Perfection, Peanuts, and the Bermuda Triangle

I seem to get stuck in certain colorways. After sewing several dozen bags in chocolate and aqua you'd think I would be sick of it but no, I simply ordered more Dandy Damask and kept stitching away.

One theory of the Bermuda Triangle is that several powerful magnetic fields collide. This combination of Michael Miller, Robert Kaufmann, and Alexander Henry has sucked me in for months.

My family would say that my studio is the real Bermuda Triangle: the place where all things crafty go to breed.

Then there is the Paula Prass Woodland Delight obsession. I'm not sure that I can blame this on Magnetism. More likely it was the pink and orange.

Not to set Gloria Steinham's teeth on edge but, I like pink. Lots of pink. Mix it with green and I am in heaven.

Which is why I was a little disappointed when the Modern Quilt Guild chose the yellow, black, white, and gray palette for our first block swap.

Then I swapped blocks and was delighted to see how the darks and lights popped on our simple nine patches. I can't wait to get my final block so I can set and quilt them.

This was my first block swap. I have always avoided this activity because I knew I would never be satisfied with my own work. I used my seam ripper more on this little project than anything else I have made this year. I wanted those corners to be exact!

Then came the squaring up process. I confess that my fear of screwing up a finished block is almost equal to my anxiety over using Grizelda (my serger).

Sigh...

My desire for perfection when sewing for others is in equal and opposite proportion to my personal lack of perfection. While this may be insightful, it makes block swaps a challenge. Is anyone else like this?

Now there are moments in my life when perfection takes a back seat to process. Case in point: the peanut people habitat.

Lucy, Maggie, and I have fallen in love with Nuddles. Made of corn starch, they stick together with a bit of moisture. Lucy loves glitter and pipe cleaners. Maggie likes peanuts. I got a kick out of Lucy having no qualms about redoing my work. Gloria Steinham would like her fearlessness.

Did I mention that Maggie's favorite part was the peanuts?

Peanut people are so imperfect that they are perfectly wonderful. I hope to embrace my inner peanut person and stop worrying about the corners of my blocks for our next swap.

Something exciting happened this weekend and I want to celebrate it by having my very first giveaway!

Wednesday morning I will share our family's exciting event and announce the details. You won't have to become a follower, tweet, bleat, or post about anything to enter. You don't have to quilt, knit, stitch or buy anything. You just have to check in on the 16th. It is just what the Doctor ordered!