Not the perfect quilt, that's okay!

Beginning quilters often don't know where to start in fabric choices and combinations.

"Does this look better with this? Will that go together with that? What would be a good pattern for this pretty fabric that I've bought."

My advice is always

"Just do it. Don't try to be a perfectionist. What matters is getting started. And then finishing... But anyway, just start!"

We quilters can waste days and months obsessing over what is better than what and have nothing to show for our headaches.

I don't follow my own advice.

Last summer (7 months ago!) Jay in New York sent me some fantastic batiks. I LOVE BATIKS! And such a collection! What to do, what to do?

"I want the perfect pattern for these jewels. I want to do justice to their beauty. I want to make a stupendous quilt with these!"

So the fabrics have sat on my shelf and occupied a space in my head for 7 months.

"Should I do something artsy? I could at least try being artistic (worry about being ugly though)."

"Another quilt with intricate piecing that takes years to make? It would definitely be an heirloom then."

"Simple? Large pieces to show off the batik designs."

"Use the darks? Use the lights? Such decisions!"

And, by the way, nothing getting done.

BUT this week I cut into my batiks!!!! Gasp! I decided on simple. And colorful. The pattern I found in an old book that Leiya sent me uses 26 colors! (Color coded in the alphabet... 26!)


Jay sent me more than 26 colors of batiks so there was still some decision making to do but I did it! And the cutting. That is done! And the sewing... That is started!

Think variation of Around The World. Squares in different sizes so the batiks will show. A burst of color that's for sure! So I'm not aiming for a perfect quilt, just one that is started and being enjoyed in making and hopefully will be finished in a reasonable amount of time.

I've sewn blue blocks (those are just up there on the design wall. That's not how they're going to be put together.) Big blocks.

I've sewn green blocks (those are just up there on the design wall. That's not how THEY'RE going to be put together either.) Medium size blocks.

And this week I'll work on orange and pink blocks... Later post. Those will be smaller blocks so that will take me a little more time.

Jay sent me enough fabric that I can obsess about ANOTHER quilt at a later date!

Remember, it doesn't have to be perfect. It has to be started (and finished).