There’s an advantage to having a plan before you begin. Even trained in science, I find the whimsy of being spontaneous exciting and the status quo more often than not. However, there are many meal plans that in my head I think would be perfect for dinner, but when it comes to rounding up supplies, disappointment takes place as I don’t have a certain ingredient and have to change the entire plan.
In science, without a road map, it is likely that you aren’t doing something right if you don’t have a plan or supplies to achieve your goal. The whole goal in thinking scientifically is to get the left brain engaged in all the “thinking stuff” – what do I need to add next, what do I need to have weighed, what order do I need to do it in? Those types of questions. Proper planning makes the act of experimenting a whole lot easier & quicker.
The same goes with quilting. Finding out that you only bought a yard of fabric that you finally settled on as your outer border of your quilt can be devastating. Especially when your trip to the quilt store that sold it to you reveals that even though the last 3 times you were there you saw the fabric, but when you needed it, it was gone, gone, gone. One way I trick my budget is to buy small amounts of things at one time, which I justify that I can always come back later for more. Never buying more than a yard means that I don’t stockpile things too much, but on the same hand, also means that I am taking a risk that my quilt could become scrappier than originally planned.
Stashing (buying stash fabrics) to me is my illusion of getting my supplies ready for sewing. When the time is right, I will take the beloved fabric out and integrate it into the best quilt I have ever made. In a way I am getting supplies ready for the perfect time and place.
But eventually there is a time for everything. A time for doing must follow a time for planning or the stashing will be piling, and the house will be bulging and the quilter will have too many possible wonderful quilts out there to make and feel overwhelmed. Actually planning a quilt may in fact be my favorite part, but that does not mean that the rest of the parts are not also fun and also need to be done.
And letting myself explore new things – embroidery for example – gives me a new avenue and new way to express myself that I never planned for. Yeah for both planning and keeping an open mind.
Oh and by the way, I am getting some supplies ready for podcasting. I am slowly finding programs and hardware in unexpected places ( ROCK BAND microphone works in my computer!!!) Yippiee! Here’s a link
Unplanned fabric
to a song I want to use in the podcast from mevio’s music alley by Rilo Killey.
I am a basic scientist, cross stitcher, ex-teacher, simple crafter, simple crocheter, new sewer, quilter, and hopefully podcaster. My name is Darla and I am starting to participate in several quilting communities online and in the real world. You may see posts and comments on other blogs and forums from Darla or Scientific Quilter – usually either way that’s me.
