The quilt I made for the twins is of the characters in Peanuts. Charlie Brown, Lucy, Freida, Sally, and Linus are each made of eighty or so shapes, some of which are smaller than the nail on my pinkie. The little feathers on Woodstock's head as he stands on top of Snoopy who lies on top of his doghouse are each ridiculously little. When I first cut apart the individual pattern pieces downloaded off the internet I was incredulous. It was tempting to cut a few corners. Literally.  

But now that the quilt is finished the parts that seemed odd, or annoying make sense. Marcy's glasses and Schroeder's piano are significant elements in knowing who the character is. It was worth the effort to snip, sew, rip, resew, and join the fabric together. The least satisfying step in paper piecing is to finally tear off the paper that told you what to do. It's not merely to hide the fact that you had detailed instructions, but because no one wants to sleep under a crinkly quilt. 

The guidelines that help shape my marriage are sometimes annoying. Speaking kindly when you know full well that you are right and he is wrong is tedious. Being patient when he cannot find the syrup in the refrigerator, or his keys when we are already late entails cutting off snippy comments.

But when I step way back and see what is taking shape, it is worth it.