I Didn't Listen. . .
No doubt, you have inner voice that has cajoled and pleaded with you from time to time.
Lately, my inner voice has been working overtime.
Even though the little voice was persistent, I didn't listen when it whispered at my ear, urging me to steer clear of a quilting project.
You may remember this quilt I made for a friend from vintage, butterfly blocks constructed of muslin and cotton. That quilt was fun to assemble because the blocks were well made.
Knowing that the poly-blend blocks would test my patience, I returned them to my friend a couple of months ago, secretly hoping I would not see them again. Yet, in a weak moment, I agreed to turn them into a quilt, and my little voice was not happy.
As I took the pile of poly-blend butterfly blocks and a bag of fabric for the second quilt from my friend, my inner voice echoed through my head, but it was too late - I was committed.
My little voice grumbled and grumbled and then began to laugh as I attempted to work with the blocks.
The butterflies were difficult to square because many of the seams were overlapping and gaping instead of laying flat. For no apparent reason, this set of butterflies have machine-stitched seams as well as seams that are hand-stitched, resulting in seriously wonky blocks. Some sections in the blocks are weak; others, strong. It is maddening to work with the butterflies because the poly-blend background fabric (even a bit of nylon thrown in to complicate things even more) allows that part of the blocks to stretch more than the cotton wings and body sections. This combination creates waves in the quilt's borders. (Thank you, Ann for offering advice on how tame those pesky waves)
Since I had to trim the blocks to make them somewhat square, some of the hand-stiched seams were clipped, making them even weaker. I hold my breath every time I handle the butterflies.
For over a week, I have been fussing with the blocks and cursing myself for ignoring the little voice that knew much better than I that, "just because you can doesn't mean that you should."
It may be time to get my hearing checked.
Do you listen to your inner voice?
Lately, my inner voice has been working overtime.
Even though the little voice was persistent, I didn't listen when it whispered at my ear, urging me to steer clear of a quilting project.
Knowing that the poly-blend blocks would test my patience, I returned them to my friend a couple of months ago, secretly hoping I would not see them again. Yet, in a weak moment, I agreed to turn them into a quilt, and my little voice was not happy.
My little voice grumbled and grumbled and then began to laugh as I attempted to work with the blocks.
Since I had to trim the blocks to make them somewhat square, some of the hand-stiched seams were clipped, making them even weaker. I hold my breath every time I handle the butterflies.
It may be time to get my hearing checked.
Do you listen to your inner voice?
Not as often as I should:)
ReplyDeleteMy inner voice is telling me maybe I should scrap my current project. I'm leaning toward listening, but I haven't yet.
ReplyDeleteHope your project gets better.
I too generally regret ignoring my inner voice. It's something I'm working on....
ReplyDeleteYeah....I ignore it....even when it's screaming at me!!! :o)
ReplyDeleteWhat a project. It does sound difficult. Yeah, when I listen to that inner voice, the results are good. Why do I think I sometimes know better?? Lessons to be learned.
ReplyDeleteThey call it intuition, and we should be listening to it more often...here's another example of why. LOL.
ReplyDeleteJen
I definitely don't listen to my inner voice when it comes to men, that's for sure! Hang in there with the project, who knows, maybe at some point the challenge will become fun!
ReplyDeleteI sure don't listen up when I should. I have been asked to restore a hexagon quilt made out off furnishing fabric. I have a funny feeling it's not going to be easy sailing!
ReplyDeleteGood luck with those butterflies!
Cheers
Linda
I try to ignore it as much as possible and now it doesn't say very much. Have you considered ironing a lightweight interfacing on the blocks to control the motion? It might help without becoming too stiff. good luck.
ReplyDeleteI love it! "Just because you can doesn't mean you should" is going to be my new mantra for next year.
ReplyDelete