Originally Posted by Cheshirecatquilter

I've read so many posts on this site from ladies and gents saying what wonderful, helpful people they've met here, but I must say this thread has exposed all sorts of prejudices, and the snarky comments are uncalled for and very unbecoming, people.
I am always amazed that anyone would pay millions of dollars for paintings and other art objects, but some can and do. There are also people who will pay premium prices for handcrafted items and various services which they are perfectly capable of performing themselves. Many of us using this site prefer good old fashioned Yankee ingenuity and do-it-yourself when possible, and revel in the thrill of the hunt for a bargain.
But, not everyone makes quilts from all cotton fabrics. Of necessity, women made utilitarian quilts in the past with what ever fabric they could get their hands on. The most stunning crazy quilts incorporate silk, velvet, wool, ribbons, and various other unconventional fabrics, threads, and found objects. Art quilts, which are not much in evidence on this site, incorporate everything from hand dyed or painted fabric to dryer lint to feathers to nylon net as well as the previous fabrics. Why would we want to limit the availability of unconventional fabric for our craft?
North Adams, Massachusetts was a blue collar community dying a slow death from the loss of its manufacturing job base that has reinvented itself as a worthwhile destination based on the natural beauty of its location and the re-use of its empty mills to attract artists of all stripes and to establish the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, better known as Mass MoCA. Not my cup of tea, but I wouldn't dream of imposing my taste in art on others. So, while I will not be standing in line to buy that expensive fabric for quilting, decorating, or upholstering, I am glad that it is available for anyone who desires it. Every local business venture that succeeds pumps energy and dollars into growing the local economy, and hopefully that success will expand outward like ripples on a pond.