Quilting Along with Leah Day - Week 38

Lost Data - Front

Leah Day's assignment this week gave me another much needed pass at Jagged Lines. My struggles with last week's Jagged Lines assignment helped me zero in on my area of confusion (how to start and end the gaps.) When I watched Leah's video for Lost Data (Jagged Lines filled with Zippling) I paid particular attention to this trouble spot, pausing and rewinding the video multiple times until it sunk in. Then I practiced a few rounds with pen and paper.

Got it! One more free motion quilting pattern to add to my repertoire.

Detail from
Lost Data

Lost Data - Back

Detail from Lost Data - Back

The learning curve on Lost Data was typical of so many of life's challenges for me. It isn't that I am completely befuddled. Instead, I am missing one key component. The problem is discovering what that is and mastering it. Once it is learned the question becomes why was it so difficult in the first place? I choose not to dwell on that. Instead, I accept there will be many more moments of confusion in my life. I take heart in the knowledge that eventually I figure it out, all the more satisfied for having done so.

Quilting Along with Leah Day - Week 37

We have gone from Flowing Lines to Jagged Lines. I find when the lines flow, my work flows, but when the lines are jagged so is my work.

Whenever I am forced to confront a new pattern that doesn't come naturally to me, I begin by doodling it on paper. I did this for 10 - 15 minutes and still couldn't get the hang of Jagged Lines. Since this was an assignment that would be done on a practice sandwich never to be seen again I bit the bullet and moved to the sewing machine.

Front Side of Jagged Lines Practice Piece

Perhaps if this had been week 2 or 3 or I would have been happy with the results of Jagged Lines. Instead I found myself struggling with a sense of ineptitude. What is it about getting from point A to B with jagged lines that is so, so, SO much more difficult for me to plan for than doing the same thing with flowing lines? For now, I have opted to accept that it is.

Back Side of Jagged Lines Practice Piece

On the plus side, I feel my ability to execute straight lines and 90 degree angles has improved greatly since the early days of attempting circuit board. My lines are straight, my angles crisp and there are few hesitation knots on the back. Also, despite some navigation issues around trying to create gaps, I did well at turning the pattern along the 45 degree angle I marked at each border corner. Although I am not satisfied with the piece, I am pleased to note that I continue to improve. That is the point, after all.