Eiffel Tower Appliqué Doll Quilt

Do you ever have times when you have this great fabric and you know you want to make a quilt, but can’t decide on a design? And thus creating an atmosphere of fear? Fear of it not being as amazing as you think? Scared to cut into the fabric? And so it was with me all last week. I saw many designs in my head. I sketched like crazy, and I even made several blocks. But as soon as I made each block, another idea, an even better idea, came to me. Or so I thought.

I guess I hate making decisions. When I get in this mood, it’s hard to get out of it. Sometimes the only thing that helps is to make something quick and simple. Forget all those images, sketches, and one block wonders, and just get to the sewing.

But more important, I admit I felt the fear of being wrong creeping into my sewing studio and into my mind. And maybe I felt a little afraid of not being clever? Either way, I reminded myself of one of my favorite quotes by Sir Ken Robinson, which I have posted at my computer desk.

“If you’re not prepared to be wrong, you will never come up with anything original.”

-Sir Ken Robinson

Sir Ken Robinson said this in a Ted Talk and it has resonated with me ever since. When we are afraid to be wrong, our creativity can’t flow. We can’t just create freely, because that fear stunts our ideas, taints them with negativity and the fear of being wrong. I decided to take a break from designing and go back to just sewing and creating.

So I made this simple design for my new doll, Grace. I love these fabrics. I think strip quilts (or jellyroll quilts) are a fabulous way to show off the gorgeous fabrics this collection. And I’ve always loved this idea. I’ve seen it done before and just love how it looks. It looks like a kind of reversing the negative space.

I started with just the light pink Eiffel Tower appliqué, but felt it needed more pop. But maybe I was wrong. Oh, well. It wouldn’t be the first time. I’m trying to remember that in quilting, the rules,  color theory, and what not are less important than sewing what you like. If I like it, than who cares if it doesn’t follow the “rules?”

I cut the brighter pink just slightly larger than the drawing I made for the light pink. Pretty good for free hand cutting.

I still have those grand ideas for quilt designs and will finish soon I’m sure. I needed this diversion to keep my creativity flowing in the right direction. To get back to my mindset that it’s okay to be wrong, to make mistakes, or simply put: to try out an idea that I think up without tainting the design process with that fear of being wrong. Prepare myself to be wrong, so I can feel okay about being wrong. Often times, after several wrongs, a brilliant design may show up.

Today, I have to decide how to quilt it, so I can bind and give it to my daughter and her doll, Grace.