Hi Chris
Sorry you are having so much trouble being respected in your local quilt store, it seems some people just don't get it. Before mt husband died, he was a much better sewer than I was, We had what I called an equal opportunity household he put zippers in our uniform shirts and sewed on the patches. He always pressed our uniforms because he got sharper pleats. I on the other hand always spit shined our shoes. I tought him to crochet, he made a beautiful afghan for me that I cherish to this day.
On the other hand in the early 80's I drove truck coast to coast, I hardly ever had my cb on because the men were always mad talking about how I was taking money out of some mans pocket that neede the job to support his family
If I happened to pass them some were very volgur in their talk about me. One time I told a dock worker that was ignoring me "Oh gees I better go back to my truck and take my second head off I see you are frightened by me so I must of wore both my heads in' I left and came back in about 5 minutes and finally got treated right. On another job I was the onlt women so at all staff meetings I was expected to do the women things like make coffee make sure cream sugar and ect was all out. well I got tired of that so one day when someone asked me aren't you making coffee I replied no thanks I won't be drinking any coffee today help yourselves. Discrimanation goes on and on and will never stop