Monday 11 February 2013

Take your time....

Over the last few weeks I have had some interesting lessons.

Learners have been coming along with their own materials and ideas - which I embrace, I think making something you will treasure is the most important thing...



But I have also had people who, despite never having made a quilt, have very strong opinions as to how a quilt is made.

I have been quilting a long time, and I accept I still have things I would like to learn, but I do know the fundamentals of quilting - I dream in quilt design!

I know how to patchwork, how to make the quilt sandwich, how to quilt and then bind the quilt.

If I didn't my quilts wouldn't last long and I won't feel able to pass on those skills!

However I have been asked a lot about how to get there quicker, how to rush a process that takes time... almost as if people should be able to download the skills like an App and be able to get amazing quilts in 5 minutes...



A lot of people understand that quilting is like any other hobby - skills grow through practice and time.

Others seem to have no concept that it doesn't work like that. These are the 'rushers' to me. People who see the end goal, but don't want to put in the work to get there.

I have no magic wand that will get you perfect points, it is practice and cutting precision.

No, I can't teach you perfect free motion quilting in 6 hours. It take patience, practice on scraps and time...

Quilting is like any other skill in life, you get better as you practice.

And you more than likely will make a mess of things whilst you get used to the process and your sewing machine, but each bodge is a step closer on the journey to learning the skill.

So if you are a 'rusher', stop rushing - you will get there quicker by taking your time and learning how to do it properly!

Linking up with the Let's Get Acquainted link up on Bold Goods blog.

Plum and June

3 comments:

  1. You already seem to have made the link... everything else in the world is available via technology... the only thing that you can't download is the HOURS it takes to learn a craft!!

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  2. Hi, I'm visiting from the Monday link up. I think this such sound advice. The other side of it is that people don't respect/aren't prepared to pay for beautiful handcrafted items because they don't appreciate the time and skill that goes into making them.

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  3. You are so right. Good things take time and hard work. Learn one skill today another tomorrow, by the end of only one year you will have 365 new skills. Think of how quickly a large chunk of time goes!

    Sure it's an investment of time, but that time goes fast.

    Beautiful quilting. :)

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