Telecast Thursday - Real Quilting: Quilt Shows

In this Telecast Thursday, I'm getting a bit serious.

If you know me, you know that I love going to quilt shows - who doesn't? I sometimes even get to look at the quilts on display, after blazing a trail through the vendors' booths, that is :)

I enjoy the social aspect of quilt shows as well as the shopping opportunities, but in this video I wanted to address my feelings about the quilts on display. You can watch the video below or on my YouTube channel.

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Creatively,

Don't Compare, Create!

Photo courtesy of www.artoflifeandwellness.wordpress.com

I want to talk about a trap I sometimes fall into – comparing myself or my accomplishments to someone else. There are times when I am feeling down or frustrated that if I step back I can see that I am upset because I don’t feel adequate in comparison to someone else. It may seem silly for your happiness to be determined by how you perceive yourself compared to another person but it happens all the time. The theory is called the Social Comparison Theory and it states that that we determine our own social and personal worth based on how we stack up against others. As a result, we are constantly making self and other evaluations across a variety of domains (for example, attractiveness, wealth, intelligence, and success). Most of us have the social skills and impulse control to keep our envy and social comparisons quiet but our true feelings may come out in subtle ways. There are many reasons that using social comparisons to determine your self worth are wrong but here are three that I think are most important:

1. Others’ so-called "perfection" is an illusion. The glorious vacations, the enviable professional accomplishments, the perfect children and spouses we see are just one sliver of people’s real lives. It’s the truth, but not the “whole truth”. A quilter may win the best prize at a quilt show but you may never know about the 12 other quilts that had previously been rejected. If we knew others’ whole truths, we might not feel so inadequate when comparing ourselves to their carefully crafted public images of "perfection.

2. Life isn’t fair. Some people are born with more advantages than others: wealthy parents, artistic talents or an eye for colour. Yet when we compare ourselves (unfavourably) to others, we often beat ourselves up for not trying hard enough as if working yourself to death will guarantee the same results as the person to whom you're comparing yourself. It’s much more likely that the differences we see reflect an uneven playing field. Sometimes hard work just isn’t enough.

3. Comparisons turn friends and allies into rivals. In a perfect world, we would celebrate and genuinely enjoy the joys and accomplishments of others. Yet if we use others as a benchmark to evaluate ourselves, that creeping twinge of jealousy may undermine our ability to truly cherish the good things that come to others.

The thing about comparison is that there is never a win. How often do we compare ourselves with someone less fortunate than us and consider ourselves blessed? More often, we compare ourselves with someone who we perceive as being, having, or doing more.

Although I sometimes struggle with social comparison in my everyday life I make a conscious effort to avoid it in my quilting because of its effect on my enthusiasm and creativity for quilting. Here are few of the things I think about if I feel the slightest twinge of comparison creeping up on me (often when I am at a quilt show):

1. Quilting is a process that you should enjoy, not a competition.

2. Celebrate what you create without comparing it to others.

3. Celebrate other’s success without denigrating your efforts.

4. Use the work of more proficient quilters as an inspiration or, even better, a source of ideas and techniques.

5. Watch out for art quilts. They can be especially discouraging – some people are just naturally more creative than you might be. That doesn't mean that the rest of us can't still enjoy the craft and (if we work hard) produce quilts that WE can be proud of, while still admiring other's work.

So, if you find yourself feeling upset of frustrated just remember: you don’t have to be a quilting rock star to enjoy the craft of quilting.

Chatterquote: “Quilts are not sports cars; yours doesn’t have to be ‘bigger’”.

Creatively,

Telecast Thursday - Real Quilting: The Learning Curve

It's Telecast Thursday and I'm addressing another "Real Quilting" topic.

I've been enjoying playing and learning on my Handi Quilter Infinity, but there is definitely a learning curve with this machine. As with most new sewing or quilting machines there are many different functions and it does take time to become completely familiar with all - or even some - of them. While it can seem overwhelming to use a new machine, it is essential that you spend the time to learn about it so you will use it. It's just this issue that I am addressing in the video below.

You can watch the video on my Youtube channel.

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I hope I've inspired you to overcome your fears about learning to use a new machine or tool. Let me know how you handle this situation by leaving a comment below.

Creatively,

New Series: Real Quilting

Some time ago I did a blogpost about a quilt top that I hadn't yet quilted and had been sitting in my closet for several years. It wasn't quilted as I wasn't ready to quilt it - I didn't have the skill or the knowledge to do the quilt justice. My point was that it was okay to not complete a project if you didn't know how you wanted to finish it or didn't have the skill level to finish it the way you would like to. In fact it was more than okay to leave it until you felt ready to finish it. I had interesting responses to this post with people feeling relieved that it was "okay" to not complete a project right away. This led me to think more about some of my thoughts and feelings about the world of quilting.

When I go to a quilt show I experience several emotions: awe at the artistry on display, envy at the skill of the quilters, a feeling of being overwhelmed at how long it must've taken to complete some of this art and frustration that I may never be able to create something so wonderful. While I would think that the craftsmanship exhibited in these quilts would inspire me, sometimes I leave the show feeling discouraged. I don't think that I'm the only one feeling this way.

There is a presumption that if you take a class or watch a video and follow the same steps, your quilt will turn out perfectly. It can be discouraging to find out that it is a lot harder to actually create the project than it appeared in the video or in class. Your project may not turn out to look as good as the instructor's quilt. 

The final "perfect" on-line course that we film is a far cry from the reality of filming it, just as the finished quilt doesn't reflect the effort - and mistakes - that have gone into making it.

I'd like to hear someone talk about what the real quilting process is like for most people – the joys and the frustrations.

Charlie's never frustrated when I'm quilting. He should try it sometime - his claws would make a perfect seam ripper!

I decided to do something about it and am starting this series call “Real Quilting” where I will discuss and sometimes demonstrate the realities of quilting. The series is not about teaching (although I am sure the odd tip or technique will crop up) but more of a conversation about the ups and downs of quilting in real life. I will be discussing how the portrayal of quilting can affect you. I will be talking about:

·       Why real life quilting seems harder than what is on TV or Youtube

·       Creativity killers

·       Things that can discourage you

·       Real life quilting experiences

·       Real life mistakes and how to fix them

I'm also going to talk about how you can make your own quilting experience more enjoyable by:

·       Becoming comfortable with your own quilting experience

·        Doing your own thing, not necessarily what others are doing

·       Unleashing your creativity

I hope you join will me in this new series as we journey through the highs and the lows of Real Quilting. Leave me a comment below on your real life quilting experiences.

Creatively,