Originally Posted by Hen3rietta
Quilting is somehow perceived by the great masses as one of those things that some of us learn at Grandma's knee and is as natural as breathing. I've found that the best thing to do it elevate into an art form. Don't speak of it as just a little hobby. If you think about it, a lot of design decisions, critical thought and talent goes into making every quilt, even a first quilt. A quilt doesn't have to be and ART quilt to be art.
I'm with the poster that said she tells people they can't afford her. That's what I do. I don't even bother wasting by breath trying to educate the users on the difference between garment making and quilting. I've found it's a waste of breath. I'll give away my art but unless it's glass work, I won't work on commission.
This, this, all of this, especially the idea of a quilt being art, regardless of its intended use. I don't even have any interest in "art" quilts, yet I consider quilting an art form. I like everyday things to be beautiful as well as functional. Beautiful doesn't necessarily mean complex or intricate, but all beautiful quilts have things in common like precision, consistency, and careful attention to detail. I think non-crafty people don't understand that these things can't be thrown together by just anyone with a machine.
I deal with a lot of this attitude from others regarding my knitting; they see me wear things I've knitted, and they immediately ask for a hat or a scarf or even a sweater. They have no idea that there are over ten thousand stitches in a single pair of socks. My standard answer is always "No, I won't knit [item] for you, but I can teach you to knit it yourself!" In eight years, I've had no takers. :roll:
As for quilting, I only quilt for myself and for gifts--and the gifts are always for people who will understand and respect the work involved. I just finished a quilt for my sister--she requested a bed-size quilt to coordinate with the throw-size one I gave her for Christmas. Their dog had destroyed their comforter, and I told her if he ate the quilt too, she was never, ever getting another one from me. She understood and bought the fabric, batting, thread, and even a new rotary cutter, mat, and some Omnigrids, so I'd say she earned the commission. ;)