Can anyone relate to this????

[Terri]

I like to call myself a "confident" beginner, BUT I am such a perfectionist....that when I even think about begging to cut, sew, piece I get all nervous. Question my ability and end up putting it off. :-( I have had one beginner quilt class (actually two, took the same class twice!) and only finished the project from the first class. The second time I took the class (appx a yr later) the project was the same, and I bought beautiful (full price) fabric for the small wall hanging. Just before the third "installment" of the class I came down with the flu and never finished the project. I hated the way the stitch in the ditch looked, even though the shop owner (also the teacher) said it looked fine and I wound up throwing it away. Yes, it was stupid....I should have finished it and it would have looked good.

I get so out done with myself!! I want to quilt. I have always been a "crafty" type person.....I began sewing in 8th grade and made a lot of my clothes in high school & college....but then 4 boys in 5 yrs came along after I got married and sewing went by the wayside. I keep telling myself that "no one is perfect", that "no quilt is PERFECT" and that I can do it.

Any suggestions as to how to overcome this problem? I have purchased some gorgeous fabric for at least 4 or 5 projects....but all I have accomplished is one small top for a wall hanging. HELP???

[Jean Sewing Machine]

Sorry can't relate I just plunge forward and try to make lemonade out of lemons.

[Terri]

Thanks Jean! Plunge forward....lemonade out of lemons.....got it! :-)

[PeggyM]

Terri, I feel the same way you do. My boss once told me, don't let perfect get in the way of good enough.

[slamb13]

I remember someone saying on here that we look at our projects too up close and see all the flaws. Try stepping back and squint a little, then it all looks perfect!

Susan

[Terri]

@Peggy...that's a good one to remember, may need to write that really big on a piece of paper & hang it in my "sewing" room.

@Susan....yeah, the squinting thing DOES work....ever tried it with Christmas lights?? If you think you have empty spots or not enough lights on your tree, step back & squint....if it looks "even" and well distributed, it's all good. :-)

[quiltingtrish]

I kind of know where you are coming from. I wanted to make a 4 Patch Posey quilt for my one sister. She loved sage greens and buttery yellows. Do you know how hard it was to find the "perfect" shades of those colors? After a few years (yes years) of purchasing this sage or yellow in yards and yards of them - I ended up with not knowing which ones I wanted to use. First of all, you needed yards and yards of one fabric for the squares because you had to have a repeat so many inches apart and then you laid it out with 4 layers EXACTLY on top of each other. It kind of turns out like a kaliediscope (sp?) block. I kept putting off the cutting because what if I messed it up? She gets sick. Very sick. While waiting for an approval for a gall bladder MRI to be approved, she went in to a gall bladder attack which in turn made her collapse. While waiting for the next morning to have the gall bladder taken out, a gall stone popped out and hit her pancreas. Within minutes she was put on a ventilator for at least a week where her body was basically shut down. Her odds of survival? About 22%. I told her (even though she was out) that she had to get better because I had a quilt for her. I went home and grabbed some scrap fabric and practiced. About 3/4's of the way through, I ran out of the buttery yellow I used for the sashing. She got a king size quilt and uses it every night. Is every block perfect? No. Can you see the difference in the yellows? Yes. But when she throws it across herself, she doesn't see any of that. She sees the love and prayers that went into the making of it.

Are you making these quilts for judging in shows for money? Or are you making them because you like to make quilts? They can be a source of comfort, a source of your love, a source of warmth. If you come across a pattern that might seem difficult, use scrap fabrics to try a block or two. And if you use your 'good fabric' and mess up, it is only fabric. It is supposed to be relaxing to sew and I think too many people out there think that these quilts have to be perfect.

I'm not saying to not try to do well on a project, lordy knows I have my seam ripper close by. But, you will never be happy with any finished project if you have to be too perfect. I also think that a lot of new patterns happen because of cutting or sewing mistakes and the quilts turn out beautiful.

Did I mention that her quilt got a 1st place ribbon at the County Fair (even with it's mistakes).

Hugs,

[Jean Sewing Machine]

Thanks Jean! Plunge forward....lemonade out of lemons.....got it! :-)

You can do it, Terri! Love your name, it's my little sis's name, also!

Don't be self-critical to the point of putting you into a frozen mode. Use your self-criticism to say, "Next time, I'll do this better". It's a learning curve and everything isn't going to be perfect. If you want to practice, try simple patterns using less expensive fabrics, and if it doesn't turn out perfect, find a kid or a hospital or nursing home to donate your quilt to. I practice all the time on my quilts that I give to the PICU, using donated or inexpensive fabrics. Of course, this won't work if you are not able to donate because of funds, or lack of funds, but I enjoy doing this to do my perfecting of skills.

[Sharyn J]

Terri, we all started out as beginner quilters. Today, those who are new to the craft have the advantage of the internet, youtube, blog sites with instructions, MSQ forum, and helpful quilters here ready to share advice.

From many of the posts that I see here on the forum, I often think that newbies get in over their heads by selecting patterns that are too advanced or difficult for their skill level. It’s a good idea to conquer all the basics by practicing. No one is perfect; we all make goofs with our projects. It’s a learning process. Jenny has many MSQ tutorials that are easy. Start out with smaller projects, like a baby quilt, a table runner, or rug mugs.

I’ve attached a link that I think is an excellent source for basics. As you scroll down the page, you’ll note that there are quite a few short tutorials to cover most quilting questions. Practice is the key. Just dive in and do it! Have confidence. Each project will become better and better. Remember, only God can make the perfect quilt!

Diary of a Quilter - a quilt blog: Tutorials

[Fabriclovr]

We all started where you are, and with practice and time, our mistakes are still there, just not as noticeable as before. When we match a seam and the match is off, its not off by a quarter of an inch anymore, its off by 2 or 3 threads or right on, but it takes practice and learning the tricks. Accurate cutting and mastering your seams will come in time. These are not a mystery, just ask and someone will tell you an easy way to do what you are doing. Please don't get frustrated, and I know you will because I have been there many times, but frog it and try again.

Take the Christmas sock project on the groups tab. I tried 4 times to figure out how to get the lining on the inside with all of the seams enclosed! I finally sat down, did some research on the internet and had that "DUH!" moment. Once that happened, I was able to make 8 socks including making the pattern from scratch in about 4 hours. Now if someone had told me that you do it just like you make a vest, I could have saved myself 4 days of frustration......

So, all said and done, practice and perseverance and a lot of Joann's fabrics before you buy LQS fabrics at 12 bucks a yard.

As for stitching in the ditch, there is a foot that came with my Brother machine, it is the "R" foot for Blind stitching. I have several brother machines so I had several of this foot. I had my DH remove part of the bar that goes around the needle so now I have a 'guide' so to speak that rides right in the ditch. I set my needle position in the center, put the foot down in the ditch and go for it.

Sometimes a little thinking outside of the box is all that is needed. Keep looking ahead because every quilt after the one you just did, will be better because you learned from the mistakes you made.