"Make what you want to make, and make it the way you want to make it." Gwen Marston

Sunday, December 19, 2010

The process or the result?


I’ve read a couple of blog comments lately that have really made me stop and think. Do you quilt because you love the process or because you love the finished quilts? Do you painstakingly and lovingly stitch every stitch by hand, or do you stitch it all on a machine so that you can quickly have a finished quilt and move on to the next project? I suspect there are as many answers to this question as there are quilters. Personally, I wouldn’t be making quilts if everything were done by hand. I don’t have the skill or the patience. I do enjoy the whole process, however, except for maybe choosing fabrics. Don’t get me wrong - I love buying fabric, I just have a hard time choosing what should go together to make the pattern that I’ve chosen.. I’m assuming I’ll get better with more experience. I like cutting, ironing, piecing, pinning, quilting, and even sewing down the bindings. I’ve always got two or ten more projects in my mind, however, so sometimes I’m impatient to move on to the next project. When I first started, I thought I should only work on one project at a time. I quickly changed my mind about that! Now, when I get inspired, I think I should jump on that inspiration and get a top done, and then I can go back and finish it later, as long as it doesn’t languish in the UFO pile too long. That way, when I want to sew, I can choose between machine work and hand work. Some nights I just want to sit in front of the TV, but I like to keep my hands busy.



I’m also into instant gratification. If I don’t see results in a short amount of time, I lose motivation. So I would have to say that actually putting the blocks together is my favorite part. What do you enjoy the most?


I’ve also read a comment about what makes a good blog. Again, I think there are hundreds of different opinions on that. The main reason I started a blog was just because I want to learn how to do more things on the computer. I was thrilled when I got my first comment and then a follower or two. I didn’t expect that anyone would actually read it! I’ve learned a lot, and made a lot of new friends along the way. I now have friends in Australia, Wales, Scotland, and Greece just to name a few. Hey Di – check out my new header!!


When I read the blogs of others, I’m always looking for inspiration. I’m inspired by the writing, the photography, the humor, the quilts, the kindness, the friendship, and the community. Sometimes I just have time to read a few of my favorites, and some nights I blog hop all over the world and back. So if you’ve taken time to read this rambling all the way to the end, I appreciate it. If you quickly linked to another blog, that’s okay, too. If you’re wondering if I’m ever going to end it, you’re in luck!




Living life with an attitude of gratitude…….Sunny



9 comments:

  1. Sunny I LOVED reading your interesting post. I am not good at putting words together.
    Like you I enjoy whole process of quilting but my favorite part is seeing it all come together.
    Your new header is gorgeous!!
    I started my blog as a way for my girls to see what keeps me busy and sharing what I get up to. LOL
    I'm am blown away by having followers and just love all my Blogging friends. It really is a small world. XXXXX

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  2. Sunny, wow...I definetly connected with this post and your thoughts on quilting and blogging. I believe we may be cut from the same cloth (yes, pun intended...ha) I love the entire process of quilting and I too struggle with fabric selections and I think it is because I like too much and making a final decision is so...well, final! That is also where I have the least confindence.
    Blogging, I wish I were better because I admire those who are consistant and always seem to have something to show. I have decided as long as I try and I am true me that will just have to do!

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  3. Oh my--see I knew you could do it??? did you find it very hard to do the header???? I have sooo many pictures and clip art in my Pisces file that it sometimes takes me a while to find the 3 or 4 I want to use--!!!
    why I quilt--I love seeing us take big pieces of fabric and cutting it into smaller shapes and then sewing it all back to gether to make something different--I love all the steps to quilting--but my least favorite is the hand basting--but it does give me time with each quilt to really see the design and during that time I usually can decide what stencils or design I want to use to hand quilt it--and I really do love the hand quilting part--event he binding is exciting--cause that means I am on the home stretch!!!!
    I do have trouble with the colors too--and that is one reason I like that they do whole lines of fabric collections now--but then sometimes it is fun to just start with one or two fabrics and then look elsewhere for the others!!!! and I mainly started blogging cause I was tried of writing the same things everyday in a journal--this is alot more fun that that was---but now I blog to meet people and I guess to do alittle entertaining now and then too---
    and I always have more that one kind of project going--try to have a hand quilting one, embroidery one, applique one etc.. cause --cause I love variety!!!!
    Hugs, Di and that miss gracie

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  4. Awesome post, Sunny! Love your header, too!

    I'm a processor - I enjoy doing - I like to stay busy. I have a very large pile of finished quilts but I have an even larger pile of quilt tops (aka flimsies). Sometimes I just want to work with a specific color palette, line of fabric, pattern, or all of the above. I LOVE handwork so I enjoy embroidery and hand applique, as well. It's really all about the process for me. :-)

    Thank you for letting me share.

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  5. I'm a both and girl-I think. I do use the machine for everything - but I love the process. Yet, I'm like you - I like to get a project finished - so I would lose interest if I were to do it all by hand! Great post Sunny!

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  6. Very thought provoking!

    I used to only like piecing, but then I decided that I needed to learn to like the WHOLE process or I was going to have dozens of tops and no quilts.

    So, I put my head down and made myself learn to quilt on my home machine.

    And, I then, I decided that I was going to learn to love bindings. I learned to do them on the machine because I don't enjoy the time it takes to sew down the binding by hand.

    So, like you, I have come to enjoy the entire process...and when I finish a quilt, it feels SO GOOD! :-)

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  7. I enjoy it all! I love to pick out fabric, love to cut it all into little pieces, and sew it back together again. I do admit that I almost never complete a project before I start one or 12 more. I am learning to quilt on my new sewing machine and am not always pleased with the results, but that is part of the process, too. I'll get better at it over time...I really like to give away a lovingly made quilt to a specially chosen person who will love and appreciate it!

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  8. I like the whole process (and most of it by machine). Who said it has to by by hand to be enjoyable? I love the hum of my sewing machine. I'm gettin better at choosing fabrics, but I always ask others for help or for thier opinions. And the end of your post was adorable!

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  9. Great post Sunny - very interesting reading and thought provoking too! I love the whole creative process and hand sew or machine piece etc depending on whatever else is going on!! And like you, always have 2 or 10 projects buzzing around in my head. As to blog content, mine was meant to just be about my sewing/patchworking but as blogging became more comfortable I find my 'personal life' has started to creep in - I guess that sort of stuff is as much a part of me as is my creating!?? Well, thanks for the prompt to reflect. I hope you had a nice Christmas and have a happy New Year.

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