The Perfect is the Enemy of the Good
1. The perfect is the enemy of the good.
I made this quilt a long time ago to practice circles, and the quotation that inspired it came to mind recently when I was debating which quilts are “good enough” to be submitted to juried shows. It probably is obvious that the design above is more interesting than the “perfect” one shown below:
Perfect Isn’t So Good
2. “Perfect” is well enough done that you are satisfied when you look at it, but not so over-worked that you’re sick of quilting by the time you finish it.
To make a perfect quilt, It helps to start with:
- The right pattern for your skill level
- Fabric you love
- Techniques you enjoy (e.g., paper piecing, applique, whatever)
- The right tools, well maintained
3. You may be more capable of “perfect” than you think. It helps to have friends who keep you honest! I recently had trouble making my seams line up on a medallion-style block and my friend Jerri said, “You’re too good a quilter for that! You just don’t want to bother!” Oops, she was right.
And here’s a book that helped me with “perfecting” my blocks:
I found this book with lots of tips on how to improve piecing accuracy and got a lot better with just a little practice!
I recommend the book if you want to improve some of your skills, too.
Swap Block–88 little squares!!!
And look at this lovely swap block with the corners all matched up! It isn’t perfect, but it’s good enough 🙂
Zippy Quilts 
Isn’t it amazing how your eye catches all those little imperfections where seams don’t quite meet, and the quilting doesn’t exactly disguise your error in the piecing! UGH
Indeed! But I find if I wait 6 months & look again when I’m not so obsessed with that particular quilt I often don’t even see those places. Thanks for reading!
At a quilt retreat once, I was auditioning a single fabric to border a scrappy quilt. My friend said, “Bor….ring!” I ended up with a pieced border that took tons more time to do. I am thankful every time I see the quilt on the bed that my friend was honest with me.
Yep, honesty is the best policy because then you can trust what your friends tell you 🙂
Our notions of perfection are changeable. I remember applying a wallpaper border many years ago. It was a large pattern of fruit baskets on a wide border. I was rather horrified as I pasted it up at the top of the wall, afraid it was obnoxious, wondering what I could have been thinking when I chose it. Of course as I applied it, my face was about 4″ away from it. Once down off the ladder, several feet away, I though it looked perfect.
In the same way, when we work on our own quilts, our eyes are about a foot from our work. Very few viewers will ever have such a close view. The slight imperfections disappear in all the shape, pattern, and color.
Such great things to think about. I am reblogging. Please let me know if you object and I will take it down.
Thank you for your comments & for re-blogging! Is that science blog your husband’s? Hubs & I are both into science, so I think I’ll subscribe 🙂
Yes, the science blog is Jim’s. He taught physics for 38 years. He is still a teacher. 🙂
Reblogged this on Catbird Quilt Studio and commented:
What do you think about perfection? Here are 3 great reminders to spur your thoughts.