Two Quilts, Zero Quilting

Palm Beach Spring Quilt Update

I have two quilt tops ready to go: my Palm Beach Spring Quilt and a coordinating mini quilt.

And by “ready to go,” I mean they are sitting in a neat pile waiting for me to make a decision while I stare at them like they’re a pair of tax forms.

The piecing is done. The fabrics are chosen. The backing and batting situation is mostly figured out. All that remains is the actual quilting.

Unfortunately, the actual quilting appears to be where my confidence ends and my overthinking begins.

The Palm Beach Spring Quilt

This quilt started with a simple idea: collect wonderful fabrics while on Spring Break visiting my kid at college. Then, use said fabrics to create a lovely quilt souvenir of an even lovelier family trip.

Colorful fabrics in hand, I loved perusing patterns to find one that would showcase some of the big focus fabric prints I chose. I mean, who wants to chop into a woman mid torso and piece together bodies in all directions? If you said you would, we might seriously need to chat. I’m pretty sure there’s a true crime show looking for that exact energy!

Once the design was chosen (more on this in an upcoming post) and the quilt top was assembled, I swooned. Then, I ran into a familiar problem.

The quilt looks finished.

Technically it is not finished. Spiritually? Very convincing.

Every time I spread it out, my brain says, “What if you quilt it badly?”, which is a fascinating question because the only alternative is apparently never quilting it at all.

The Coordinating Mini Quilt

The mini quilt came together much more quickly, which may be why I expected to have it completely finished by now.

Instead, it has become a tiny unfinished companion to my larger unfinished project.

It’s amazing how a miniature quilt can carry the exact same emotional baggage as a full-sized one. At least that top has a backing and is properly sandwiched.

Part of me wants to experiment with quilting designs on the mini first. Another part of me worries that I’ll make a choice I don’t love. A third part of me seems committed to opening the sewing room door, looking at the project, and closing the door again.

The Paralysis Stage

Nobody talks enough about the stage between “quilt top complete” and “quilt finished.”

This is the phase where every quilting option seems permanent and terrifying.

Straight lines?
Organic curves?
Dense quilting?
Minimal quilting?

The possibilities are exciting right up until they become decisions.

The reality, of course, is that quilts are meant to be used, loved, and enjoyed. A finished quilt with imperfect quilting is infinitely more enjoyable than a perfect quilt that lives folded on a shelf forever.

I am writing those words mostly so Future Me will re-read them. Often.

I am as shocked to tell you as you may be shocked to read this next part:

Thinking way back, I did actually personally machine quilt what I’m pretty sure was the 2nd quilt I ever made on my own sewing machine back in the day. I was worried that Future Me was going to still love quilting so much and Future Me wasn’t going to be able to afford having all my quilts properly long-armed.

So I quilted it myself.

And you know what? I love it. Yes, there are absolutely imperfections. Yes, years later, some of the quilting has pulled out. And I don’t care. And it’s special and wonderful and proof that imperfect quilting still creates a very cherished finished product.

Hear that Current Me?!?! Just. Quilt. The. Quilts!

What’s Next?

The current plan is simple:

1. Pick a quilting design – the suggestion box is open!
2. Stop overthinking it.
3. Quilt at least one of these projects. (Probably the mini first, I don’t know why)
4. Remember that every quilt teaches something. (And if it doesn’t, who cares, it still snuggles)

If all goes well, my next update will feature two finished quilts.

If not, I’ll be back with another post about staring at them dramatically from across the room.

What’s your favorite low stakes, no pressure, machine quilting design? Would love to hear some suggestions for how to quilt these sweet babies!

That’s all for this week. If you’d like to peek at a few recent finishes, you can click their images below.

I’m documenting this process as part of my ongoing 52 Quilts Challenge, where I’m slowly working through unfinished projects.  You can find all of the quilts from the challenge collected in one place here (index). If you’re new here and curious what the challenge is about, I’d start here (explanation post).

I also share updates on Instagram and Pinterest.

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Thanks for being here — and may your bobbin ever last the row.
~Angel

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