When To Say "Enough Is Enough!"


This block is one of those in the "secret project". Hopefully using this one, lonely, example will not get me kicked out of the group, but it has a special place in my soul now. This is the block that has "sunk" my self-esteem and caused me days of frustration. There are small 'v' points on each piece at the center...that are made to form a neat little point on each section. Our leader is an amazing, highly talented, pattern drafter and her measurements are always spot on. I have made the block as directed with picture perfect results all the way as I sewed the blocks together.....until I began to join the sections at the center! I tried hand piecing and machine piecing...with the same results. After making four I decided that it was, after all, just a quilt block and so I decided to "solve my un-ability" problem with a masking circle at the center. I actually don't mind this look...but....

I was still frustrated. So. I decided to give it one more go and try EPP. Again, it all looked perfect , until I went to join my perfectly crafted inner points....

My point being that is is a good idea to know when you have been beaten by a block, a quilt, or design, or , really, anything in life. Perhaps beaten is not the best choice of words....perhaps I should say that it is good to know when to walk away and approach a problem by an alternate method. Time to accept that "done" is better, perhaps, than "perfect". I am fine with my results now. I tried everything that I could think of, checked and rechecked my seam allowances and pattern size, sewed carefully and slowly, read and re-read the directions......it was my "Ah Ha"! moment and I had to accept that for whatever reason this block was my personal "Waterloo". Hey! Being able to say that a quilt block is your downfall is not so bad!
I had been feeling stifled by too many current projects too. I am working on not one, but two copies of the "secret project" (up-to-date), one Applique BOM (I am almost up to date on that), The Farmers Wife 1930's (now 5 blocks behind) as well as my "potato chip" project, Glorious Hexagons. All well and good, but I was not doing anything just for fun and I had no time to make any clothes...which is something that I really miss.
SO.....decisions, decisions. My friend Janet "gave me permission" ...I asked for it....to let one of those projects slide for now and I will pick it back up when, and if, I felt like it. I need to make two small quilts for children and so, to celebrate, I picked Jenny Doan's (Missouri Quilt Company) fun, easy, pattern, "Jack'n'Jill". I have only bought one jelly roll in my quilting life...and, at this point, I had used a few of the strips...but I decided to use them all up for this project since it called for a jelly roll or 2.4" strips. My friend, Barb, had come up with another, similar, pattern using layer cakes, but since I did not have any of those either (well, I have one...but it's not what I would use for kids).
Can I just tell you what a relief it was to just zip through so mole blocks? I spent a couple of hours and almost have enough for a quilt.....love this!
Lessons that I have learned from quilting recently?
  • Know when to back off. Know when enough is enough!
  • Imperfection really is okay and done really is better than perfect (thank you to Brenda Papadakis and Dear Jane for this quote)
  • When it stops being fun - it is time to make decisions that will clear away stress, get you back to your happy place, restore your self-esteem and enable you to move in a positive, forward, direction.
  1. Have anyone had a similar "road block" project? What did you do?
  2. Have you learned any valuable life lessons from sewing and quilting lately? What?
And now...back to my regularly scheduled projects!







Comments

  1. I am in a similar boat. I have so many 'need to do' projects, I am losing sight of the 'fun' aspect of it all. But the alternative would be not to have any passions, which is even more terrible!

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  2. When I bump up against my Waterloo project, I set it aside and hope for the elves to come in, eat the cookies, and have it ready for me in the morning. (Hasn't worked yet, but I'm still hopeful.)

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