You know that feeling. Working on a project. Almost ready for the next step. Pushing through.

And all of a sudden the process you sailed into is just wrong this time. There you are. A million stitches later with a mess.

I’ve been in process with a beetle quilt that felt like charted water. Sometimes you really have to figure out new tech to make it sing. Sometimes you do something you know you know. Sometimes it works. Sometimes…..Sigh.

This morning I woke up and realized my shaggy applique was too broad a step too far.

I’d started with cutting into an extra layer and exposing the under bark in squares. Unfortunately things don’t necessarily look the way you think they will. It looked more like a chess board for beetles.

About two hours later I had the stitching out and could re do it.

In this case less is definitely more. Much happier with this bark treatment.

When do I rip something out? Not necessarily when something isn’t perfect. I don’t happen to believe perfect is very pretty really. But when something doesn’t give the look I want, or if it spoils my enjoyment of the piece. Or if I’m embarrassed by it. Then I rip.

Of course no one can tell you that. You are the only one who can make you pick up a seam ripper. No one else has the credentials or the rights.

Two hours later I’m back on target and much happier.

The moral of the story is that it isn’t what you think something will look like. It’s what it actually does look like. You have to look. The best piece of equipment in my studio is a photo wall I can pin a piece into and photo it, process by process, step by step. Then I can really see if I like what I see.