Relaxing Sundays - a completed quilt top

When I begin to feel that life is a bit overwhelming at times or I start to feel inadequate, I remind myself that I am very lucky to be able to indulge in a passion of mine, quilting.

Quilting is supposed to be relaxing. Unfortunately, too many times, some of us get frustrated at patterns that don't work well for us, fabrics that end up not working well together, or that things just aren't going together as  easily as we had hoped. This frustration runs contrary to the whole point of taking on a hobby, doesn't it?

Since I became more aware of my tendency to get frustrated over quilts that don't "go right,"  and the displeasure I experience when that happens, I've been able to take on more complicated patterns. How does that make sense? After all, doesn't the more complicated a pattern become, the higher the likelihood of making mistakes? Yes, that's true but.... by learning that most mistakes are fixable and that not all mistakes need to be fixed, the relaxation part comes in. The forcing of allowing myself to make mistakes and learn that they're not the end of the world has made me understand that life is ok, that mistakes happen and we move on. The world won't fall apart if I make a mistake. Wow, imagine that - I said that. Or wrote it for all to read. :-)

On May 25th, I attended a workshop on how to make the complicated Mariner's Compass pattern. I've heard many quilters say that they've never attempted it because it looks too difficult - and that they're not sure if they would ever try it. Well, I tried it. And I am absolutely thrilled with the results.

This morning,  I put the final border on the quilt. I absolutely love the way the fabrics all worked together and how I was able to put this into one quilt. Yes, there are mistakes. Some I fixed, some I ignored. For example, most of my points are great, some - not so much. But, a few months ago, maybe a few weeks ago, most of my points would not have been points and maybe a few of them may have been. So, we're talking progress here! Now, I just have to figure out how best to quilt this work of art to maximize the pattern. That will take some time, but that's ok. I'm in no rush. After all, this is to be relaxing, isn't it?

Here is my quilt top:

Pattern from Sheila Wintle, pieced by Marijke Vroomen Durning