The idea I wanted to share with this quilt square is that anyone can make or appreciate art. Before making the square, I thought art was only for the really gifted people, the ones who studied art for years and honed their craft over their lifetime. I used to be a perfectionist when it came to my own little projects. Everything had to be lined up just right and executed exactly. The smallest mistake could bother me significantly, and just knowing that it existed (not necessarily that it could be seen or noticed) made me uneasy.
My purpose in creating this quilt square was to destroy my need for perfection, to let go of the feeling that usually held me back and prevented me from enjoying the process. I think it went amazingly well. At one point, I even forgot to use the pins to keep the fabric steady and lined up while I sewed. I was lost in the beauty of making, and I didn’t need to meet arbitrary expectations of how the square should be, like the length of the stitches or the symmetry of the pieces. All that mattered was that I was having fun.
Making this quilt square taught me that I was worried too much with things that didn’t matter. I learned the importance of having patience, not only for others, but also myself. I found out that all the rules I was setting for myself wasn’t what would make the art complete; it was the experience, not the final result. In the end, the edges aren’t straight, I could’ve been more precise with my stitches, one side is wider than the other, and I may have ironed it poorly, but it’s mine, it’s whole, and it’s perfect.