stillclock

no one in my environment was interested in sewing. i learned to handstitch in girl guides and then how to use a sewing machine in home ec in middle school.

for me, the extent to which i will undo or redo handwork is dependent on the project. i am maniacal about angled cuts because i wasted a load of fabric on my first lone star attempt. i mean...i have found uses for the strips, but i learned a whole LOT about bias cuts with that one.

i recently completed a log cabin top in which a couple of seams were about of an 8th off at their matching points. i left them, knowing that once quilted no one is ever going to see those missed connections.

now. i am working on a frank lloyd wright quilt that is a train wreck of EPIC proportions due to a lack of accuracy despite my very best efforts. it has made me feel like a failure and a hack. i am neither, but i think our emotional investment in certain things can really kick us in the butt if we're not careful.

i work very very hard not to waste fabric through sloppy cutting. i am often shocked at how much thread can be wasted in the course of a project as you pull a few inches out and snip here there and everywhere, but that's kind of inevitable. i'm saving rotary blades for the exchange company and just generally try to be aware of resource impact in my work. that's both economics and ethics for me.

i strive to improve with every project, and feel like it's probably time to take a class or two about improving accuracy and some other intermediate to advance level skill development. but i know when others look at my work they don't see the flaws and goofs, and i try to be gentle yet firm with myself.

it hurts me to read people beating themselves senseless over less-than-perfect. the language is so often so abusive, and i just know they would never in a million years say such things about anyone else.

aileen

luana

Learning to quilt was my biggest lesson in "Mother appreciation". Bearisgray, (you and I) are both fortunate to have so many memories of our mothers. I miss mine too.

Scissor Queen

I will only take things apart if something is turned the wrong way. I figured out how to get most of the crooked parts on the inside. I decided when I really started quilting that this is supposed to be *fun*. I do not obsess over every little point or mismatched seam. It's only fabric. Nobody dies. Have fun. Done is better than perfect. For that matter perfect is an illusion, perfection doesn't exist in nature anyway.

CarolinePaj

I am really trying to be accurate at the moment as I am making my final quilt for my City & Guilds and the tutors will be examining it. Saying that, I always try to cut accurately as this makes piecing much easier and there is less "squaring up" to do.

Hugs

Caroline

granny216

I really try to make everything as perfect as I can. At 81 it isn't the same as 30 years ago. Beauty is the eye of the beholder and no matter what the quilt police can go someplace else. I was told that the Amish believe that a mistake has to be made on a quilt as only God is perfectl

Quilter 65

My mother belonged to the "blind man on a galloping horse concept". She was a wonderful, wonderful person who was loved by everyone including me. Her mother didn't sew, so she took it up as a necessity as we were poor as church mice. THEN, I got to Home Ec (remember when it was called that) and my dear teacher, whom I LATER learned to respect, whacked me across the hand with a yardstick (remember when they could do that) because I was cutting out a dress on the wrong side of side of the black line. Was trying for the middle and splitting the difference and that was a no-no. I nearly died of mortification as I graduated eighth grade from a small rural school and was in a big school system and I didn't know anyone except my three rural classmates who were all boys. So my perfectionism started there and continued with my typing and shorthand teacher. I have loosened up a bit, but not to any significant degree. Having had a 4-H teacher who told me I was so ugly no one would ever want to marry me and why did I want to learn to cook?, I don't think people understand that words can matter so much to a youngster. So while my sewing skills probably exceed that of my mother, I will never measure up to her wonderful, caring, loving nature. Maybe I am spending too much time trying for perfection which ultimately can't be achieved. Bearis, I see why your quilting is so lovely. PS I did marry, have a wonderful home, wonderful children and grandchildren, wonderful life (with a few speed bumps) and am so grateful.

Tink's Mom

My Mom taught me to sew, too...she taught me to make the item as best as possible. I try to keep up my standards...but sometimes it just doesn't work out as well as I would like. I remember going crazy trying to make some matching seams only to find out the print was a bit wonky on the fabric...
I taught my Mom how to quilt....she has only done a couple. She prefers to watch me do the quilting and enjoy the things that come her way. She also has hinted that she could use another quilted jacket.

meyert

I try to do the best I can. I don't want to take the fun out this ... I get a little better with every project and I think that is what matters. I am a work in progress

pokeygirl

Me, too. Drives me crazier than I already am.

FabStripper

I think in today's quilting, there is an allowance for perfection. I ONLY produce perfection. But, if YOU were to look at MY perfect, you might feel otherwise. I guess that would be me STRIVING for perfection, or very, very close to it. If, after rip it, sew, rip it, sew, rip it, sew, it is not in the trash can, I call it perfect (unless I convince myself to do O N E M O R E rip it, sew). I can feel how much you miss your Mom in your share. I hope that you have someone to pass along those traits that were instilled in you by your Mom. Thank you for a touching read.