Feeling GuiltyER here. I have begun to feel bad when people ask me about being a "quilter" when, in fact, I guess you would call me a "piecer" instead. I am not able to do much handwork due to arthritis in my right hand. But I have a large stash and, like many here, I do copious amounts of pieced tops for Project Linus each year. I value the work of longarmers so much for without them, I could not be a "quilter". Our guild passes the donated tops along to other guild volunteers who complete the various stages in the process. I hate winter and this work gets me through that season especially. I love to piece and watch my husband fish on the dock or go out and come back in his little boat to get something to eat and check on my progress. Our little house is kept tidy; we clean but not fanatically. Life is good!
I have not felt threatened by this healthy exchange and I so admire the beautiful quilts others make. My quilts (quilt tops LAQ'ed?) are meant to be drug around, cuddled in and easily washed. Years ago a friend of my sister loaned her a precious smocked WHITE romper (heirloom quality) for my little nephew wear. My sister protested that she couldn't risk using it and messing it up. The friend called my DS up short and said that she certainly hoped it came back to her with stains and showed some use so that, if it made it down to future generations, they would know that it had been used and loved. I was so impressed with her attitude that, since, I have crafted my sewing skill output toward usefulness NOW. I make sure what I make is well engineered and nice. Then that it's as pretty as I can make it. I do mostly straight stitching patterns with only a few HSTs and no QSTs though I am not above doing them if I can do them efficiently and well in a pattern I would like to use. That said, there have been beautifully handcrafted linens passed along from my forebears to my kids that I treasured but never used. Sadly, they will probably eventually dry rot before ever being used even once.