Wednesday, January 30, 2013

too tight

I worked on a quilt yesterday.
Did you notice that little slip? That word choice so inadvertent? Work and hobbies don't readily spring to mind in the same sentence. Now relaxation and hobbies, or exhilaration and hobbies, that seems more like it.
A lot of leisure pursuits have their element of labour and even angst though.
Think of hiking, sweat dripping off of your nose as black flies gnaw you to the bone. Still, the view, the crisp mountain air, the exhilaration..... it compels us into our boots and out the door.
Think of carving; The whittled knuckles and the slivers. But the wooden bird, satin smooth and richly burnished, it takes one by the hand.
Think of painting; The water pooling, colors muddy; the angst. Still, light and shadow call.
And of course quilting.
I'm venturing into the newness of free-motion quilting.
I'm riding a learning curve and I have been holding on too tight.
Literally.
I clenched every muscle yesterday as I steered about my quilt surface, free-motion quilting.
I hobbled away wracked with crick and cramp and pang.
When I returned with a feeling of grim resignation to continue, the strangest thing happened.
I no longer felt tense.
I wasn't in a complete body clench.
Something had changed.
I had found my rythym.
I quilted on as loosey goosey as you please. The leaves flowed in an undulating pattern.
It was exhilarating.

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