Day 3--I THINK I CAN become a free motion quilter--or a dancer!

Really, I am starting to feel like I might just be able to do a fair job of quilting a small quilt with an edge to edge motif by the end of next week. Unless the contractors come to remodel my bathroom--then it may be a while.

Today was a pretty good practice session.  I tried to work with my loops and duplicate a tight horizontal motif that is really a bit vertical.  I have seen it before, and I think it looks quite lovely in borders and such. I did find as I practiced that I was having trouble changing directions at some spots in a design and/or when I tried to come back across the quilt.

 Oh, first I need to tell you that I am a south paw. I use scissors in my right hand, but I do everything else left-handed.   Now this is the problem I am experiencing: I start on the left side of the quilt and move to the right as if I were reading.  I can manage most of the turns and twists that I have tried when I travel that direction, but when I try to come back from the right, it is like I have no clue what I am even trying to create!  Crazy! I think it may have something to do with the way I think or navigate life in general because of my left-handedness.

I should also probably tell you that I have an empty nest, my husband works during the day, and I often do not speak from the time he leaves until he comes home. (Don't worry, I make up for it when I am around people or all school year in my classroom!)   HOWEVER! today I heard my voice loud and clear for about an hour, an it almost startled me.  I realized that I speak the motif when I am practicing--to the left, to the left, to the left, so I finally figured out that I need to say--to the right, to the right, to the right--to return from right to left.  I am sure if anyone had come into my house and heard me, they would have wondered what kind of a dance I was trying to do! But it really worked.

To the left, to the left!

To the right, to the right!

Now that I have thought about this, I think it might be a key to learning the process. So if saying them aloud and reversing the direction to come back is going to make a difference, then that is what I am going to do.  Just promise you won't judge me, if you ever run into the crazy lady talking herself through her work. ;>)

M