Patience from (and for) Sisters

It’s a virtue, you know.

I sort of glazed over my faltering of faith in my own skill. I feel like I owe it to you (and maybe myself) to explain in more detail. I have no patience. That may be a stretch of the truth. I have a wee, tiny, little bit of patience and I almost always misplace it. Now I’d like to take a moment to say words that my dear aunt will relish in forever: You were right, Aunt Debbie. Patience is a virtue!

My lack of patience and my misappropriation of the virtue are almost always my pitfalls in everything that I do. Take, for example, Amy Butler’s phenomenal pattern “Everything Wristlet.” The woman literally writes the words “Be patient and go slowly, and you will get great results.” When I read those horrid words I thought I would never finish that wristlet, and, frankly, my first one looked like shit. My second one looked like shit. My third one looked like my sister had sewn it (for those of you who don’t know, Heather is an accomplished perfectionist, she doesn’t let mistakes hold her back because she just doesn’t make mistakes). Heather is patient with her sewing. She never rushes. Ever. To her, nothing is so time-critical that she should risk making an error. I am her complete opposite. To me, nothing is so worthy of perfection that I should risk late delivery. I can hide my mistakes.

That is the exact reason I prepare months ahead of time for every birthday and every holiday. For this her birthday in August, I’ve made my boyfriend’s sister the Everything Wristlet. It’s stunning. Maybe my best work yet. The red and black print was the first cut off the bolt. It is both classy and modern. I was patient when I made it. I sewed slowly. And the end achieved was utter perfection. In fact, on two separate occasions, I’ve wondered how rude it would be to borrow it for an evening. Or just keep it for myself and make her something different. Or make myself an identical one.

I will probably not do any of those things, although the last is very tempting. The bottom line is I know I should be patient. And I know when I’m patient, my sewing rocks. But sometimes I’m so results-driven I forget that. And that happens to be the case with this Stitchin’ Addiction quilt. So I took a little break, made some cute things for you, mustered my patience and sat back down. I took it one color at a time, one block at a time, one Resees’ break at a time, and I got it done. It is challenging, no doubt, but I’m working through it. Slowly and patiently.

I hope you’re proud, Aunt Deb.