Perfection? HA!!!

If the machine breaks, that is a tragedy. If I am not careful and injure myself with a rotary cutter, that is an accident. But if my points don't match - well, that is just the process. Try again, maybe.

Thanks to Bernie, today I am happy to shamelessly share my mistakes with you. 
For ease of understanding, I will be discussing three kinds of mistakes. 

1. Ignoring the Golden rule - Never do this.

2. Experimentation - Do this often

3. Stitching Errors - Whether you like it or not, this will happen

IGNORING THE GOLDEN RULE

The biggest mistake that I have made is ignoring the 10-foot rule.

Not stepping away from the design wall to look at your work from a distance is a huge No-No.

Murky & Meh

In American Hustle, the blocks had no contrast and the design was impossible to discern. I tried to add sashing and borders but in the end I decided to give it away. It was not going to get better.

Not much better

In Strawberry Salad with Pepto-bismol Dressing, I was working with a bag of scraps. I chose a square block with partial seams.  The first block looked fine.

Audition Block

But the whole quilt was too much. 

Since the fabrics were so busy, I should have kept the design simple.
Or added contrast fabrics to balance the muddy pinkness or the pink muddiness.
Hindsight is 20/20.

Strawberry Salad +Pepto Bismol Dressing

This really is the worst mistake, in my opinion. It is pure disaster. And mostly the project cannot be salvaged. I love you all who comfort me with kind words (the depth of your kindness far exceeds the height of your brutal honesty). Moving along.

Now I agonize over contrast. The 10-foot rule helps me evaluate this contrast. 
Some quilters use red glasses or see the layout in grayscale.

I chose blue and green solids for Neel. The 10-foot rule revealed that one particular blue would be too dark and not have enough contrast against the midnight background. Swapped it. Killed it. No mercy.

Blue (top right) was too dark

I chose only light and medium values and alternated blue and green stars in the layout.

Neel 

When I was making Esmeralda, it was a fabric line sent by Moda.  I picked and chose and discarded those squares that were too light.  

Esmeralda's discards

They were used in another quilt - Charlie's Birds - with contrasting fabrics.

Paired with aqua and navy

Charlie's Birds - Pop of orange

Similarly when I was making Meet Cute, I discarded those fabrics that would have a poor contrast against the white background. 

No way

Yes!!!

Meet Cute

Most other times, I choose my own fabric. Even when I am using precuts I add/subtract fabrics based on contrast.

Let's compare two quilts - Esmeralda and Queen's Necklace. Same design but different fabrics.
You can see the interlocking circles in Esmeralda but in Queen's Necklace, they jump out at you. 

Esmeralda - Subtle

Queen's Necklace - Bold

Contrast creates the dramatic difference between the two quilts.  There is not a right or a wrong approach here. Once you know how to work with different values - lightest to darkest - you can create the desired effect. Gentle contrasts for a subtle quilt or sharp contrasts for a bold impressive one.

Whatever you do, remember the 10-foot rule!!!

EXPERIMENTATION - IDEAS TRANSLATION

An idea in my head always seems terrific.  When it is applied to fabric, it sometimes gets lost in translation. When I was making Trees of Life, I thought that bright floral trees on a dark background will pop and sparkle.  They did not quite impress in reality.

Looks good

They looked hideous. I took no pictures of those ugly blocks by themselves.
I switched to low volume backgrounds and liked the results much better.

Looks better

I did not wish to discard those dark background blocks and considered throwing them in the mix randomly or using them as a part of pieced backing.  Using them as a border was probably the best decision.

Light blocks framed by a border of dark blocks

See contrast!!! Makes all the difference.

If I was making quilts from kits and not deviating one bit, this would not be a problem. But I want to play and I want to experiment and I wonder - what if? 

And this "mistake" is really one which I suggest you try to make. Playing with fabric, trying a new block, or just making alterations to an existing block and discovering something is the joyful part of the process.

Paul: What if your "experiment" does not pan out?

Me: Like what?

Paul: Like when you used cinnamon instead of vanilla in the chocolate cookies

Me: Well then I know what does not work. Besides, my co-workers liked those cookies.

Paul: Why not just stick to the recipe or the pattern in this case?

Me: Firstly, I was out of vanilla. More importantly, experimenting is great because then I discovered a new method for making QSTs. Just like the combination of mint chutney with mayonnaise elevates a mundane turkey sandwich to gourmet food.

QST Tutorial

Four QSTs

Paul: When I am painting my models I stick to the suggested color scheme.

Me: I know. You are a cook but I am a chef.
Paul: Sometimes. Sometimes you are a chef.
Me: Yes. Because I experiment and willing to make mistakes.

Serendipity

Tube Technique

What eventually became the Serendipity tutorial began as an experiment. 
But it worked.  And it is a really popular tutorial.

Loving it

Yummy

STITCHING ERRORS

We all make these. Sewing the wrong sides together happens all the time.

Paul: Do you fix a mistake when you see it?

