Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Good enough?

Are you a "good enough" quilter? Or a perfectionist in your piecing?  
I am working on a mostly low volume top that will probably end up in some sort of floating nine-patch.
Happy pile waiting to be pinned
Because I am really pretty new to quilting, I read a lot of quilting world blogs and I adore them.  They are so inspiring with their gorgeous mix of colors and inventive design ideas.  I'm definitely not there yet so I'm just working on the basics of piecing, basting and quilting. But I am in love with the process and get a huge sense of satisfaction as the pieces build and it all starts to come together.  
Perfect Points (sorry about the terrible fuzzy picture!)
How do you get to be that good and quilt such beautiful art?  By putting a lot of hours into the craft!  So my question is: Do you recommend that beginners piece until experience breeds perfection? OR do you recommend that beginners focus on the details, unpick and rework mistakes, and the experience will come?  And how big a mistake warrants getting that handy tool out to pick those stitches?
Pucker in the navy blue too much?

Are those points close enough?

Linking up with Fabric Frenzy Friday at Fort Worth Fabrics, I Quilt Thursdays at Pretty Bobbins (see sidebar) and Let's Bee Social at Sew Fresh Quilts (see sidebar).
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8 comments:

  1. Jenn @ A Quarter Inch from the EdgeJuly 30, 2014 at 6:31 PM

    It's a pretty rare day when I rip out stitches... it's just not that fun! Sometimes it's altogether necessary, like if a block is plain 'ole wrong, but for minor imperfections, I usually leave them. Once the entire quilt is finished, you rarely see little things. That said, if it's really off or seems like something that's going to bug you forever, rip it. The seams on the blocks you've shown above look quilt precise to me. As a new quilter, has someone taught you about nesting your seams? It really helps with precision. I've also been experimenting with glue basting (I hate using pins). Might be something to check out...

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  2. DayquiltJuly 30, 2014 at 6:37 PM

    I think it depends on your own personal preference! And, of course, what the final use will be for the quilt. If it's going to be a picnic, baby, snuggle quilt, mismatched points (or puckers!) won't matter much. In fact, unless it's going to be judged, they don't matter at all. Done is better than perfect. Make sure you finish a few things so you continue to love the process, don't get bogged down on perfect unless it really matters to YOU.

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  3. Lisa J.July 30, 2014 at 7:50 PM

    My experience is the more you quilt the better you get. I only rip out things that are really obvious. If you are giving quilts to non quilters they are usually impressed no matter what they look like. Your points are great.

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  4. LeaJuly 31, 2014 at 1:05 PM

    I used to pick apart every little mistake. Not so much anymore. Sure if something is glaring at me I'll take it apart. I guess it depends on how you feel about it. If it will bother you than take it apart. In time as your grow as a quilter and your work improves you will look back on your previous work and see how far you have come. :-)

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  5. Chantal ThibodeauJuly 31, 2014 at 2:25 PM

    It looks very good. I will correct the pucker. I wil do nothing for the last picture. A lot of "a little bit misaligned" seams will not be noticible once the quilt is quilted. Especially if you quilt in the ditch: you will stich across the middle of the intersection, and it will become perfect. I just bought a new package of pins, they are extra fine, and they really help to have better accuracy. @Jenn is talking about glue basting, that could be it (I prefer pinning to glue, you have to do it next to the iron, not in the couch...). I took a clss on Craftsy that is called "Precision Piecing". Part of it is about paper foundation piecing but the class also covers other tricks for matching seams (I bought my finer pins after taking that class).

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  6. Lara B.August 1, 2014 at 10:03 AM

    Michele, you have set off on a creative journey that will provide you with many happy hours and it is also good therapy! Your piecing looks great! Now, you know how that navy square has some puckers? Just steam iron that baby into submission! LOL I truly mean that! It's just a little pucker and no big deal. Even with the most award winning quilters, experience does not breed perfection, so please don't wait for that. The best way to have fun with quilting and to learn the fastest is to push yourself a little, but at the same time, relax and not expect things to be perfect. My theory is that if a quilter is not friends with their seam ripper, then they must not be challenging themselves enough.

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  7. Vicki in MNAugust 1, 2014 at 1:01 PM

    I think you are doing pretty good for a beginner-just keep going, practice does wonders.Enjoy the process! If something really bugs you then you probably want to take the time to take it apart-plus nice flat quilts make it much easier to quilt it!

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  8. Deb @ Frugal Little BungalowOctober 8, 2014 at 10:54 AM

    My seam ripper is my best friend / I always say that I have little talent but lots of persistence, but I don't expect my stuff to be perfect...I just try hard and that's the best that anyone can do....practice and enjoyment is what counts :)

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