Fear of Finishing

I'm sure I'm not alone in this.... I love making quilt tops. It's turning those into quilts that scares the daylights out of me. Even though I don't consider myself a perfectionist, in reality I fear that I am. This stops me from taking those final steps to finish a quilt. If I don't finish it, I have the chance to make it even better or maybe even perfect. Which of course is nonsense. Unfinished quilts beg to be completed, to be used and loved and appreciated.

I know I don't stand alone before this mental hurdle. There is a reason there are quilt retreats devoted to tackling UFOs. Why do we put so much pressure on ourselves that we can't take the necessary steps to complete our fabric artwork?

I have the top of the pennant quilt complete. I love the colors, the pattern, the way they came together. But I can't take those last final steps to make the quilt sandwich and quilt it. Why? What is the hold up?

I wish I had a definitive answer but the only one I can come up with is that so many quilt patterns and instructional videos and traditional wisdom stress the importance of exactness - exact 1/4 inch seams, quilting that is dense and fluid... the list goes on. I am not capable of achieving those levels of exactness. I'm not sure many people are. And the fact remains - if my seams aren't exactly perfect, and my quilting is not as dense as recommended, it ultimately doesn't matter. I'm making a quilt that I think is beautiful and will keep me warm no matter how imperfect it may be. I need to let go of unrealistic expectations and allow myself to love the process.

I think this quote sums up my feelings about my hesitation to actually finish my latest quilt:

Striving for excellence motivates you; striving for perfection is demoralizing. ~Harriet Braiker

And with that in mind, I am going to go finish my quilt sandwich so I can finish my quilt. Quilting without fear is my goal! And I'll post pictures of my finished quilt as soon as it's done. It won't be perfect but it will still be pretty!