The Small Things Make the Biggest Difference
Taking time and patience with each piece can create something truly beautiful.
8/6/20262 min read
Most days, when I sit down in my sewing studio to work on another quilt, I wish for a way to make the work go faster. I want to get to the finished piece quickly to enjoy the finished item. Working faster, however, leads to an art quilt that looks rushed and less than perfect.
While I want to work faster, I've learned over the years to slow down and enjoy the process of creating a new work of art.
Look at the two pieces below. Can you see the difference?
The image on the left is one of my first practice pieces. There are so many puckers that detract from what would otherwise be a beautiful piece. Those puckers were caused by fabric strips that were too wide, too short, not properly ironed, and then quilted in opposite directions.
The picture on the right is a piece that I made recently to document the process for my instructional manual. Over the years I have improved my style to address the puckers and creases. I sew more slowly and take the time to ensure that each strip lays flat as I am sewing and while ironing. Finally, when quilting, I no longer sew from both sides of a piece, I sew my quilt lines all from the same direction.
So, while we want to finish our projects faster, sometimes it's better to slow down and just enjoy the process.
Happy Quilting!