My second set of curtains ever was almost finished. I thought, “Wooohooo, three panels down and one to go.” I held up the panel I was working on and realized I had folded the seam the wrong way and sewed it up. I held up the last panel I had done, same thing!!!! What?! How did I make that horrible of a mistake?! Twice! Not just one huge mistake, but two! Grrrr.
It is oftentimes the stupid mistakes that cause the most infuriating results and toughest consequences, the times where you are going along with an almost cruise control confidence,
then BLAMO!!!! (Yes, I love making up my own words).
You Rip What You Sew – The Fall:
A lady at church told me this week that she had taken a fall down the steps inside the church at one time. She was holding onto the railing, doing everything right. She thought she had gotten down the last step, but nope, and down she went.
It’s that darned last step!
Or maybe, you’re like me, going along badly for a while, but don’t realize it until the end.
Either way, going along with secure confidence in our own abilities can lead to quite the fall.
This mistake could have been easily avoided. I am learning the hard and tedious way when I could have maybe just taken a bit more care in the process and avoided this irritation.
You Rip What You Sew – Fix it OR Give Up:
These moments are the ones that can push one to consider giving up. It’s a test of character and perseverance.
Moments like this are the ones that kept me from sewing for all of these years. I learned how to sew when I was probably between 10 and 13, somewhere in there. I remember the first set of curtains I made. They were the ugliest mauve color, like dusty rose or something. Bleh, anyway, but, you know, I was soooooo proud that I had made those!!! I loved them for many years.
I did it all right that time. I had a great teacher, My Grandma. She showed me all of the correct steps. I proceeded with caution, almost too much caution.
I felt like I could never get it perfect in so many areas of my life, so I quit a lot of them. I didn’t want to keep ripping the seams. I guess that is the answer to the question I have been asking myself for so long.
Why am I just good at a lot of things, but not really great at much?
It is because I gave up when the goin’ got tough. When I made a mistake that needed ripping.
The things in my life that I was willing to rip and re-sew became the most loved and the most beautiful. I realized along the way that it didn’t have to be perfect it just had to be worth it.
You Rip What You Sew – Easier Done Than Undone:
Seams are easier to sew then to rip.
For example, when you say something you shouldn’t (put your foot in your mouth). A quick and careless seam seals in hurt and offense. That seam is a lot harder to rip out than it was to sew up. Ouch. It is one worth undoing if you want to continue on with the relationship that you damaged.
Whether it is a beautiful set of curtains or something else in life that is worth doing, there will be mistakes. Don’t give up. Sometimes we learn the most while undoing the mistakes.
I learned on this one that I need to respect the process. I’ve heard it said that it is better to measure twice and cut once. I believe in that. Something similar could be said about checking the direction of seams, but I can’t think of a witty quip for this one.
Anyway, I hope I shared at least one scrap of something that helped you or inspired you today. Don’t give up when you make a mistake or fall off the horse as they say. Get back on! The best teacher for every situation is God. Ask Him for help. He always gives me a little bit of motivation or encouragement when I need it, even when and especially when, I make mistakes. He helps me rip the seams and sew a more beautiful masterpiece then I would have on my own.
Blessings,
P.S. I still haven’t finished the curtains. Hey, I am a work in progress. I will definitely post them when I get them done. 🙂
Stephaney - Me Flying Free
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Steph, you have captured readers here in your ability to write in such a relatable way to readers….very inspirational…your stories have golden wisdom that is transferable to others to interpret personally. Your presentation of materials (layout, design, photos…) is modern, gritty, and intriguing!
Thank you Tracy! Your comments encourage me more than you know. Thank you for your validation and constructive criticism. I value your opinion and appreciate you taking the time to read my content. Much love & blessings – Stephaney
well said. When my mother was teaching me to sew she would make me rip out anything sewn not perfect. I would get so frustrated. When the project was done I was glad she made me do it correctly. When I would get frustrated she would make me stop the project and put it aside for the next day. She would say it would look easier after I was rested. This goes in life also. Some times we have to stop and step back and rest and get a different perspective on the situation. God has a way of clearing out minds and giving us different ways of solving our mistakes.
Thank you, Nancy, for sharing. It seems as though the level of commitment and quality, the standards if you will, that people expect these days are not even close to what they were in days past. The throw-away mentality of my generation is not conducive to getting hands dirty and hearts clean. There is so much to be gleaned from learning these “old” arts like sewing, canning, gardening, etc. I wish more people would encourage these activities, and slow down to learn them well. They are getting lost more and more as time passes. I also agree with stepping away from something that you’ve reached your max capacity of patience with. Rest and fresh perspective can make things go a lot more smoothly. God Bless You!