Failure can mean trying a new technique, and it doesn’t work out. You and your seam ripper are now intimate friends. Failure can also mean trying a new technique with the last scrap of a particular fabric. One should not immediately go to beating yourself up. You tried. There are more fabrics, and you may even find one that you like even better. At least, just as well. As a friend says, “They’re making new fabric every day.”
Cutting out all the rectangles for the twins’ baby quilts using the colors from the quilts was easy.
What hasn’t been easy is not knowing how to add the borders to an already quilted quilt. I’ve never done this before. What if I fail and ruin two beloved quilts and turn them into useless rags?
The video I found looked easy, but it was on a table runner, not a large quilt. That could make a difference in my success rate. Maybe muddy my reputation. Do I have a reputation?
I’m the lone wolf here in my sewing room. No one to turn to ask, “What do you think? Do you have an idea of how to do this? So, I’m relying on my years of sewing to help me through. That should bolster my confidence. Stay with what I know.
Should I just use scissors and cut the binding off? Seems unwise since I’d probably do it while I was watching TV, and I’d lose concentration, and the sides would turn out wonky. It is much more precise using my trusty rotary cutter and a ruler.
Another trick, once the binding is off, is to make sure your corners are squared.
As I started to put on the side borders, I wondered, which one goes where? Did I cut enough for both quilts? Panic sets in. Just because I started talking about failure, do I have to hit the ground with a thud?
This isn’t improvisational quilting; I know I had a plan when I finished the borders, but another project sneaked in, and I lost track. Note to self—even if I keep going without interruption, mark what piece is what.
Now I’m back on track with all four side borders on. I can take a break. Which, by the way, allowed me to decide to quilt the sides before I put on the top borders.
I’m making good progress and, in reality, haven’t failed yet. I’d like to keep it in my rearview mirror where failure may look bigger, but it’s only an illusion.