FFF Perfection

Perfection is a flawless state where everything is exactly right. It can also be the action of making something perfect.  Since perfect things are without fault or flaw, perfection is a perfect condition — everything is 100% great. Of course, perfection is hard to find. People often use this word as a compliment for something that just couldn’t be better, as in “That red dress matches your red hair to perfection!” Also, if a musician is getting a song down pat, you could say she’s working on the perfection of the song: she’s learning to play it flawlessly.

The above is from the definition found at Vocabulary.com.

I strive for perfection in my violin playing, knowing I will never achieve it.  Playing something in tune, rhythmically correct AND with dynamics, perfect?  When you are so nervous your hands are shaky and sweaty?  Not happening. I want my performance to be the best I have played it.  Concentration is a big part.  Being in the “Now”.  When you are there, it is heaven.  Nothing but what you are doing right now, no “little voices” saying “WRONG”, no husbands wondering what’s for dinner, no worrying about the audience, no future thinking and no past thinking.  Does that make sense?  I don’t even realize I am “there” until after the performance.

Don’t know if I have achieved this with sewing.  Maybe once or twice, when I look up and go, wow, it’s time for dinner!

During this high focus on the “now” I don’t worry about how perfect it is.  It just “is”.  I’ve never known it to be bad.  So instead of perfection, I’m looking for the focus on the present.  I would like to experience it more with sewing, and then I can look at my accuracy after and see if it’s better, same or worse.  I’ve said this before I’m not hung up on my accuracy in quilting, tho, I am working on it.  Especially when I do only one block, like for the birthday blocks in my bee.  I do sew a little straighter than I used to, so my quilts lay a little flatter.  I do tend to rip out and redo more than I used to.  But I really like riding a galloping horse.  Everything looks lovely from the back of a galloping horse!

God Bless!

UFO Saturday

Texas Two Step

Hello Friends,

The Texas Two-Step that I’m working on requires a lot of little pieces sewn together.  Normally, I would chain stitch these.  But this past week, I’ve used them as beginners and enders for Josiah’s t-shirt quilt and Wyatt’s baby quilt.

Two pieces to sew.

I need 30 to complete the quilt.  This past week, I have 10, yea.  Only 20 more to go.  I almost didn’t do this, because I would have to figure out what needed piecing and then prep work for sewing.  Which actually did not take all that much time.  And then with me moving my machine at least twice a week, I would have to restart, and then there’s the accuracy issue.  When I fix a seam, I don’t need a beginner or ender.  It usually ends up getting in the way.  SO many excuses!  Well, I shushed those voices and just “got it done”.  Now, I’m 10 pieces closer to the end of my “next action”!

So even though I haven’t actively worked on a UFO, I have made a little progress!

10 pieces ready for the next step!

Hope your UFO’s are moving toward completion!  Happy Quilting, Mary

Technique Tuesday

Happy Mardi Gras, friends!

Have you ever made a King Cake?  It’s pretty fun and maybe in 2015 I will give it another try.  I do have a beaded headdress that I wear on Fat Tuesday.  It’s really cool.  It’s another yucky day here in Houston and yesterday was so pretty.  Oh well, Spring is on the way.

I did some little bitty one inch squares for a baby quilt and discovered I still have a LONG way to go for accuracy.  I cut 1 1/2″ strips, sewed them together into a 4 piece strip set. (4 strips sewn together) and then cut them at 1 1/2″.  Mix them up and sew together.You can see they are a little wonky.  My problem is I keep going from a 1/4″ to a scant 1/4″.  I know where the scant 1/4″ is on my machine, but the 1/4″ is a little more illusive.  I’m still not sewing straight and curving out or in on the seam line makes a huge difference in these 1″ squares.  Maybe I’ll try the technique my friend uses with her granddaughters.  Sew on lined paper without thread.

Here’s my plan, cut more 1 1/2″ strips, cut them in half, warm up on the lined paper, ( you thought I was kidding?)  Well it will show me where I’m crooking and maybe I’ll discover why.  Then sew another batch of strip sets.

I’ve been working on my action folder and decluttering, so much that I excluded sewing time, so I’m forcing myself to back off the next actions that are not quilting related and pick a few that are.  It seems to be working.  I feel better balanced.  My daily activities are still taking up a large portion of my day, as is my practicing for my next concert which is Sunday!  I still have to put out a few fires, but I’m getting better at getting things done in advance.

Thanks for stopping by and good luck with your Accuracy Quest!

Happy Quilting, Mary