FMQ Friday – Feathers and Pleats
It’s Friday and time to link up and share whatever we’ve quilted this week! Today I’m still getting lost in Swirling Feathers in the new video background quilt.
While this is certainly a lot of eye candy, I’ve decided to also shoot some photos of the many mistakes I’ve made in this quilt. Here’s a few pleats in the feathers in the left and right corners, probably created because I didn’t follow my own advice and stay within 1 inch of the edge:
Here’s a great example of imprecise travel stitching. There’s something about lighter fabric with darker thread that just shines a light right on every single tiny travel stitching mistake:
So why this showcase of mistakes?
The #1 purpose is to highlight the fact that I make mistakes every single day.
I’m quilting, therefore I’m making mistakes. This background isn’t perfect. If you came over right now and put your nose right up on it, you would see all sorts of interesting thread issues. I’m not perfect and I don’t quilt perfectly, especially when I’m in a hurry.
I’m not going to rip any of this stuff out. For one thing, none of these mistakes matter. They are insignificant and will not hurt the quilt in any way. If I had used a cotton batting with lots of shrink, these issues would be completely hidden in the folds of the shriveled quilt after it was washed.
Looking back at this quilt, I see how much I magnified these mistakes in my mind to make them seem bigger and more ugly and noticeable than they really were. Stepping back 5 feet, I can’t see a single one.
Ultimately this post has one point: go quilt. Don’t worry about the little mistakes. You can agonize over the little stuff, get all upset and pick every little thing out, and where will you get? You certainly won’t be able to get much quilting done with a seam ripper in your hand!
So what have you been up to this week? Let’s see your beautiful quilting, and yes! share mistakes or issues too if you have a photo!
Simple rules for the FMQ Friday link up:
1. Link up with a post that features something about Free Motion Quilting (FMQ).
2. Somewhere in your post, you must link back here, or you can just post the FMQF button in your sidebar.
3. Comment on at least a few of the other FMQF links. Share your love of free motion quilting and make this weekly link up a fun way to connect.
Let’s go quilt,
Leah Day
Funny how that happens right? It's amazing how many mistakes I see when my nose is on the machine. After it is washed and dried and I'm trying to point out those mistakes, they kind of disappear. Even to the mistake maker! It's what makes it handmade, special, and uniquely yours! Thanks for sharing your journey.
In reading your blog and taking your Craftsy class I have truly learnt to let go of little mistakes in my quilting. You have a way of making me believe that it's ok, and it truly is. I have to hunt to find the things that once bothered me now. Thank you 🙂
Love the feathers! I've been doodling them since you posted on facebook (after I went and found the video). I just cannot seem to fill space well 🙁
Feathers are definitely something I need to practice more. Yours are gorgeous.
I am so glad you wrote this post, Leah! I also agonize over mistakes, but generally the next day, I don't remember them, so, oh well!
I FWQ-ed the past two weeks. Yes there were mistakes but I'm not entering them in any quilt shows so I left them in for the most part. Wonky Hearts and feather borders with no Stitch regulator- No Fun!
Amen! Thanks you so much for your constant encouragement. FMQ Friday is the reason I do at least a little FMQ every week and, consequently, the reason I get a little better at it every week.
Thanks, Leah for being human! I am always agonizing over my little quilting mistakes. Although I don't usually pick them out unless they are major, either, they still bother me. Your feather quilting is glowingly beautiful, btw! I've been working on my feather quilting a lot lately, though I don't have anything to link up today. Have a super day!
Leah thanks for the encouragement. We get ourselves so caught up in being perfect that we forget to have fun! I worked way outside of my box on these pillows that I linked up. If it weren't for you I wouldn't have my awesome Janome or the confidence to give new things a try! Thanks for continuing to inspire!
Great points made in this post, Leah. You are sew right! Thanks for always being your self, saying what you think and encouraging us all to have more confidence and not so critical of our own work! I think we all do it….
Your feathers look awesome! I agree. I fuss and fuss and fuss over the little mistakes, then I hang up a quilt and they just seem to disappear when I step back and swallow the beauty of it!
The quilting looks great and if you didn't point them out they wouldn't be noticed, thanks for the reminder.
Leah, you are an angel…a human angel sent to tea h us all self confidence! Thank You!