Somedays You Nail It

[Mojo]

If you read my post in Gene's thread about his redo you will see I had a tough few days last week. :)
I couldn't have sewn a feed sack without screwing it up.

But I believe us stitcher's have that special motivational switch inside us which when turned on will not  allow us to admit defeat. We seem to come back with a penchant and nail a project dead on.

I just completed a set of 4 wheel well covers for a high end coach. I wanted these things to be perfect because I know the owner would accept nothing less. No flaws was my goal and I couldn't afford to make a mistake and redo them.

I finished all four of them and then I called in my critic ( my wife ). I love that woman because she will not blow sunshine up my rear end. She is honest and tells me the truth while at the same time giving me confidence and support.

She took a look at them and said " these things are awesome. They are perfect. "

I am the hardest person on earth to please with my work. I beat myself up badly on everything I do because I expect absolute perfection in everything I sew. I see tiny little things that no one could see but me yet it will drive me nuts. I am never happy with my work because of my OCD.

But, I will admit, with this project I nailed it. Simple job yes, but for once in my short career as a stitcher I can say " this project meets my expectations ". :)

We have bad days but it is these good days we all love and enjoy and that brings us back to our machines.

Just had to share that with ya'll.

Chris

[CKKC]

I would love to see a couple pictures!   

[Mojo]

I will try and get some once they are installed and post them. :)

Chris

[crammage]

I too am my own worse critic.  I have my wife as my final inspector, and every time I don't have her inspect, I regret it.

It's funny I can go over a piece with a fine tooth comb thinking I got all the loose threads clipped and it looks good.  She walks up to the piece and immediately finds loose threads or wrinkles or something and I think, am I that blind?  I think it's always good to get a second pair of eyes look before calling a project done.

Clay

[Mojo]

Here is some of the work I have done. This link will take you to my photo album.

It is funny because everyone of my customers think my work is the best they have ever seen.
I look at it and silently tell myself " this sucks, you can do better ".

I beat myself up pretty bad someday's while everyone else is raving over my work.
Like Darren once said " your to hard on yourself ". :)

Link to Photo album - http://s181.photobucket.com/albums/x200/throgmartin/Upholstery%20Projects/

Chris

[CKKC]

Thank you for the pics.  I am guessing that you made the tire covers on pic #1?  If so, is there a
reason they do not go clear to the ground?

I'm asking because I have to make 4, single tire covers and I was going to make them "drag the
ground" so to speak.

[Mojo]

Thank you for the pics.  I am guessing that you made the tire covers on pic #1?  If so, is there a
reason they do not go clear to the ground?

I'm asking because I have to make 4, single tire covers and I was going to make them "drag the
ground" so to speak.

I once bought some for my enclosed trailer that dragged on the ground and I hated them. Leaves, grass and everything else got trapped underneath the fabric. I try and make them an inch off the ground if I can.

It is a real bear to do wheel well covers on a motorcoache with air suspensions. They are made of Textilene and snap on outside the fenders ( instead of wrapping around the tire ) and they shade the entire area. So if you do not know these type RV's real well then you can screw yourself royally. You go out and measure the cover, go back and sew the covers then go back to put them on and the owner dumped the air from his suspension in the meantime and the entire rig lowers 4 inches. Now those gorgeous wheel covers are dragging on the ground by 4 inches and your looking at a redo. :)

On the covers that go over the tires themselves, I cannot compete with Wal mart which is why I rarely do them. My covers would last 5 times longer, but try explaining that to some cheap senior citizen. :)

Forgot to mention, I didn't do those wheel covers. They are aftermarket Camping World specials. Typically they are good for two years in Florida before they fall apart. :)

Chris

[bobbin]

Yeah, sometimes you really do.  And doesn't it feel great when you "get it right"?!  When it's all workin' the way it's supposed to, everything you screwed up the day before doesn't matter.  And all of a sudden, the screw ups take on the patina of "a lesson".  Once your confidence is reinforced, bolstered the failures become anecdotes... losing importance in your daily confidence level. 

What a great post. 

[MinUph]

Good job Chris!