anti-perfectionist strategies

sometimes i suspect i have a split personality craftwise. i can whip up a fully lined tailored jacket or an intricate aran jumper, but then find myself knitting a garter stitch scarf or sewing a raw edged top from two pieces. i used to be a bit of a perfectionist and prided myself on it; after all being a perfectionist means that your points always match, your stitches are even and the toilets are always scrubbed!

 however, on the cusp of a big birthday ending in 0, i feel that i've learned a lot from my years on this planet. being a perfectionist also means procrastination over not having the right fabric, thread, yarn or enough time. it means solitary hours, heartbreak and general unsociability when even a word can disrupt the all important concentration. now i save these projects for when i know i've got nothing else on, or i do them in blocks of time instead of trying to get it done in one session. life's too short to miss out on family, walking on the beach or having a cosy coffee!

autumn bunting

so, what does this have to do with bunting? well, i found this tutorial on the lovely dottie angel's blog for a recycled "whatnot garland". dottie made hers for christmas, but i thought an autumn theme would suit just as well, so i gathered up bits and bobs in the right colours. what i really loved was dottie's rule that you couldn't use measuring tools or pinning to make this garland, but just chop away at the fabric and use up old bits of lace and braid for the "string". in other words it was a "anti-perfectionist strategy"!

hello sausage!

vintage fabric

sentimental words

so if you feel a need for a strategy, collect up some favourite fabrics, trimmings and buttons, put on some music and with beating heart, gleefully chop up some freehand rectangles, raw edge applique scraps and stitch! don't forget to add a saying, you know the sort of thing that makes your family want to puke when you say it to their faces, but secretly smile when they read it later and no one's watching. i just drew my words freehand with pencil and stitched over them with backstitch.

this bunting won't change your life, but it might encourage you to make some misshapen biscuits, smile at a stranger or like me, change all your furniture around. that perfectionism is creeping in again, i'll have to look for another project to keep it at bay...