Quilting put aside

In one of my last posts I praised our access to the internet for quilting ideas and techniques and just plain fun.  Well, that is true but that assumes that your door to the information works.  I have just spent the last week getting my poor computer back after being sick.  The sick was caused by the way the operating system had been set up when my system was upgraded.  I have spent a great deal of time on the phone and with the exception of one call, it was wasted time. And a word of warning, if someone says they are a qualified Tech, ask to see their certificate.😊  For anyone who has gone through this they will understand.

But the silver lining is that with my own knowledge I got it fixed.  Thank goodness.  I have missed my fix of Pinterest.  Looking at gorgeous quilts and great creative ideas is like a bright spot for the mind.  There are so many professional quilters who make their living from quilting but Pinterest showcases quilts by so many others.  They are colourful, innovative and the quilting is amazing.  We as quilters ( I have read this so often) are intimidated by thinking we are not good enough.  We are not perfect but quilting is a path in growth.  We challenge our hands, our minds and our creativity spirit and perfection is over rated.  What is important is that we strive to get better as part of a journey.

I have been cleaning up some things including all the quilts stacked on a bed and it has given me a good look at how far I have come.  And strangely some of the earliest ones that I did do seem to have the little wiggles and worries missing.  It is fun to go back and look to see how far the journey has been and that even the earliest efforts are worthwhile.  I will have to do some picture taking again as I lost a lot of data including pictures.  Good thing is that many are on posts already.

I do not have any pictures of tearing my hair out and I have not done any quilting throughout this ordeal but I have some things on the go which I will post when finished.  Now to sit down with a couple of magazines about quilting and just let my mind stop solving puzzles and absorb some creative knowledge.  That might help with a project with 1 inch pieces of fabric sewn together and folded into waves.  It will be posted regardless of whether it is perfect or not.

Talking to Oneself

I started this blog because I was learning to quilt with a long arm.  Of course in learning there were mishaps so thinking my laughing at myself might help someone as I have been helped this blog came into being.  This help with learning I have received has been through listening to, watching or reading about someone else.

Some things have been conquered but not everything so today was a 'talk to self day'.  Part of this was brought on by seeing work done by more experienced quilters at one of the guilds I belong to, Mahone Bay Quilters.  I came home in a funk. I can never be that good or productive was my mental topic all the way home.  So this morning after a couple of cups of coffee after a late night, I started my conversation with myself.

Not all of it is here but let me say it was what could be called a bracing talk.  It has resulted in some boxes being moved from their stodgy places and a 'plan' for the day.

As it relates to quilting, part of the plan was to get in an hour on my Celtic Quilt which has finally reached the frame.  Every block but 4 are different, no one colour predominates, and it was the quilt which really taught me about accurate piecing.  But that is another topic.  I cannot undo what I have done but fortunately the many bright colours stop the eyes from finding too many mistakes or should I say learning opportunities.

So here are a couple of things you have probably experienced.

1.  Stitching outside the ditch.

• It happens.  Concentration is intense when you are doing straight line after straight lines with or without a ruler.  Here is a picture of such a happening.  This is a close up with the camera.  Note my  thread is lighter than some fabrics and darker than others.  It shows up or disappears. But I cannot hide it on light or contrasting colours.
• To put this in perspective, I measured the wobble from the seam.  It is less than 1/32 of an inch.
• Here is the same spot with the camera set to normal and from the same distance to the quilt top.
• Will someone else see it without putting their nose to the quilt.  NO.  RELAX. Instead of saying to yourself you made a mistake, you can look at how much of the line was IN THE DITCH.

2.  Doing straight lines.

• First off I do use a ruler.  Do I get wobbles with the ruler?  Yes.
• Reason.  Letting my mind wander.  Yes.  It sometimes feels at the end of the day as if it has gone around the world since morning and sometimes twice round during the night. 
• Bigger reason.  Watching the foot  of the machine and not ahead.  Do you drive your car by looking at the steering wheel?  I hope not.  You look ahead.  I told myself to do this and it is good advice to self.  The  mind wandering will take a bit more time to resolve.

3. Expecting perfection

• I find there is a lot to learn from watching long arm quilting videos; patterns, technique.  But in perspective, the presenters make wobbles etc. too.  The really good ones admit it and say not to worry.  Also one has to remember they are being filmed and who knows how many takes there have been to that perfect swirl or feather etc.  They also have more hours under their belt.  
• So ditch the perfection and you will find ditching the expectation will make it easier to not wobble.

4.  Set a pace

• After that bracing talk this a.m. I am setting a timer to limit how long I quilt.  The reason is that is easy to say I will just do a bit more and squeeze it in.  
• Squeezing it in is doing just that to your concentration and it generates stress; body stress.  Chances are you are robbing yourself somewhere else and that wandering mind comes into play.  
• Another factor is being tired.  Would you operate a car when really tired?  I hope not.  Would you try to do accurate work with tools.  Again, it can be painful if your mind wanders.

These are all things I dealt with this a.m. while working and things I told myself.  Does it work?  Yes, it does.  I finished what I had set for myself in less time than I planned.  I was more relaxed.  Did I forgive my wobbles.  Well I am still working on that.

Here is the almost finished row.  It looks ok.  Not perfect but not terrible.

With all of this talking to self, I am looking to achieve balance in mind and body.  Here is an example.  Notice the balancing of the feet while quilting.  

My ever present reminders to enjoy everything in life.  

Lastly, let yourself try things in real time.  Let the imperfections that grow less with practice be your go forward in learning.

Feathers have been my mountain, so I thought.  I think I am now part way up the mountain.  And today's talk to self has given me to me a boost from behind.  Have a great day.  Laugh with me or at me but laugh.