My first quilt..um, I mean table runner...

The rest of those classes I learned how to piece my quilt together and sew it while maintaining the 1/4 inch seam. That table runner had triangles that were supposed to meet at a nice point, but 2 of my 4 squares didn't have such nice crisp points. My instructor told me not to worry, all quilters have this issue from time to time. But I am a PERFECTIONIST, I NEEDED those points to all be just right.

I ripped out seams and resewed them, not getting any closer to perfect than the first try. Finally came the time when I had to finish the table runner to finish the class. Everyone who saw my table runner thought it was great, they never mentioned the triangles not meeting perfectly. I knew it was not so great though, and I didn't really like it.

I had a friend whose mother was a real quilter, and she happened to be visiting. I reluctantly showed her my table runner, and I immediately pointed out the flaws. I will NEVER forget her reaction to that! She looked at me and said, "It is okay to have flaws in your quilt. The Amish actually make a mistake in every quilt they make, they call it their humility square." When I looked at her dumbfounded, she continued. "The Amish know that only God is perfect and only God can make perfection." She then finished with, "That is why when I quilt, I am Amish. I fix the really big mistakes, but if my points don't line up? Who cares, I am Amish!"

Her words have rung in my head with every stitch...even when I crochet I now claim I am Amish! it was my encounter with this woman that really helped me to become a reforming perfectionist! I still rip out seams quite often, but now it is because they are wrong and not just because I am unhappy.

I don't have any pictures of my table runner,I gave it away before I decided to make a photo list of my work...