The Pursuit of Perfection
Too many times I have heard my quilting friends say "oh, it's not good enough" or something close to that when referring to their quilt project, especially when it comes time to show/share it or put it in our guild quilt show. I really find this so sad....When did we become such perfection conscious beasts! Who determines what is good or not good enough!! It's time to stop being so self-critical, to stop comparing, to let ourselves be happy with our quilts and to share them no matter what they look like! I'm tired of ripping out one or two seams in a hundred because they didn't quite make the grade. I'm not sending them to a judged show, my life doesn't depend on the perfection for pity's sake. I need to relax, we all do, and just be happy and thankful for the supplies and abilities we do have. I want to REALLY ENJOY the whole quilting process and not fret while I'm pressing....is this seam going to lay flat, is this border sewn on exactly straight??? I know alot of us feel this way; and yet, it seems every new magazine on the market has all these articles....perfect seams in an instant, easy peasy tips on straight borders, 50 nifty ways to get that quilt perfect! Good grief, enough already!
I'm feeling a little rebellious so I think I'll stage a "No more quilting perfection Rebellion". This doesn't mean that I won't continue to put forth my best effort because I will. I do think I need a few wonky seams and a couple of mismatched blocks in my life. :) Want to join me? LOL!
On a less serious note.... and Happy Stitching!
7 comments:
Excellent point! I made a quilt for a friend and worked really really hard on it. It was one of those quilts that was a struggle from start to finish. When I gave it to my non-quilting friend, she absolutely loved it! But I couldn't shut up about the mistakes in it and how I had struggled and please don't show it to anybody who quilts and on on on.
I recently saw that quilt again and it looked great. I feel ashamed of myself for degrading my efforts and for 'putting down' a gift I had just handed a friend.
Thankfully I learned a lesson.
It is funny how when I see a quilt in real life most of them have a flaw or two, but the ones that I see in Blogland seem quite perfect. The computer hides a lot. I think perfection is somewhat overrated. It's the beauty and the love that matter.
A few years ago at a quilt shop, a quilter said we all need to stop being so critical of our own work. Unless one goes over a quilt with a magnifying glass, the errors that we think are there are probably not evident to anyone. I think she was absolutely right!
The "Dear Jane" motto is:
"Finished is Better Than Perfect"
*grin*
That's how and why I managed to finish my Dear Jane quilt, with over 5,000 pieces! Well, actually, I just need to bind it. I will be braving all critiques and submitting it for the Quispamsis Quilt Show, in September. *grin*
Rosa
Saint John, New Brunswick
Canada
Absolultely true. None of my quilts is perfect (not even close), but I had a lot of fun making each and every one! And that's why I quilt.
I've made a conscious effort the past 6 months not to ever point out my quilting mistakes to anyone. And, you know what? No one has noticed them....or at least they haven't been rude enough to point them out to me! What a relief.
Great post!!! I couldn't agree with you more :)
SheilaC
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