Friday, August 28, 2015

Kaffe Fassett Finish and Creative Space Tag

  

"Anything I've ever done
that ultimately was worthwhile...
initiallly scared me to death."
--Betty Bender




I have to come clean with you. Longarming is hysterically fun, sometimes makes me cry happy tears, but still scares the life out of me everytime I start.


We don't have much time in our day for t.v. here, and watch about one show an evening on Netflix before we're both asleep. Right now we're keen on "Grey's Anatomy." I typically do not like hospital shows, but there was an element with the show that hooked me from the start.



The surgical interns have never done many procedures on their own, and it highlights the fear and anxiety they face in those critical moments. Sometimes it's life and death, and other times it's just fear of screwing it up. Can I shout, "I get that!" I'm scared I'm going to kill a quilt with my longarm! Mine own I can deal with, but what if it's someone else's?




I propose I'm not alone. Fear holds us back from doing things out of our comfort zone. I watch those actor/interns get through it, and realize other people deal with fear on a much greater level. It doesn't make it easier, but I'm not alone. Whether you're a surgeon, a great artist, or world class athlete, anyone who does great things starts at the beginning. They're not born with perfect skills, but they push themselves to take risks. 



I'm a controlled risk taker. I try not to do stupid things, but I don't always come out unscathed. The biggest thing I'm learning is I'm always going to 'feel' fear, but not to allow it to stop me from continuing. Maybe fear is that thing that keeps us safe, and it's going against human nature to ignore it? We need to allow it to keep us humble, but not immobile.


I believe the adreneline high of success is worth the intial surge of fear. The more we feel it, the more we understand its transparency. It becomes less of our roadblock, and more of a vapor we have to walk through.

Does fear stop you? Do you have a good way to deal with it? I'm sure I'm not the only one who would like to hear how you manage it. Please share with us.



Creative Space Tag

CST is back, and Kate at Life in Pieces is our hostess this week. Past posts of Creative Space Tag can be found in the header here, and information about participating also. We'd love to see wherever you work, and find your inspiration. Thank you, Kate!



Linking up today with~

26 comments:

Sandra Walker said...

"It becomes less of our roadblock, and more of a vapor we have to walk through"
Good philosophy/thought. Very good. I might use that in a yoga class. I'm going to use it in my own head, definitely, whether it's a new quilting experience (oh I hear you on the LA issues...might be exactly why I haven't quilted for anyone else--don't want to kill their quilts), or whether it's a yoga experience, or a life experience of any kind really.

Anonymous said...

Your quilting is looking great! This is the fear that keeps me from turning this obsession into a business! That and I really like quilting my own things :).

Jasmine said...

This quilt is gorgeous! I think I like the back more than the front.

Rebecca Grace said...

Well, you know how they handle all that stress and pressure on Grey's Anatomy, don't you? Risky business in the On Call room!! ;-) It's a lovely quilt, and your paisley quilting complements it beautifully.

Cathy said...

I think that is simply gorgeous. I love the quilting on it. Simply stunning!

Debra said...

I typically just give something a lot of thought... try to think through it... and then just jump in! LOL Love your quilt - great job.

The Crafty Creek said...

Beautiful quilt, I love the colours, I went to a Kafe Fassett exhibition a couple of days ago which was amazing. I like to be in my comfort zone but I do occasionally push myself out of it :-)

Jackie said...

I understand where you're coming from, hence I don't quilt for anyone else but myself. I truly love long arm quilting but panic to the ninth degree before I start, I struggle with what to quilt but like Debra I think about it at first look through my books and then just jump in and start. I had six completed top waiting to be quilted for two years and just decided if I didn't put one of them on the frame and just start quilting they would still be hanging up. I have two left to do, while the first one wasn't great they are improving as I quilt. I will also practice your saying "It becomes less of our roadblock, and more of a vapor we have to walk through" every time I start a new quilt.

Pedal Sew Lightly said...

Most of my projects have two periods where I am paralyzed by fear. Cutting the fabric and diving into the quilting are always my snag points. I'm pretty chill through the rest of the process. I'm glad to hear you are having fun with your toy.

Sarah Craig said...

Whoop whoop for a pretty finish, Julie! And I completely agree with you about long arm quilting - it is a frightening thing to start, unless you dig deep into your comfort zone and refuse to come out. My biggest fear is that I will hate how it looks and have to rip it all out and start over - and I hate ripping out! Doodling has helped me defuse that fear a good bit - because if I can doodle it, I know I can quilt it, and it gives me a good idea of how much time it will take. I've also started using Press-N-Seal on my quilt top after it's on the frame, so I can take a marker and see how what I want to do will look on the quilt. Once I've satisfied myself, I just pull it off and let 'er rip!!

