Barb in Louisiana

I understand your pain and you need to get past it. Everyone here has offered some wonderful advice. I would read through all of them carefully and let them help ease you past this resentment and helplessness that you feel.

I am here to tell you that I am in your boat. The difference is, I accept my limitations. I know I have them, because when our oldest of 3 daughters was 5 years old (she's 47 now) asked me to draw her a girl. I forgot that her dad, who is a wonderfully talented artist, drew her one a couple of days before that. I drew what I thought was a pretty good girl. I was slammed by the 5 year old when she said "Mom, I can draw a better girl than you can." I was stunned and started laughing. And said "Show me." She did. Hers was much better. I thank heaven that 2 of our 3 girls got their father's talent. The other's daughter's youngest girl is a very talented artist at the age of 9. (I am going to get her to do Crayola Quilt blocks for me one of these days.)

I am great at following a quilt pattern and at making a quilt using some kind of a picture with the colors in it that I like. I am not worth a darn when I have to pick out more than 5 or 6 colors on my own for a quilt. I have to let professionals help me with it. I don't care. I love what I make and enjoy it very much. I would NEVER do what you were trying to do, just start cutting squares and then try to figure out what to make with them. I cannot do that. I have to have a plan and know where I am going. So you are to be commended for at least having started to make a quilt without a pattern. Having said that, I have seen some beautiful quilts with 4 to 6 inch squares made into a grid with black fabric as sashing. The newest trend now is to use KF fabric and make the Dresden plates on black. Stunning quilts!

Instead of resenting that your sister is more talented creatively, accept her as she is, and use her creativity. Feeling bad about it only feeds your feelings of inadequacy and you just don't need to feel that way. Remember, you were smart enough to buy those wonder KF fabrics. You knew you wanted to use them. You started the cutting. You are going to do the sewing. You will be doing the quilting. Her idea of a way to put them together is a very small part of the whole process and you might have come up with her idea if you had looked at enough pictures of KF quilts.

Cry your heart out if you have to and just let this go. Our lives are too short to go around feeling hurt every time we don't sing the best song, or do the best drawing or come up with the best idea. We just do what we can and enjoy seeing people love our quilts and enjoy our lives as best we can.