Beginner Blues
One thing that never ceases to amaze me is how some of my students in the beginner quilting class are upset that their work doesn't look as good as mine. Duh...you're a beginner...I've been sewing/quilting for over 40 years! One quote I love, attributed to author Stephen McCranie, is “the master has failed more times than the beginner has even tried”. Roll that around in your noggin for a while.
It saddens me when beginners are not enormously proud of the work they've done. So what if some of the points are cut off or the seams don't match...that comes with time and practice...and, if you're fortunate, guidance from others who have been there. My first couple of quilts were nothing to brag about and I had already been sewing for a long time. It didn't discourage me, it just made me want to be better.
Do you expect your 3 month old baby to walk? Of course not. It takes time, crawling first, standing, lots of falling on their butt (obviously when they're a little older) and practice. Why would you expect immediate perfection from yourself when learning something new?
Have you ever heard the old saying...”How do you get to Carnegie Hall?...practice, practice, practice.” Remember when your children were learning how to play an instrument? We had piano, saxophone and bass guitar at our house and in the beginning it wasn't pretty (especially the sax!). But I loved hearing the progress and seeing the pride in my kids when they started to master those instruments. Even though the piano and the saxophone have been discarded, I was very proud that they at least gave it the effort. That's the feeling I get when the beginner class is over and some of my students say “What class can I take next?”
Every class you take, every fellow quilter who gives you advice, every mistake you make, is getting you closer to mastering your new hobby. Have you ever heard the notion that it takes 10,000 hours to become an expert at something? Well, apparently that idea has been debunked, but at least it gives you the idea of the time needed to invest in something to make it worthwhile.
Quilters are a generous bunch. Join your local quilt guild (yes, newbies, there are meetings just for quilters!) and you will meet many other people who love quilting as much as you do. Skill levels of guild members run the gamut from true newbies to seasoned professionals. Attending workshops, sew days and regular meetings will get you excited for the future possibilities of what you can accomplish if you just practice!