Thursday, October 13, 2011

Patterns

Sometimes finding patterns is a good thing. Other times you find that the patterns you’ve formed in life are not so much.

While searching for the quilt pattern I had decided on last year for my Christmas Quilt on the Moda Bake Shop, I noticed a familiar pattern of my own. I do a lot of research with little end results. I can freely admit that I love looking at beautiful quilts and ones that catch my eye I remark that I’d like to make one similar, but when it comes down to actually making it I tend to panic. I’m not sure if it is trying to follow directions, or in my case adapting the pattern to fit the amount of fabric I have with as few cuts as humanly possible, or the act of cutting into the beautiful fabric I’d been hoarding for years, but something has got to change.

My plan yesterday was to start on the Christmas Quilt and at least get most of the cuts made and piled together for easy chain piecing when it came time to sew. However, my husband couldn’t find a job for the day and it was my day off so we instead went to the post office to mail off my nephew’s baby blanket I made months ago, saw Captain America at the three dollar theater and got some goldfish at the pet store for the pond in the front yard. Alas, that meant little time to actually find the pattern and finally start on this project before my Wednesday night television lineup started.

Now, if I really wanted to I probably could’ve started the quilt after locating the pattern, but honestly, I couldn’t remember the pattern that I’d wanted to use. All I could remember was there were stars. Ugh. After searching through the various patterns my search brought up regarding “stars” I found two patterns that looked vaguely familiar and printed them off. I also decided to go ahead and print the patterns for two other projects I’d failed to start as well. However, after looking at the Figgy Pudding charms and yardage I’m planning on using for this quilt, I’m not sure if I like either of them as much as I may have before.

Does anyone else spend and incredulous amount of time overthinking a project rather than just start making it, or am I alone in this? I swear I waste more time perusing quilt books and the internet for inspiration rather than simply let the fabric inspire me to find a pattern for it. Then again, that might be the problem; it just looks so pretty up on the shelf that I’m afraid of ruining it.

1 comment:

  1. Generally, I have the fabric and I just wait for the pattern to find me. They always do. Sometimes I have to add a piece of fabric or two to make it work. Sometimes, it works without any changes. The couple of times I pressured myself to find a pattern, I ended up with a quilt I didn't like. I'm more likely to find the pattern and then spend time hunting down that particular bundle of fabric I put away. Good day. Lane

    ReplyDelete