...Not struggling that is. I wish I knew what flips that switch to change me from the bumbling awkward novice feeling to the confident competent no more second guessing almost on autopilot feeling. Maybe it's the realization that I'm running out of time for dithering. Maybe it's taking on a more I don't care attitude. Or just going into nose to the grindstone just get on with it mode. I wish I had more control over it because it is a wonderful feeling to be back in the driver's seat and making decisions with a minimum of fuss. A few more moves of leaves and said to myself, "Good enough." And as I was stitching them on down the middle (with invisible thread and leaving a bit of each end loose), my mind wandered. I'd considered adding piping in the binding but the batik I thought might work was just too much. But now, with nose so close to the quilting threads, it occurred to me that I could run a line of the lime green Oliver Twist thread next to the binding for a similar but more subtle affect. I laid a length of the thread along the binding and not allowing myself to ask too many questions, decided it would give the finishing touch and be a good tie-in to that same thread in the quilting. Again, I noticed myself thinking, "Good enough," almost as a wall against any inner critique wondering if I could have come up with a better solution. Nope. This looks really good. And those leaves look more like they belong, blending better now that they are properly attached. I quickly cut and sewed a sleeve and hand-stitched it in place with little ado yesterday, so this one is done and I can start on one more piece for my ArtWalk display.
4 comments:
There's nothing like a deadline to help with the decision making!
Yes, it really DOES look good!! Congrats on a well designed and constructed piece!!!
I know what you mean -- that magic moment when your mind flips from dithering to confident. In college I used to force it by waiting until 3AM of the due date to start my essays for German Lit. classes; that way I didn't waste a lot of time rewriting. Unfortunately it's not always a good idea to break through the dithering that way; not all problems can be solved by quoting Goethe at great length until the essay reaches the required wordage. An analogous approach would have me scheduling books for pre-order before the final revision. Not gonna happen.
You guys are great and make me smile with your comments. Especially you, Margaret. I'm wishing I knew you in college. We could have crammed together in the wee hours and exchanged procrastination and essay padding strategies. You are so right that waiting until you really don't have time for revisions cuts out a lot of dithering. I have to admit I was reminded of Mary Ellen Hopkins 3 minute rule when making decision on a quilt. Whatever was up there on the design wall after 3 minutes would be it because probably any of the fabrics or arrangements you were considering would work fine. "Get on with it!" was her creed and in most cases she was right. :-)
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