Argh! Sometimes I just want to move forward. I think I have all my ducks in a row (in this case, its goldfinches). Its all about patience, paying attention and maybe taking some time to think things through before I go headlong into the execution. Sometimes, I don’t always use my own advice.

I’m trying to make 3 identical quilts. I have the bird pattern from another quilt I created a few years ago. When I started the project, I thought I found the correct pattern. Unfortunately after making the 3 larger bird appliques, I realized this pattern was too large for the design I was creating. So, I re-sized the pattern, then created 3 more birds. Ready! Well uh, … no! I fused a couple of pieces in the wrong order. No one else would see the issue, but me. And…it bothered me. So I decided to try again.

After 2 sets of mistakes, now my confidence was high! I could do this. I found the original small pattern. I was ready to try again to finish this with a positive ending. Three more birds completed and … uh oh! I realized I used the placement guide as the pattern, which means…they all face the opposite direction. Sometimes I’m the queen of making it work. I told myself, just make the entire quilt in mirror image. It will be OK. I placed the bird in its new position on the fabric. It “felt” wrong. I decided to sleep on it and move forward.

Today, my solution is … I have to make another set of birds (4th time is the charm, right?). There is something uncomfortably “wrong” with the mirrored placement of the birds. I know I could execute the design, but for me creating art is a gut feeling. Mistakes happen all the time, you have to be flexible and it can be challenging with fabrics. But whatever the solution is, I have to feel right about it.

Earlier this year, I watched a mural artist create a fabulous design on a building wall using layers and layers of spray paint. If he stepped away from the piece and noticed something he didn’t like, all he had to do is spray over the offending area and re-do it. That’s not so easy with fusible fabric applique. Removing the layers just damages the fabric and there’s the glue residue left behind. It is best to just start over. So in order to win this battle with myself, I’m starting back at the beginning. First, I’m going take a moment to focus my attention, think things through, then with patience I will carefully start again.