Done is beautiful

I have seven of the Christmas gift aprons finished!  I'm talking "I can wrap this up and ship it in the mail today" finished.  What the Stashbuster folk would call done done.  I tend to fudge a bit when I'm asked about meeting my sewing deadlines: 7 aprons finished, except for the final pocket, or except for the hand finishing details.  No fudging required this time.

The Troops lined up for Inspection

As I was working over Thanksgiving weekend on the minutiae, I kept thinking of a phrase from Ms. Loran Watkins, an amazing sewist I followed on the Sew Weekly

Done is Beautiful

I needed that motivational boost: finishing details tend to bore me.  I'm wanting to start the next apron.  I wanna cut into more fabric, or audition the wacky fabric combinations for the adventurous niece. (I always love to see visible progress, something that is sorely lacking when snipping threads, tacking down facings, or hemming.)

Done!

I had to let go of a few perfectionist desires.  (After all, done is beautiful.)  Some advice from a Sew Weekly blogger was super helpful here...

THIS IS MEANT TO BE FUN - YOU ARE DOING THIS FOR YOU, NO-ONE ELSE.  (Well okay, technically I am making gifts for others.  But the expectation of what those gifts will look like is entirely mine.  I am choosing to complicate or simplify)...

NOT EVERYTHING HAS TO BE PERFECT.  Boy, do I need to keep repeating this as a mantra.  No one is going to judge my work for perfection.  As a comparison, I peeked at some behind-the-seams details of a hand-sewn gift made for a child I happen to know.  I was horrified; but the child adores this item and the relative who made it for her.

Imperfect, but DONE IS BEAUTIFUL

Gotta keep that in mind as I struggle to finish the last five aprons with time to spare.