I'm good at is selecting coordinated fabric. What I'm bad at is cleaning up after myself. I sort of have gobs of fabric scattered all around the room and on the floor...which may just sit there forever...

I’ve been a garment sewer for more than 30 years, and have shifted my focus to piecing and quilting over the last 5 years.

I still learn something new every single project.

I still feel like a beginner.

Theres always a fabric that could’ve been better chosen, a cut that could’ve been more accurate, a seam that could’ve been straighter, a point that could’ve been sharper and so on.

Wonder if I’ll ever feel competent at this.

I am good at being fearless. It comes from my mother who frequently said "Eh, I've failed before and lived to tell". She tried all kinds of things (some she actually succeeded at-and I had a great childhood because of it) I decided I wanted to make a quilt and I've never taken a home ec class, never been in 4H, couldn't sew a straight line and learned to sew by reading the owners manual for my $100 Kenmore sewing machine. Six years later, things have definitely changed. I'm still diving into projects that are over my head,

I'm bad at being precise. My cutting, my piecing, my free motion quilting. my basting, my binding. All of it-bad. (heavy sigh). I can finish a quilt that is acceptable. I usually awe my recipients with such beautiful fabric that they overlook all my shortcomings. I tell people I make quilts with love, not accuracy. Love it, use it, wear it out. Maybe someday, I'll be good at this and make something i can brag about. Until then, we'll just enjoy the process!

Nice to hear I'm not the only one with this problem!

I'm good at figuring out what to quilt on a top (although often I spend hours in this design phase!)

Not so good at truly accurate piecing.