SOmething to remember about swaps and stressing over them

[Evie]

The beauty in a quilt is the love that goes into making it. So, therefore, all our quilts are beautiful and works of art.

[Peaches]

Great comments ladies. I have been agonizing over my Christmas blocks and all their imperfections. In fact, I had one that was so bad, I recut and tried it again, but it too was a disaster. I gave up and sent them both together with a little poem I wrote as a way of apoligizing for all their imperfections. I'd share it here, but didn't save a copy. Thanks for putting this in perspective.

[SewSew]

Thanks for posting this Iowagal. When I first joined this forum my piecing skills were not the best (that is why I love to applique) and I agonized in the first swap I joined. Then the first round robin came around and I was worried whether others would consider my work "good enough", with my choice of fabric and colors. Luckily, everyone was happy and I recieved many compliments.

Starting this second round robin, I have really stressed that this is about acceptance of other peoples work, sharing, expanding creativity and quitling techniques. Tearing someone appart for trying is not what we should be about especially if we want to make sure that others carry on the traditions we hold so dear.

[lorettav]

Thanks for sharing. So what if they have some imperfections, we as quilters know how much love and time went into making them. I love everyone I get and I will make them into a quilt to be displayed on my sofa with the names on the back so I can remember who they came from.

Loretta

[Cathy32078]

Loretta you need to join the Autograph Swap.

IowaGal Thanks for posting this. We need to NOT stress over anything if we can keep from it. I mean, this is to be enjoyable. Nobody is perfect! But I would bet that we would all rather have a block made with love from a Quilting Sister, than a block made perfectly by a stranger. Some of us are guilty of being a perfectionist & we need to lighten up and just enjoy the process. Off my Soap Box for the day. LOL

[Littlebit]

Thank you for posting this - It was the deciding factor in me joining the autograph quilt square exchange!!

[CoyoteQuilts]

I always remember that a quilt does not have enough love without a 'mistake' in there some place. Just like all of you, we can find every stitch that is bad in our own works of art, but others can't.

[Evie]

I remember watching Fons and Porter and Liz saying that if she makes a mistake, she purposely makes another one so it would look like she meant to do that!

Also, when she does "feathers" on machine quilting, she purposely does not make them even or the same size that way it won't be apparent that one is a little off.

[MsSewNSew]

Thanks for a great post! Ditto on everything said here! It is the love that goes into a quilt that shows the most, not the stitches, not the crooked quilting, not the boo-boos! My kids sometimes get my rejects (actually ask for them!) and they love them. They only see the love, not the mistakes.

[busyhands125]

Reading this reminded me that the other day a my favorite quilt shop in the middle of no mans land, A woman who was 60 yrs old and it was a very overly large quilt top that all the family members helped and her church group put together for her . It was a size that would cover a king maybe or queen all the way to floor. Anyway one of the members' and this woman brought the top in to be quilted. It has baskets, and every block was signed,dated,etc. She was suppose to pick out a backing . When she showed it she said it was too big, she turned her nose up , and stated she didn't care how they did it.She said she would never use it or did not know where she was even going to put it due to been to big. The woman who helped make and sewed the top and was also paying for quilting really had her heart and soul ripped out from those comments. So is someone,family,a club,church members takes the time to make you a special quilt,signed or not, My mama always said if you can not say something nice then don't say anything. This woman should have shut up ,all who made it hear her complain she did not like it.
So IowaGal that Kim is right.
busyhands125