When I first began quilting I spent hours watching video tutorials on youtube, pinterest, and tv. Love of Quilting (Fons and Porter) on PBS, Leah Day fmq videos, Midnight Quilt Show (Angela Walters), and the queen...Jenny Doan of Missouri Star Quilt Company. My interest faded a bit on the first two but I am locked in on the latter two. Still.
I stocked up on precuts. I worshipped at the altar of half square triangles (in all five methods of sewing and cutting). I completely bought in that Quilting Is My Therapy and threads are my meds (Angela Walters). I would giggle and think to myself... "Yessssss. They are." For months I couldn't get "Hello my quilting friendssss" out of my head (Leah Day). Annnnd now it's back in my head. Grrrrr!! They made it all sound so easy! Surely I could do this quilt thang. And so it began...
BUT, just to be sure I was on the right track, I took a beginning class at Mineola League of Arts taught by Cousin Nancy (Gibson). It was an eye opener. I had to iron the fat quarters. I had to line up selvages and cut straight lines. Uh!?! And all with no wine or popcorn! Biggest lesson I learned? You can't use all medium color prints or you can't see the piecing. There were butterfly, windmill, and 8 pieces of pie blocks but it all just looked like a bright pink flower garden. I. Learned. A. Lot.
The video tutorials are great but they can't hold a candle to the helping hands of my friends in the TMQG! There's as much or more quilting knowledge in our guild than there is on youtube. And it can answer questions. Live! In real time! Lol! With snacks! I don't even have to ask anymore. It seems the guttural growls and pained moans I make when frustrated at myself, my sewing machine, or a sewing technique are a dead giveaway that I might need a bit of assistance. They speak, or at least can interpret, my language.
Now I'm a conglomeration of "stuff I've learned." To know how far I've come I'd have to show you my first quilt and that ain't gonna happen. I live by the words of my she-ro, Angela Walters..."Finished is better than perfect." Is that not the best? "Free your mind and the rest will follow!" (En Vogue lyrics from the 80s) Lol!
Come hang out with us on Sew Day. You'll see.
When the world around you isn't kind, you can be. Always Choose Kind.
-Angie Clemons
"Finished is better than perfect. Finished is better than perfect. Finished is bet..."
Yes. Yes. Yes. My bus monitor has a saying T.I.L which means "Today I Learned" and this is most appropriate in the quilting. I'm glad you feel TMQG has something to offer. Thank you Angie for your great blogs.
ReplyDeleteLOURVE it! I learn new stuff all the time and am so glad that I found all you Quilty people. God placed you in my life at the right time.
ReplyDeleteAlas Angie, I am in the same boat. When I retired I looked at every BOOK, bought BOOKS, more BOOKS and still more BOOKS! Did I say BOOKS about quilting? I outgrew my double bookcase. Then I met Queen Jenny and my life changed. Toodle loo books, they went to the drs April bookfair and I became You Tube obsessed. If they can do it, so can I. But truth is, even though I am a longtime (LONG TIME = OLD) garment sewist, I learned so much. And am still learning. From You Tube, from TMQG, from friends, classes, everywhere. Just took a class on Free Motion Quilting too. Still scared of it. But I will get there. With the support of friends, like you said, you speak the truth. Choose kind. That's all that matters.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the grin!
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