Friday, October 13, 2017

Pandora's Box

In Greek mythology, Pandora was the first human woman created by the gods, molded out of earth and given seductive gifts. Named Anesidora "she who sends up gifts" she was given a "pithos" or large jar that held all of the evils of humanity. This jar often mistranslated as "Pandora's Box" gives us an explanation of why there is evil in the world. Like the Christian teachings of Eve in the Garden of Eden, once again we have a woman giving in to temptation and allowing evil to triumph. Pandora opens the box, releasing the evils of humanity, plagues and diseases leaving only Hope behind in the box when it is closed once more.

Now feminist ideals aside, I believe this story has relevance in my latest quilt finish. I in no way released a pithos of evil into the universe. However, there were many moments I found myself faced with the quilting equivalent of Pandora's Box.

So here is a quilt that has been "in-process" for quite some time. By some time, I mean I started this quilt in 2007. I have completed at least 100 quilts in the interim. This was only my 6th quilt ever attempted and therefore there was a laundry list of issues.

I started by cutting the fabric before I had any idea of where I was going to place the squares. Rookie error; I forgot the phrase "look before you leap." Then, I sewed some together in the same pattern long enough for a king quilt but with only enough fabric for the width of a twin. (Clearly no one is in the market for long thin quilts.)

When I decided to finally assemble the strips together the pattern totally clashed. I then assembled a strip to insert between the rows to make the quilt wider and more uniform. However, I had to use new fabric not already in the quilt because I didn't have the correct fabric from the original quilt anymore and no way to obtain it.

So I improvised! When I started this quilt I was also wildly unaware of how or which way to iron my seams, so they were everywhere! I wasn't that careful either, so my blocks were cut slightly uneven and my seam allowance is somewhere between 1/4" and 1/2", maybe 3/8" depending on the block, go figure!

In addition, every color has the same country color theme except the fire-engine red I must have picked out in the dark. I had decided to hate this fabric choice until the end when I realized that fabric might be this quilt's saving grace. The one fabric that provides this quilt the most life, the most umph, the wow factor.

Overall this quilt was a complete disaster to finish and could have turned into an entire waste of time and fabric, but somehow, it didn't. So I have a beautiful quilt, with an amazing back and so much history. So why would I tell my readers my shortcomings you ask?

Well, I'm telling you because EVERYONE makes mistakes, EVERYONE has learning experiences, EVERYONE jumps first without looking every now and then. It is all a part of the learning process, and almost no one is instantly perfect in their piecing, even in their cutting, seam experts in their sewing, smooth and pucker-free in their stippling, and NO ONE chooses their quilt fabric colors every time without regrets occasionally.

You have to practice, create, and practice some more, and each time you will get a little bit better, a little more steady and a little less wild. And if you're lucky it might just work itself out in the end anyway and end up a true masterpiece.  Over the last ten years I have avoided this quilt, scared and intimidated to deal with all of the "evils" dreading their return into Pandora's Box. Then I realized, I didn't need to return anything to this quilt. I didn't need to fix anything, what was done, was done and now I had a beautiful jar with only Hope left. And Hope, is such a beautiful thing!

As such, I have named this quilt "Anesidora." So she made a few mistakes, she's only human, she's beautiful and I love her. She was named as "she who sends up gifts" and I'm pretty sure I know who I'm going to give her to. Everyone has their own version of Pandora's Box, what is yours?

Linked up with Crazy Mom QuiltsConfessions of a Fabric Addict, and Busy Hands Quilts.

6 comments:

Home Sewn By Us said...

Hi Kimberly,
Wow, Anesidora turned out fabulous. She looks so pretty on your bed - I really love the turn down shot showing the backing. Yes indeed, we all make mistakes and often jump without a clear path or sometimes without knowledge of where the road will lead. I think it is definitely a worthy finish and I join you in loving her. ~smile~ Roseanne

a maidenhair fern said...

I started about the same time. It's amazing all that you learn in 10 years, isn't it? Good for you for finishing it! It makes you think twice about putting a 1/2 finished quilt away, doesn't it? I love the design you came up with on the front.

Goofin' Off Around the Block said...

Despite how it may have started, it finished up beautifully! It's amazing how much I learn with each quilt finish. It looks like you've learned quite a lot from those quilts you finished between the start of this quilt and now. Happy sewing! Andrea

Chantal said...

I love posts like this one. When I started to read blogs I thought I was such a failure at quilting because everybody had beautiful quilts, effortlessly it seems and I, well, I had the quilts like yours. It took me a long time to realized that others do make mistakes too, they do have the dithering and the doubting they are going in the right direction with this quilt, and so on. I thought I was the only one stuck in such situations. I have since learned that everyone has a bad day, therefore a bad quilt day. But still, thank you for sharing the journey of this quilt. It is so appreciated when someone just show the ugly truth behind a gorgeous quilt. Congrats on persevering on your journey. You now have a gorgeous (in my book) quilt. ;^)

mangozz said...

I really love your quilt and the story behind it too. The colors are beautiful together. Congrats for going back and finishing an old WIP that you weren't looking forward to doing. I bet you have a wonderful feeling of accomplishment now, and a beautiful quilt to boot.

AnnieO said...

Great save of a lot of work already put into a top. I really like the mix you ended up with. And, as always, the way quilting changes a top is astounding. Thanks for sharing!