Making mistakes

I have been reflecting today on making mistakes. The following quotation is attributed to United States President Theodore Roosevelt:

“The only man who never makes a mistake is the man who never does anything.”
Theodore roosevelt

I’d quickly like to say that I believe this to be true of both men and women, so today we might substitute the word ‘person’ for the word ‘man’. To be human is to do things – and make things – and we will inevitably make some mistakes as we go.

I had lessons in ‘Needlework’ as it was called then during the first year I was at secondary school. I did not enjoy the lessons and when it came to making a garment (in the second year, I think), I remember having to un-pick often. How very strange, then, that many years later I changed direction in mid-life, did a Textiles degree and PGCE and went on to teach a subject now called ‘Textiles’ in school! At every stage, I have had to learn by making mistakes.

On my studio wall is a wall-hanging, which includes this motto:

'Measure twice, cut once' motif on a wall-hanging — ‘Measure twice, cut once’ motif on a wall-hanging

The wall-hanging hangs to the left of my desk so I can look up and glance at it any time when I am cutting out. Even so, there have been times when I have cut the fabric out wrong (of course!)

My day has included this scene in my studio:

Fabric, wadding and an unpicker — Fabric, wadding and an un-picker

I am increasingly making Art Textiles (as opposed to making bed quilts) where there is no set way of producing my piece of art. I have to learn as I go, make mistakes, then un-pick them. I then turn to another quotation which is very dear to me, attributed to Pablo Picasso:

“I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it.”
pablo picasso

I was once told by a teacher “You are always trying to do something beyond your skill level”, which at the time seemed rather discouraging but which I now see as a way of learning in just the manner suggested by Picasso.

This was another scene from today:

Tangled threads at the back of a piece of stitching

Experience tells me that the thread on the machine has somehow un-hooked itself from the pick-up lever and so has been merrily snarling itself up all along my seam (sigh!). This is frustrating but not disastrous as the handy un-picker and a pair of small. sharp embroidery scissors will soon sort it out. How glad I am that fabrics are so accommodating. If this was a pot I had thrown from clay that included an air-bubble and the pot exploded in the kiln, that would be that. Often with textiles there is a way through, although it may mean some painstaking un-picking.

When learners come to my studio for their ‘Quilt in a Day‘ course, they are sometimes self-critical and fearful of making mistakes even though they are beginners. It is true that accuracy is helpful for getting good results and I teach ways of being accurate but it is important for them to remember that this is their first ever quilt. Each person so far has been delighted with what they have achieved. It’s a very satisfying experience for me as a teacher.

So let’s do things and make things and learn by making mistakes!

Thank you for reading my blog. Click the blue ‘FOLLOW’ button to get a blog-post by email each Monday.