Me: Not usually. Mostly, I let it be. Like the artist's signature. Someday someone will go over my quilts and look for these stitching errors - like clues in a mystery case.

Paul: You are so full of yourself

Me: There are three such mistakes in your quilt.

Paul (aghast): In Paulitiks?

Me: Yep. You did not even know and you sleep under it every night.

Paul: I must check.

Me: Let me know when you find them. It takes skill.

Paul: I don't think it takes skill to make mistakes.

Me: It takes skill to hide things in plain sight. Talk to me after you find them.

Paul: What if this is a wild goose chase? What if there is no mistake?

Me: If you cannot find it, you can admit defeat and I will show you.

Clockwise Block 

The blocks in Paulitiks had black strips going anti clockwise. All but three. And when the rogue block was next to the regular block the black strips connected. See the block above.  This was unintended.

Can you find all three?

I saw no reason to correct these mistakes and so I left them there.

I left it in Mayflower.  You cannot even see it unless you are looking for it.
Do click on the link above for my discussion with a knitter about her mistakes.

Bottom Right Corner

And if the lady is not ready to dance her palms are closed. Did I make a mistake in piecing? 
May be. But if she does not want to dance, it is up to her. That is my story and I am sticking to it.

Closed Palms = No, Thank you

You can ask her to dance :-) because her palms are open.

Open Palms =  Ready to dance

But when it happened in "A Walk in thePark", the mistake was structural and needed to be fixed.

Front - Looked fine

Backing falls short

Added border strips on the back

Since the quilt sandwich was already basted, I was reluctant to take it apart. To make up for the shortfall in the backing, I added 2.5" strips all around the back in the Quilt-As-You-Go fashion.

Sew line in the front

 This added a stitch line in the front which could pass off as quilting.

Finished Front

Salvaged Back

Since the whole point of this exercise is to laugh at our mistakes and have fun, here is an excerpt from one of the episodes of Big Bang Theory.

Raj Koothrappali : Has Bernadette found a cure for something? 

Howard Wolowitz : In a way. She was working on a dandruff shampoo that has the unfortunate side effect of horrible anal leakage. 

Raj Koothrappali : That's too bad. But then, is there any good anal leakage? 

Howard Wolowitz : On the upside, they decided to market it as a constipation remedy.

In conclusion, it is a mistake only if you learn nothing from it. 

Learning, growth, joy and inspiration lie along the journey.  Perfection is the destination.

And even when we strive for perfection once (if) we get there it will be the end of the journey.  And who wants that? I want to continue on this ride - missteps, bumps and turbulence notwithstanding.

Hope your seat-belts are fastened :-D

Celebrating women

My mom was just 14 when she was married off (nobody asked her). Of course she was not "sent" to her husband's house for another year (she was too young).

My dad encouraged her to continue her education. She completed high school and received a BA in Geography. I was born.
She furthered her education and received an MA in Economics. My sister was born.
My dad encouraged her to get a job.  She refused flatly.
No, she was determined to be a full time mother and a homemaker.
And that was that.

My sister, mom and me

Some 20 years later, when I got married (arranged), my husband expected me to be a homemaker.
No, I said. We (He and I) both went to school for Architecture and got the same degree.
Why should I stay at home, I argued.
He replied that I should be like my mother, who sacrificed her career for the sake of her family.
You miss the point, I retorted.  She had a choice and she chose to be a homemaker.
I should have the same choice.

Of course, he did not see my point. I left.

Mom and me in 2007

Mom approved of Paul (Her looks says it all)

We live in a world where many women have no choices and no voices.
So when I came across this fabric at Joann's, it made me sing and dance with joy. I had to drop everything and make (something with) it.

STEM Gals

Me: Look. look, Paul. I love this fabric.
Paul: It is nifty.
Me: It is more than nifty. It is both aspirational and a reflection of our times. It not only shows women in science. It shows diverse women in science.
Paul: Is that so?
Me: See there are five of them and each one has a different hair color.
Paul: What are you going to make with it?
Me: Everything.
Paul: Everything?
Me: Yes. Sheets, bed-covers, pillow-covers, curtains, may be a dress and...
Paul: Start with a pencil case.

Gotta love this man. He knows how to push my buttons and rein me in - all at the same time.
So I started with a pencil case. But made two.

Zippered Pouch

Two Pouches

Loving it :-)

The sliver leftover became part of a mug rug.  I purposely offset the scientist gal to the the side so that even when you place a coffee mug and a cookie on the rug, you can still see her.

Mug Rug

And then inspiration struck...

Fussy cut girls, each in her own place doing what she loves.

Celebrating Women

Small Finish - Big Smile

Love this fabric

Is it still a Dreami if it is a fabric that sparks the process?
I am sure Sandra will agree.

Is it a coincidence that I came across this fabric this month - Women's History Month?
Possibly. But I do believe that the Universe works in magical ways.

I have named each one of these wonder women.

This is Sveta, named after Svitlana Mayoboroda, a mathematician from Ukraine.

