Kind-sight

Pillow made for a dear friend. Also a good lesson in second-guessing alignment in a 2-part embroidery project.

Sister is done and in the dryer, a glass of wine is within reach, and The Loud is at work for another hour--a perfect time for quiet contemplation.

While marking Sister this afternoon--filling 100s of square inches with teal and purple dots and lines gives one time for introspection--it occurred to me that I had been very ugly to myself. I basically eliminated all landmarks from a "terrain", telling myself to navigate it without any clues: I set myself up to fail, then called myself a failure for even attempting it.

I never let anyone do that to my children when they were growing up. Why, then, do I allow myself the 'privilege' of doing it to myself?

Reading the following on Leah's site last night (where 9 years ago she was battling her own demons) was a much-needed validation:

3. When in doubt MARK IT! – There’s nothing wrong with marking a quilt top when you’re having trouble stitching a filler design from memory.
It’s easy to get stuck in corners and panic wondering “where do I go next?” Instead of getting frustrated, stop and mark the top and give yourself a good road map for where to go next.

For now I'll be content with "quilting by the numbers", marking my lines when needed. Eventually, I hope, I'll find a happy medium that will allow me to quilt without stress and with less time spent marking every line!