We were standing in front of one of the shop’s samples, a charming card trick quilt. The owner of the shop remarked that it seemed that the quilt, designed by someone who was normally known for her clever ways of piecing, was made in the most difficult way possible, and that to simply break it down into more basic units would allow a much easier path for piecing.
I shared the story of a design that took me three tries to get right. It was not until I laid out the finished first version (bed sized, of course) that I saw that I had made it in the hardest possible way. So many points to match, biases and tiny pieces that put seams where no seam was needed.
So I rewrote the pattern and remade the sample. At first I felt foolish for not seeing the simplicity of the design. I truly had lost the forest for the trees. Thinking now that I had finally arrived at a clever and simple piecing method to create the desired effect, I spread the second version of the quilt on the living room floor for admiration.
I ran up the stairs to get a better look and froze. If I had only tipped the design on point! Even the simple piecing of the second version seemed needlessly difficult. For criminy sakes!
The first two versions of the quilt were added to the “yes, you may use this quilt” cupboard. The pattern was rewritten yet again, finally, and that’s the design that became a pattern.
As I was telling the shop owner this story it slowly dawned on me. With all the traveling I’ve been doing I haven’t had the time to make mistakes, let alone correct them. For the few quilts I’ve designed in the last couple of years, I’ve had to stick with tried and true. Deadlines don’t mesh well with innovation.
For years I’ve been saying that I need to travel less. But I’ve always felt that teaching is my true calling. Not to mention that it’s a big source of my income. It’s such an honor to be invited to teach that it’s very hard for me to say no.
I also love writing, and designing and sewing. Oh, how I miss sewing! I have these ideas in my head about fun things to do with my applique, quilts that I’d love to make, techniques I’d like to explore, products I’d like to bring to market. Not to mention the grandbabies I need to snuggle and children that are growing up and away who need to be savored while they are still nearby. And the husband I’d really like to run off with someplace to have an “illicit affair”.
So, I’m putting it out in the universe. I’m drawing a line in the sand. No more teaching trips will be booked into 2012. Too late to travel less, next year is now totally closed. And only a few more, maybe five, six tops, added into 2013. Unless, of course, the offer is too good to pass up.
This entry was posted on Wednesday, August 31st, 2011 at 9:12 am and is filed under General Silliness, writing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
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