Starting Over

There have been times when I didn't think I had enough energy to start my life over. Times, when something seemed so big and hard. Times when it seemed like I had made such a mess of things that nothing I could do would fix it or make it right. Then, I would wake up to the sunshine and the start of a new day. There is something safe and secure in knowing that each day is a fresh start where I get yet another chance to start over.

When I saw the backside of the Ghastley's Halloween quilt, my first thought was "oh well, I am still learning free motion quilting" and I started to think I could settle on it and it would be ok. 

I've done that a couple of times in my life. Settled. And it really doesn't work for me. While it is true, I need more practice and more skills at quilting, its just not right to have such a cozy back show up with random black threads poking through. Its distracting for others to see something or someone dysfunctional. I think they have a number of responses from tsk-tsking, to pity, to disrespect, and maybe even shame if it is someone has to make excuses for the object or the behavior. We take the slightest things personally.

One or two glitches might have been overlooked, however, there were several places of it in the center panel. I shook my head and decided that it wasn't about starting over with the entire quilt, just finding those few spaces to rip out and re-do. If anything, having more than a couple of glitches probably saved it and forced me to address the entire quilt, taking the steps to ensure it was good enough to ship out. Do we need to have a big crisis or an overwhelming situation before we do something about it? Maybe.

For the most part, it was turning out rather cute with the print. I was just outlining it with a sort of loose wave around things. I am quite sure that as my skills improve, I will produce a higher quality of quilts, and yet for someone at my stage, they please me.

Its going to be a fun throw for my eldest Granddaughter, who has a Hallows birthday. The colors are such that she can keep it out all year round anyway. I know that people will be drawn to touch the soft, cuddly back, and there will always be someone who touches it to notice black threads peeking through.

Sometimes things have been overwhelming to me, and the simple successes I have had in resolving those issues give me the fortitude to take this project on and make it right...make it good enough for my standards, and good enough to have my Granddaughter feel proud of the work that is on back.

No one else will know that I ripped threads out and re-did it. I do. My simple lesson for this day is "just do it".