We’ve all been there. All this time has been spent choosing fabric, cutting and matching seams exactly as the pattern indicates, and carefully pressing for crisp and clean seams, only for points to be cut off or seams not to line up. Of course we want it to match the beautiful picture in our heads and turn out just right. The reality is, things don’t always go as planned.
Sometimes the seams don’t line up, points get cut off, or the fabric may shift. If the seams aren’t perfect, we may find ourselves reaching for that seam ripper to try again. Once while I was assembling simple blocks that make up the main block for Broken & Beautiful, I accidentally cut into one of the white squares while working on a different project. The cut was at least a quarter inch in length. I knew if I left it be, it would potentially ruin the rest of the quilt top after being quilted. I pulled out my seam ripper and ended up replacing the white square with spare I had on hand. Now, I’m not sure if I could pick out which square was replaced.
To be fair, not every mistake will need fixing. Sometimes no matter how hard we want to line up those seams better or get those perfect points, it’s really not worth your time or efforts. Structural issues like the rotary cutter mishap mentioned above definitely need addressing. However, small imperfections can probably stay. I’ve been there—I want it to turn out perfectly, but at the end of the day, the only one who will really notice the error is me! Haha. I don’t think I’ve ever made a quilt for someone who says “Um, Jess… these seams don’t line up.” Or “What happened to the point in this section?” Seriously, take a deep breath and accept the imperfections as proof that it’s handmade by a human (that’s right—you are human) and that the quilt you are making will still be LOVED and cherished. Whatever pattern you decide to tackle, just do your best and forget the rest. ;)
Click Broken & Beautiful above to learn more about her.
Have you checked out the story behind Broken & Beautiful yet? If not, check it out! Kintsugi highlights the idea and beauty behind imperfections wonderfully. With quilts, the fact that it’s imperfect just shows that it is handmade. If you were to add up all the costs of making a quilt—it adds up pretty fast. The fact that someone would not only spend that kind of money and time putting all that love into something handmade. That says so much about the maker of that quilt.
I would say that it’s easy to get hyper focused on the end product that we forget about the journey of creating, itself. Every quilter is unique, from their individual style and tastes to how they approach their creativity. That’s what I love most about the quilting community. It’s quite diverse and yet also mutually beneficial. Let’s not forget how one fabric pull can completely change the look of the pattern than another fabric pull. Each variation at the maker’s discretion makes each quilt a one-of-a-kind.
Truly, a quilt doesn’t have to be perfect to be beautiful and full of meaning. Please don’t let perfectionism keep you from creating. A friend once told me a story of a potter’s class. Half of the class was told to make as many pots as they could for the semester. The other half of the class was told to make a few pots but give it their all for each one. At the end of the semester, each student potter was asked to create a pot for their final exam. Want to guess which group of potters had the pots with the best quality? The pottery students who made many pots vs a few had the better quality pots. It is safe to say perfectionism is overrated? If you find yourself falling into the perfectionist trap, remember why you started quilting in the first place.
We're making quilts, not striving for perfection. There's a whole lot of beauty in that.