Beth @ Cooking Up Quilts said...

I think the quilting looks so good here. You have definitely jumped in and tackled your projects head on. You really nailed it with the 'roadblock-vapor' comment. The only way to conquer our fear is to stand up, be confident, and tackle it head on. My current project is scaring the crap out of me, but I just have to face it. And it's never as bad as I think it's going to be!

Angie in SoCal said...

As Yoda says: You do or you don't - there is no try. I quilt for myself - no time for anyone else - well, maybe my mom. Life is so brief. Love your quilt. Just what I need to look at to cool down, and your quilting is fabulous. Come on over and linkup.

LA Paylor said...

wonderful discussion. I fear so much, and it seems I just take a breath and leap. It's usually okay. Fear can get a grip on you. Thanks for a stimulating post!!! LeeAnna

Julie said...

When I read what I've written, it sounds like I'm dealing with magical monsters. Perhaps it's from years of my mother telling me, "Look! Nothing under the bed. Nothing in your closet. It's only in your imagination, Julie." And my little 6 year old heart was still pounding out of my chest, and my limbs frozen. The monsters may not be real, but the reaction is whether you're a child or an adult.

Julie said...

Thanks, Katy. How does one decide when to go from hobbyist to hanging a shingle? I think it has to do with honesty with people that our skills are still developing, and we're learning as we work. I believe that we, ourselves, see our skills evolve more than other people, and are afraid that even the quilt we did before alredy looks elementary compared to the next one.

I'm dealing with my own attitude about making and quilting for others vs. just myself. In the beginning I drug my feet a little when it came to client work pushing into my personal quilting time. I made a goal of setting my hours I would devote to the client quilts, and when that time was over for the session I put them away. So something gets done every day business-wise, but it doesn't eat up all my need for creative work either.

Julie said...

I am wondering if quilters are just brave or what? So many of us say we do just push through it. Match that bravery with how many of us tend to read as introverts, and I would say we have a quiet standing army! Maybe that's why when there's a call for emergency or charity quilts, quilters rally for the cause, and the outpouring is amazing.

Julie said...

Always full of tips and tricks, you are! I've never heard your Press-N-Seal method, but it's on my next grocery list now. I've only ripped extensively when the color thread just didn't work, and I needed to change it. Otherwise, most minor blips disappear after the first washing.

And what you say about confidence dispelling fear is right on! There's a difference for me between between "Do I KNOW what to do?" and "CAN I do this?". Planning most of your design out before ever starting means you can practice the motifs that aren't as familar. It's like making a map of your journey before starting driving.

Julie said...

Would you believe that I've never had a problem cutting into fabric, and I've messed plenty of things up. I feel like longarming is more like getting on a horse as a new rider, and going right into the show ring. The more we do, though, the better we are about things like, "Measure twice--cut once." We learn how to screw up less.

Julie said...

You go! I've tried to have a stack of tops ready to go in as one came out. Having the longarm empty meant I didn't have to do something everyday. If one is loaded, I'll walk in and start quilting if even for 15-30 minutes. I have found everyday practice to help immensely with both skill and fear. I'd love to see what you've finished so link up with the Pet Project Show, if you'd like.

Mary Huey said...

Great quote, Julie! The question you ponder today must be in the air, I had a similar conversation with a student earlier this week and wrote some (though not so philosophically) about it this week, too. Soldiering on!!

Alycia~Quiltygirl said...

I really like your quilt. Theback shows off that fabulous Quilting!! Fear - sometimes you have to jump in, sometimes when its a new thing for me - I say - well if it'd bad - my dog will like it. And it frees me up to at least try...

travelinsewl said...

I so hear you! I have to take a deep relaxing breath every time I take a pass on the pantogragh I use.

travelinsewl said...

and your quilt is LOVELY!

Vera said...

Lovely quilt! I usually get scared of FMQ since I'm not practising very often but when I overcome the fear and do FMQ I realize it is not so bad :)

Kaja said...

This is a lovely finish - your quilting has definitely done justice to the piecing and fabrics, so well worth pushing past the fear. I'm fine if the only person I have to please is myself!

Barb Neiwert said...

Ah, yes, long arming is hysterically fun! I get hung up on the tiniest things, the fear of doing them, and almost 100% of the time if I stop long enough to recognize what the hang up is, and just proceed, the outcome is usually A-OK. Silly brains of ours. We just need to talk to them once in awhile. Or every day. Or every hour. Silly brains.