Sveta

I am calling her Taywa, after Taiwo Olayemi Elufioye who is a Nigerian pharmacologist and researcher.

Taywa

Her name is Eve, after Eva Maria Neher who is a German scientist doing research in biochemistry and microbiology.

Eve

And she is named Myla, after Mayly Sanchez who is a Venezuela-born particle physicist.

Myla

The names of my quilty gals are inspired by these women in science today.  I have included links to their wikipedia pages because I can use a shot of positivity to conquer whatever obstacle lies in my path today.

So I may not have made everything from key-fob to curtains from this fabric but I can definitely be inspired from here to far and beyond. What will you conquer today?

I will be linking with all my favorite linky parties. See full list on the sidebar.

Party On

This is what was advertised

And this is what I received

Same ingredients but a vast difference in appearance. It seems that the avocado slices were tortured and squished into submission before they made it to my plate :-D
Fortunately it was just as tasty as advertised.

Party 1
The Alison Glass Trinket Sew-Along is well underway.  All Lines blocks are completed.  As I work on the Shapes blocks I wonder how will my finish compare with the advertised look.

I am sure it will look nothing like the picture-perfect, glamorized version on the pattern booklet.  That look was so captivating that I am sure there are thousands of quilters (new and old) who purchased the pattern and joined in the sew-along.  Love the pictures on IG. Everyone else's work looks so crisp with bright colors and sharp pictures.

Is it still inspiration if it makes you feel inadequate?

There are 40 unique blocks in the pattern, 10 each of Lines, Shapes, Things and Life; each finishing at a small 4" square. To be able to participate in the final giveaway your flimsy must have at least one of each of the 40 blocks. That would require 41 background blocks, arranged 9 by 9 for a small quilt that would finish at 36" square.

IG inspired do-over of Lines#4

The quilt in the pattern shows 97 blocks with 96 plain charcoal blocks.  So if you want to make a quilt the same size as the pattern you would have to make all blocks at least twice and sometimes  thrice. That is why I chose to use freezer paper.  I can use the same FP template to make a block 3-4 times and it is still usable.

39 blocks

I have "huge" travel plans coming up next month and I will be away from my machine. So I want to make sure that I make the blocks in advance so that I don't miss the block posting dates on Instagram.   Paper piecing is neither fast nor mindless. Feeling pressured to keep up, I realized that I was
devoting too much time to this effort.

Blogging has taken a backseat for that reason.  When Rebecca wrote to me gently enquiring about my absence, it was time to take a break.

Is it still fun when you feel overwhelmed?

Party 2
I saw the block first on Pinterest but there wasn't a pattern or tutorial.  After a few iterations I came up with a design that made me happy. I made a few blocks.

Initial sketch

The first blocks

Won't this be perfect for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge? I had seen many quilters/bloggers participate in the RSC over the past years. With this fun and easy pattern, it was time for me to jump on and join the party.

Yes. So many colors, so many dresses.

January's color was red

We all covet flawless skin but that is so unreal. So my next "lady in red" is rocking freckles :-)

Every freckle has a story

February was yellow.  Here are my ladies in yellow.

Flowery dress

Dazzling

And finally March is green and here are my ladies in green.

Prancing like a peacock

Lounging with Llamas

The more outrageously loud (and busy) the fabric, the better. Hullo Angela, I am late to the RSC 2019 party but then you don't mind.
I will be posting my blocks at least once a month (highlighting the color of the month) to show off a new line of dresses and headwear. Check out what others have been up to this month at the linky party here.

No-longer a Party
I miss Sunday Stash linky parties.
No, I do not buy (or acquire) fabric every week but when I do I want to show it off.   Look, look what I got.  The Winter Flurries fabric line which not only caught my attention but held it firm.

Gorgeous Blues

Deep Turquoise

Midnight Blue

Circles and Diamonds

At 30% off, it teased and taunted me from the shopping cart but when Connecting Threads announced an additional 20% sale, it was time to say yes to it all.

The Real Party
There is no party like an Indian wedding and I was fortunate enough to attend one last week.

The ceremony

The lovely couple

As much as I wanted to make them a quilt, I did not. I understand that most couples these days prefer non-boxed gifts. And this was one day when it was not about me. But you can still see my lovely green bangles in the picture below :-)

Wedding Program

We had a great time with mouth-watering food, lively music, and spirited dancing while surrounded in an ocean of colors, perfume, silk and glittering jewelry.

Lisa and I

Lisa chose to go the more traditional route in a saree complete with matching blouse, jewelry and a bindi (forehead dot).  I chose the easy way out in a salwar kameez outfit.

Selfie before Reception

I am still recovering from all the merriment as I pick out tiny bits of sequins from my underwear. I have no idea how it got there.

What would you want - Single minded devotion to a single party (or project) or balance?
I choose single minded devotion to multiple projects - but one at a time.
For now I must make some chili for hubby dearest. And you can be sure I will give it my undivided attention.

How is your weekend progressing? Do let me know.
I will be linking with all my favorite linky parties. See full list on the sidebar.