Patience

In April, I was in a quilt shop in Tulsa and saw a pattern that really caught my eye, and I wanted to make it. Well, the truth is that I wished I could make it, but was pretty sure I couldn't, because it was quite detailed and looked complicated. Along with seeing it, I also immediately knew who I would give it to, and I wanted to try, so I dived in. I spent the rest of the day picking out fabrics--you can see there are many different fabrics in it--and wondering about my audacity thinking I could pull this off. Here's the picture of it--completed--and I am happy to say that it turned out almost as good as I had hoped.

There are many appliques on this. Some of them were done by machine and some by hand. I can see on this quilt the early ones and those I did as I improved techniques. There are also MANY small pieces--quilt-making seems to be art of taking large pieces of fabric, cutting them up into really small pieces and then sewing them back together again. While I am making something for someone specifically, I think about that person constantly while I am working on it. It brings that person close to me in ways I had not expected. I have begun a new quilt that is made entirely of appliques. Rather, each block has a large applique on it. In the beginning, I had the same fears about this new one. Would I finish it? Could I finish it? Would I drive myself crazy trying to do all these appliques? Could I even do them in the first place? Well, I have six blocks completed, and I can see improvement in my technique with each block.

One of the things I am learning about myself is that I seem to be able to work endlessly on something that goes really slowly, and enjoy the work itself. I believe this is called patience, and I am as surprised as everyone else that I am developing it.

I have noticed the quiet inside my mind while I'm busy working on a piece. I'm not thinking about "hurry and finish this". When I make a mistake (often), I simply pick out the stitches and re-work the piece without frustration or anger. If I have re-stitched many times on a particular edge and it is starting to fray, I pick out the entire piece, recut it and start over--just trying to make it look as beautiful as I can--incredible, I know.

I am making new friends as I attend various quilt-making classes; I am learning many new things; I have joined the local quilters' guild; I have things to do and places to go on my calendar (I actually have a calendar). I can also look at a week ahead with nothing on the calendar and look forward to being at home.

Altogether, I would say this is a very fulfilling time in my life.