Saturday, July 29, 2006

Guild

Friday I went to my guild meeting where Sally Collins was the guest lecturer. Her work is quite impressive and she went out of her way to not be judgmental but she really preaches perfection in quilting. Not something I aspire to. While I'm not an advocate of sloppy work I don't get overly concerned about imperfections. I think that I make pretty nice quilts and as long as I'm learning new techniques and improving as I go along I'm happy.

One of the things that I really enjoy about the guild are the lectures from nationally know quilters. I haven't taken any of the classes - they don't particularly interest me but I love the lectures and seeing all the quilts they bring to show.

9 comments:

just jenn said...

I'm glad that I am not the only one who is not a perfectionist. Yes, I care about my quilts and I like them to look nice but I am not all crazy about undoing an entire row if it's off a sliver. That just means I am not perfect and it is humbling.

Bonnie said...

Yes, I agree about Sally Collins. I love her work and her quilts - but perfection is not for me.

Darlene said...

I don't aspire to perfection either. I quilt for fun and relaxation and aspiring to perfection would just cause stress. I'm a worrier about other things in life I certainly don't want or need to worry about my quilting. LOL Like you I don't think I'd want to take classes from nationally known teacher however I do enjoy their trunk shows!

Sweet P said...

I definitely don't seek perfection in my quilting. My real day job often requires perfection in numbers and it drives me crazy. That's why I love quilting, a little imperfection here and there doesn't ruin the whole quilt.

The Calico Cat said...

DITTO!

The Calico Cat said...

I forgot... Sally's Heart to Heart (probably in a bigger size) has been on my to do list for quite a while!

Shelina said...

I go back and forth about the perfection thing. My mother is a perfectionist and likes to make things really well. She told my then-eight-year-old daughter she should have hemmed the first Barbie dress she ever made.

Sometimes being accurate is important - errors will cause you lots of problems further down the line, especially if you are making a dear jane or the tiny blocks from Sally's book (can't remember the title).

Other times I just want to do something free form and not care if the seams match - like a jeans crazy quilt, a shaggy quilt, etc, where errors are part of the charm.

So for those perfection quilts, I will rip out errors and try twice. If I can't fix it the second time around, it is staying in as is.

I alternate with the perfection quilts with the no care quilts that don't rip out anything. If I can't sew over my error (without ripping), it is staying in!

Linda C said...

I don't think any of us want to be sloppy in our work but there is an acceptable level in each of us that says when it is time to rip and try again or it's fine, leave it. Like Shelina, if it doesnt want to come around to my way of thinking after I take it out twice, then it stays and hope it quilts out.

Still, Ms. Collins probably had her reasons for stressing accuracy.

I would hope that we all strive to do our best work and grow as quilters with each project but not so much that it becomes a chore.

McIrish Annie said...

Sally may be a perfectionist. But when I have doubts or need to know how to do some piecing technique, I go to her book. it's an excellent reference guide. I might not do what she says, but at least I look!!! LOL