{Quilting 101} Quilting Perfectionism - Truth or fabricated myth?

We all strive for perfection, but sometimes perfectly imperfect is perfectly fine! Enjoy the art of quilting and create what you love to the best of your ability. 

Perfectionism is an illusion we create, and it really saps the fun out of our quilting journeys. We expect perfection in ourselves and others, when in reality nothing is perfect - perfectionism is a fabricated myth (pun intended)!

Striving for perfection creates hurdles, depletes confidence, sets unrealistic standards, fosters a toxic mindset, and alters our appreciation for our own work as well as the work of others.

Andy Warhol said " Let everyone else decide if its good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art."  Let the critics have their moment and keep on creating!

What if we let go of the idea of perfection and aimed for excellence in our abilities instead? What if we acknowledged our achievements and embraced perfectly imperfect? What if we channeled our inner child and simply had fun?

If you're new to this craft I love so much, or you're feeling intimidated to even begin, I hope these lighthearted tips give you the confidence to enjoy your own quilting journey!

Strive for excellence, not perfection:

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act, but a habit." - Will Durant

Consistency is the key to honing our craft, but don't put the seam ripper too far out of reach - we all have bad sewing days no matter how long we've been quilting.

Excellence can be measured in our courage to learn new skills, our vision and methods for bringing ideas to life, and our resilience to bounce back from our mistakes. Your skills are unique, so embrace every project you create, warts and all.

On those difficult sewing days, simply walk away and try again later - problems are resolved when you and your machine give each other a little space! ;)

Show yourself some grace, strive for your very best, encourage yourself, and celebrate your achievements!  But most importantly, enjoy the process!

Stop pointing out mistakes:

"When you aim for perfection, you discover it's a moving target." - George Fisher

Whenever I show my work to anyone, I instantly point out all the mistakes or go into a spiel about how I could have done it better. It's obviously a knee jerk reaction to potential criticism - if I say it first, then no-one else can point it out to me, right?

No one sees your work as closely as you do, and they wouldn't have noticed that wobbly seam if you hadn't shone the spotlight on it. There's no reason to volunteer this information. It doesn't reflect the love you've sewn into every seam, or the passion you have for creating.

Be proud of what you have achieved! 

Stop comparing yourself to others:

"Don't compare yourself to anyone else in this world. If you do so, you are insulting yourself." - Bill Gates

We hear this all the time, and it's true! We're all at different levels in our quilting journey and our creative backgrounds are varied. So why do we compare ourselves to others?

Social media is designed to make us feel inadequate, so use it for inspiration purposes only. Sometimes it's a great tool, but ultimately its only showing the best side of everything or the best angle, the best lighting etc. - people are clever with photography!

Fill your social media feeds with accounts that inspire you. They don't have to be quilt related, I find inspiration in nature and gardens, motivational feeds, English country homes, design and pretty aesthetic accounts - I follow very few quilting accounts. 

Social media doesn't show the reality of everyone's creative journey, so stop comparing and let your own skills grow with time, patience and love for your craft.

The Quilt Police do not exist:

"Strive for continuous improvement, instead of perfection." - Kim Collins

Nope! No one's coming to knock on your front door and tell you you're doing it wrong. You're free to learn, grow, play and sew quilts to be treasured for a lifetime.

Remember, a pattern is only a suggestion so if you have to make an adjustment, bravo for taking the initiative! If you have to fudge a block to make it fit, bravo for being resourceful! If you're quilting lines are a little wonky, bravo for quilting that baby yourself!

Unless you ask for it, judgement is unnecessary and should be reserved for quilt shows only! When you enter your work, you literally sign up to receive constructive criticism on your skills, techniques, design and composition, and this helps you grow as a quilter. Otherwise, people's opinions are just opinions - keep doing what you love!

Perfectly imperfect:

"The man with insight enough to admit his limitations comes nearest to perfection." - Johann Wolfgang von Goeth

The key is deciding exactly who we are creating for. Are we quilting to impress others on social media or are we creating heirlooms to be cherished by family and future generations?

Antique quilts give me all the inspiration I need. They were made out of necessity and often completed by multiple people with varying skill levels, making them perfectly imperfect!

Every quilt tells a story and it's not perfect seams, sharp points or tiny hand quilting stitches. Some express political views, memorialize a loved one, celebrate a milestone or event, or were made purely to survive the elements.

Take a look at some antique quilts for yourself. They are all perfectly imperfect!

 

Finished is better than perfect:

"Have no fear of perfection - you'll never reach it." - Salvador Dali

If you've ever had a child standing over you repeating "is it finished yet?" for the hundredth time, you'll appreciate finished it better than perfect.

There's a valuable lesson to be learned here - they don't care if it's not perfect, they just want their quilt!

They will love it, sleep under it, drag it around the house, make forts with it, take it to every sleep over and they won't let you wash it for fear it will never be the same again! 

Kids don't judge or criticise, and they're a huge confidence booster.  Every quilt you make, makes you a better quilter, so let go, create and watch your skills grow!

If it looks good from a galloping horse:

"It is my experience that you can nearly always enjoy things if you make up your mind firmly that you will." L.M.Montgomery

It's all about perspective! It's hard to be objective when we look at things too closely or too critically!

Stand back (way, way, way back) and look at it through fresh (squinted) eyes. ;)

Does it look beautiful now it's lying on the bed? Has the quilting given you that lovely definition? Can you even see the points when it's thrown casually over the couch? 

From this perspective, your quilt looks amazing right? Neat trick, eh?

Perfectionism holds us back, creating incredibly high standards, expectations and specific ideas about our desired outcome. It drains our confidence and clouds those important learning opportunities every project presents.

Striving for excellence helps us accept the challenges throughout our quilting journey, and it's more productive, easier to achieve and it doesn't hold us back. 

Creativity is meant to give us the freedom to express our individuality and imagination, so make it fun, and let go of the idea of perfectionism - it's only a fabricated myth after all! :)

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Happy quilting :)