How do I overcome the fear of ruining a quilt top/making
mistakes while quilting?
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| every blog post needs a picture, so here is a cute one of my buddy Moose hanging out in the sunshine, he isn't afraid of free motion quilting, but baths totally freak him out! |
Recently I posted on my
Facebook page that I was wondering
how all the new fans and followers of my
book were doing and what questions
they had about quilting that I might be able to help with.
I got two questions and both shared the same
theme.
"How do I get over the fear of making a mistake?"
"How do I get over the fear of ruining a quilt
top?"
It seems there are definitely some of you out there that are
really struggling with this- and to hear that makes me a little sad, because
really quilting is supposed to be fun, free motion quilting is included in
that, and to hear fear is keeping someone from enjoying quilting- well that
isn't a good thing! So I thought even
though only two asked, that likely many more were struggling with the same
fear, so what better then to face our fear, address the issue- and well, get
over it- which is the ultimate goal!
First let's think about what fear is-
Fear is defined "a distressing emotion aroused by
impending danger, evil, pain, etc., whether the threat is real or imagined; the
feeling or condition of being afraid" on Dictionary.com
So how that relates to free motion quilting- "the
distressing emotion aroused by the perceived impending threat that your
quilting won't be good enough, that you might make a mistake, that your
imperfect stitches may ruin an otherwise perfect quilt top etc."
Okay, so now we know what we are afraid of- "the perceived
impending threat of failure".
Good news is, we as humans are born risk takers, and if the
threat of failure ever really stopped us from doing things, we wouldn't have
come very far as a society or species.
We take risks every single day.
You get in a car, you take a flight, you bring children into the world,
you apply for a new job, you move to a
new neighborhood, you introduce yourself to strangers, you try new foods- and every single one of those things are just
as dangerous, or more so, then free motion quilting. So every one of you has the ability to look
danger in the face and shrug it off- perceived impending threat of failure be
damned.
Now we know what fear is, how it relates to free motion
quilting, and that we possess the strength to look our fear in the face and get
over it. Let's figure out a plan to face
that fear.
If you break down the problem and really look at it we have
one of three possible outcomes -
1. Your worst fears are realized, your quilting doesn't look
good to you, and in your mind you've "ruined" your quilt top (even
though if you stitched three layers together in a way that keeps them like that
then technically you succeeded in "quilting" it no matter what it
looks like)
2. The opposite happens and you do some of the best work
you've ever seen yourself produce, things go so smoothly you feel like you
found your calling and will be on to masterpieces at any second…
3. Something in between the two happens, and you experience
moments of highs and lows, you have some problem areas, and areas you are happy
with, but you are proud of yourself for giving it a shot, and feel like you
really learned something. More so you
can't stop thinking about how good it felt to actually free motion quilt your
own quilt, and how you want to do it again, and how silly it was that you
waited so long to take the plunge, and how all those mistakes and problems disappear
when you are more than 12 inches away from the quilt… and how many compliments
you've gotten from friends and family… and more.
I think 99% of all of you who are afraid to try will find yourself
in scenario 3 when you start quilting your own quilts. Especially if fear has been keeping you
quilting practice squares for a length of time- because that means you've
already had lots of practice and are more than ready for the step you've
taken.
That said, I have to recognize that just telling you to try
it doesn't mean you will if fear has been stopping you. Here is some good practical advice to help
set you up for success, and armed with a few new ideas and my guarantee that there
aren't any monsters hiding under your feed dogs, will help you have the courage
to get over your fear and start quilting all those quilt tops you have stacking
up.
1. Make sure you have a very solid plan. Spend the time with pen and paper to sketch
out roughly your quilt and then practice filling in the designs in continuous
line form (not letting the pen leave the paper) just like you are quilting-
figure out where to start and where to end up- what designs go where, make sure
you are feeling very comfortable with your plan, and don't stop drawing until
you are.
2. Warm up first. I
find I make most of the mistakes I make in quilting during the first few
minutes of a quilting session when my brain isn't fully warmed up and wrapped
around the task at hand, especially if it's been a while since I have quilted
anything. I think it is a very good idea
to have a scrap quilt sandwich ready to practice on, and to spend a few minutes
quilting it before you move to your project- so if you forgot to set anything,
or there is a tension issue etc. you will figure that out before it happens on
your quilt.
3. Wait until you are in a good, even, relaxed mood to try
it out for the first time, and add music or an audiobook or podcast or
something relaxing for you to the scenario- keep your shoulders loose when free
motion quilting and your jaw soft, no teeth clenching! Your quilting will look so much better if you
are relaxed.
4. Quilt barefoot- make sure you can feel the pedal and all its
speed variables, start slow, no pedal slamming- and quilt at a steady smooth
pace- set the speed setting on your machine if you have it somewhere in the
middle- so you can't go too fast- and just chug along at an even speed- this
has always been the best way for me.
5. Don't overdo it- if you feel your shoulders getting sore,
or your mind wandering, or the task becoming tiresome then it's time to
stop. It's okay to take as long as you
need to finish it, but it's shouldn't feel like an endurance race, and I can
see the quality of my own quilting decrease when I am tired, so I have learned
I just can't quilt tired, and by knowing that I avoid a host of problems.
I hope you'll find some of these tips useful, if you have
the book you've heard some of them before, but they really are the tips I use
to get myself ready to do my best quilting.
If you are scared of ruining a quilt top you've spent a lot of time and
money making, then you are right to be afraid of that, it absolutely isn't the place
to start. Make a simple quilt, don't
spend a lot of time piecing it, and don't use precious fabric- plan on donating
it to charity or giving it to a child who won't be judgmental of your work- and
let that be your first project- the pattern I give in the book is a great first
quilt to quilt, as it is so easy to piece, and gives you lots of areas to
practice different designs. Save the best
quilt tops for when you've quilted lots of quilts and are very comfortable with
what you are doing, and will look forward to the challenge. And if you'd just get over the fear of it all
and get started that day will be here sooner than you think! :)
If you have any questions about free motion quilting feel
free to
email me or leave a comment on my
facebook page - I would love to hear
how you are doing and if there are any other things I can address on the blog that
might help you and others in your journey to become a free motion quilter.
