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Post by Honeylioness on Jul 26, 2010 9:26:45 GMT -5
Share Your Story: 300 Words about QuiltingQuilters Newsletter is seeking submissions for a new regularly occurring feature called “300 Words about Quilting.” If you have a quilting story you’d like to share, one that’s funny, poignant, or anything in between—and you can tell it in 300 words or less—we want to read it. We're looking for real stories by real quilters—you don't have to be a quilt celebrity for your story to be important to other quilters or to touch others' lives. Several stories will be accepted for each issue, and contributors will receive both payment and complimentary copies of the issues in which their stories appear. Contributors should be prepared to provide a high-resolution headshot upon acceptance. Topics and deadlines for the first six issues are: DEADLINE: May 30, 2010—The person who taught you to love quilts DEADLINE: July 30, 2010—Quilts and animals DEADLINE: September 30, 2010—The unfinished quilt DEADLINE: November 30, 2010—Why you had to master a particular technique DEADLINE: January 30, 2011—Quilts and travel DEADLINE: March 30, 2011—Quilts and grief DEADLINE: March 15, 2012— Why I love my quilt guild DEADLINE: May 15, 2012— If I had a chance to do it over, I'd... DEADLINE: July 15, 2012— Dreams and goals for my quilting DEADLINE: January 1, 2013 - Awareness quilts DEADLINE: March 1, 2013 - The Person I Taught to Love Quilting. Email your stories to submissions@qnm.com and write “300 Words” in the subject line, or mail your stories to Quilters Newsletter, 300 Words about Quilting, 741 Corporate Circle, Suite A, Golden, CO 80401. We can't wait to read your stories www.quiltersnewsletter.com/call_for_entries/300-words.html
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Post by Honeylioness on Jul 27, 2010 8:27:26 GMT -5
DEADLINE: September 30, 2010—The unfinished quilt
Def: Incomplete or unaccomplished. Lacking some special finish or surface treatment. Not brought to an end.
Syn: amateurish, bare, crude, cut short, dabbling, deficient, found wanting, fragmentary, half-baked, half-done, immature, imperfect, in the making, in the rough, incomplete, lacking, natural, not done, plain, raw, rough, shapeless, sketchy, tentative, unaccomplished, unadorned, unassembled, uncompleted, unconcluded, under construction, undeveloped, undone, unexecuted, unfashioned, unfulfilled, unperfected, unpolished, unrefined, wanting
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Version 1, Draft 1 – 360 words
I have more than a passing acquaintance with UFOs. Not the sort navigated by grey skinned aliens headed for Roswell, but those projects which we all have regardless of whether we talk about them. Quilts started in a class or after picking up that new pattern at a show. Maybe we just experienced the creative nudge to try something different so with great anticipation off to the fabric store we went in search of the “perfect” material from which to construct this next great masterpiece.
And yet – there they sit. Perhaps on a shelf neatly folded, it’s fabric and instructions wrapped around the partially constructed top. Maybe stuffed into a box and slid out of sight under a work table or buried amidst an avalanche of fabric swatches.
Recently I resolved to face these incomplete projects with objectivity and new eyes. I would not bow to the feelings of guilt for not having assembled them fully or lament the funds spent on their components. Instead I would try to see the reasons behind these undone objects and then take action.
The first bundle I opened was a collection of fabrics and a few blocks tied together with a strip of muslin. At one time a friend had commented that instead of a bug jar quilt I should make one for myself with fruits and vegetables. How did that comment become “I MUST do this” in my head? The colors don’t appeal to me anymore and would look garish in my kitchen. I placed the bundle into a bag – I will post on the Guild’s message board that it needs a good home. I am sure another member will be thrilled to get them. More bundles emerged into the light: these colors were wrong, the baby I intended this for is now nine, I never did like this technique / pattern / fabric.
I did find two projects that still sparked my interest enough to finish them, so I have freed them from the back of a shelf and into baskets next to my desk. This weekend I am going to work on one …. unless I find a new pattern at a quilt show.
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Version 1, Draft 2 – 299 words
The UFOs in my sewing room were all started with the best of intentions: a class I took, a new book, a quilt show or just a creative nudge to try something different. But there they sit. Perhaps on a shelf neatly folded, fabric and instructions wrapped around a partially constructed top. Maybe stuffed into a box and slid out of sight under a work table or buried amidst an avalanche of fabric swatches.
Recently I resolved to face these incomplete projects with objectivity and new eyes. I would not bow to the feelings of guilt for not having assembled them fully or lament the funds spent on their components. Instead I would try to see the reasons behind these undone objects and then take action.
The first bundle was opened. Several years ago a friend had commented that instead of a bug jar quilt I should make one with fruits and vegetables. How did that comment become “I MUST do this” in my head? The colors don’t appeal to me anymore nor does the pattern. Placing the bundle into a bag I decided to post on my Guild’s message board that they are up for adoption, I am sure another member will be happy to give them a new home. More bundles emerged to be examined: these colors were wrong, the baby for whom this was intended is now nine, I never did like this technique/ pattern/fabric.
As the pile of blocks and fabrics I was ready to pass on grew, so did my coming to terms with them. It really is okay to take a class just for the experience of it. So what if I never make the quilt? I met other quilters and learned something, even if what I learned is that I hate appliqué.
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Version 1, Draft 3 – 294 words
There they sit. All started with great enthusiasm: a class I took, a co-worker’s pregnancy, a quilt show entry or just a creative nudge to try something different. On a shelf neat bundles of fabric and instructions wrap around partially constructed tops and blocks – waiting.
Recently I resolved to face these incomplete projects with objectivity and new eyes. I would not bow to the feelings of guilt for not having assembled them fully or lament the funds spent on their components. Instead I would try to see the reasons behind these undone objects and then take action.
The first bundle was opened. Several years ago a friend had commented that instead of a bug jar quilt I should make one with fruits and vegetables. How did that comment become “I MUST do this” in my head? The colors don’t appeal to me anymore nor does the pattern. Placing the bundle into a bag I decide to post on my Guild’s message board that they are up for adoption. I am sure another member will be happy to give them a new home. More bundles emerge to be examined with various reactions: The baby for whom this was intended is now nine, I never did like this technique/ pattern/ design or why was I collecting bird fabrics?
As the donation piles grew, so did my coming to terms with my UFOs. I can decide to not make that quilt and put the assembled material back into my stash. It really is okay to take a class just for the experience of it. So what if I never make a replica of the quilt the teacher showed us? I met other quilters and learned something, even if what I learned is that I really hate paper piecing.
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Anthropomorphism
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Version 2, Draft 1 – 187
Instead of “unfinished” I like the synonyms of “immature” and “imperfect” better.
Neat bundles of carefully selected fabrics with directions or pictures nestled next to a sample block or two are not alien objects cluttering up my shelves – but the seeds of quilts yet unborn and ideas yet unimagined. The carefully folded completed quilt tops are not “almost done” but colorful testimonials of the evolution of my creative style.
Sometimes I don’t have to finish a project for me to consider its objective met. Has it taught me a new technique? A new way of dealing with color? Have I been able to more clearly define my “style” of quilting by attempting this block? More open to accepting that while certain types of quilts may enchant me I am never going to make one of them myself .. and it’s okay?
Yes, done is good. But if that means I have to force myself to spend time and energy on something I have no interest in and do so just because I “should” then doesn’t that take away from the projects I do have a passion for?
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