Sunday, June 29, 2008

Sunday Stash Report

I was all set to put this strippy on the frame this afternoon and discovered I had... no backing. Rummaging around in the stash earlier in the week, I realized I have a disproportionate number of pieces of fabric that are a half yard or less and tons of fat quarters. This is not particularly helpful for quilts like these strippies, borders, or backings.

It was this fact that brought me to Marden's where I bought, oops! not 18, but 22 yards of fabric, a little more than I realized. I did cut out 6 strippies that are all ready to assemble for a total used this week of 15 yards.

But back to the backing, I finally managed to locate two pieces of muslin I can seam for the backing, but it would really be stretching it to find enough for 5 more strippies. So I made the monumental decision to buy a bolt of muslin from Hancock's. I already got tired of worrying about where the next piece of batting was going to come from and piecing together batting scraps, so I bought a whole roll of Warm and Natural at a 50% off sale at JoAnn Fabrics about a month ago. A bolt of muslin should keep me in backings for a while. I don't know whether to count that as a stash addition or not, so I guess I'll worry about that later.

Here's the Stash Manager's Report:

Fabric used this week: 15 yards
Fabric used year to date: 97-3/8 yards
Fabric added this week: 22 yards
Fabric added year to date: 162-5/8 yards
Net year to date: - 65-1/4 yards

Still headed in the wrong direction, but that's nothing new, is it?

This afternoon I went to the Maine Machine Quilters chapter meeting, their last for the summer. There were about a dozen ladies in attendance, most longarm owners with five or less years of experience, and just a couple midarm owners, like me. It was primarily a business meeting, with not much discussion about machine quilting particularly.

At some earlier time the machine quilters worked on a small challenge project, each quilter working on her own; and the finished quilts were presented for the first time to the group today. Each participant used the identical pattern and fabrics for her quilt, so the only thing that was different from one quilt to the next was how each person quilted it. Upon close inspection, there were wobbles in the quilting, lines that weren't perfectly parallel, lines of quilting that crossed over where they weren't supposed to--and it was all just beautiful. I am a perfectionist by nature, but looking at those quilts today made me realize that this is *hand guided* machine quilting. The very nature of it means there will be imperfections, so I shouldn't be so hard on myself when I wobble off that pantograph line or when I zigged instead of zagged. That was probably the most valuable lesson I learned today. There can only be so many Linda Taylors or Diane Gaudynskis in the world, and I won't be one of them; but if I can make my work resemble these ladies' work today, I'll consider my venture into the world of machine quilting a success.

7 comments:

Amanda said...

That is so heartening to hear. I always beat myself up about the imperfections in my work, but other people never seem to notice them unless they look VERY hard, and then they don't seem to think it matters anyway.

Gina said...

My ethic is that if it looks nice, then who cares.
My hubby once told me not to think of them as mistakes but as design changes. That's become my story and I'm sticking to it.

Love and hugs Gina xxx

Lurline said...

Sue, I always wondered how you used so much fabric - now I know seeing you are a longarm quilter. I bet you are a good one, too - we are always our own worst critics and being a perfectionist doesn't make it any easier- I know as I am one, too - so, please be kind to yourself!
'Bye for now - Lurline.

Evelyn aka Starfishy said...

Great color combo for that strippie!!! Most of my fabric is also shorter pieces and I have to plan ahead to buy the background fabric to start a project... then when I get that done I buy the border, binding and backing fabric usually all at once... but now I have a small stack of finished tops that need just backings - so I have a little list for next time I go by Marden's!

Don't be too hard on yourself about your quilting... I always figure it is better to be "skilled" a bunch of stuff but not necessarily "perfect". I always say - I can do such and such, but Martha Stewart I am not (nor do I have her big staff, LOL!).

And - the kids are just going to LOVE your strippies!!! I KNOW my little 5 year old boy would get a kick out of that buggy fabric!!!

Cheers!
Evelyn

Beth French said...

I think we are all apt to be too hard on ourselves, trying to be perfect. It is so stressful, and no fun at all. Let's celebrate our creativity and leave perfection to the machines! Love your strippy.

Pat at Bell Creek Quilts said...

What a cute strippie...one any child will LOVE!

I agree with Gina, as you grow in your quilting experience, you will have many design opportunties! not mistakes :) A little wobble here, off the line a tad there...no one will know,except you!

Candace said...

I've just been looking through your blog beginning with 'Saturday On The Bay', and you sure have a lot of beautiful quilts. We all want to do our best and try to improve, but you can sure be proud of what you have done.