Please forgive me, ladies. I had never heard of preprinted quilts like the ones Benartex makes as cheaters. To me a cheater quilt is one that is preprinted with color and all you do is quilt on lines to make it look like you sewed all those little pieces together and then quilted it.
I certainly am not the quilt police. I am, though, truly passionate about the subject. I have been quilting for close to 30 years and will continue until I can't see any longer to sew. There is, IMHO, too much bastardazation already. Quilts started as utilitarian. They were made using fabrics from old shirts, jackets, and dresses. The backings were large sheets and the batting was usually some cotton wadding or a blanket. They were held together with either hundreds of hand stitches or tied with yarn.
Today, everybody and their aunt want to use a long arm to get the quilting done in a hurry. There is not a lot of thought into what the quilting should be. Should we echo, should we stitch in the ditch, or should we tie it because it is going on the bed and will be washed probably a hundred times before it starts to fall apart. (I have a quilt like that. It is 27 years old and was washed almost monthly for each of those years. A few dogs and numerous cats slept on it. Cats tore the weakening fabric with their back claws. I will never part with it!) That used to be the dilemma of every quillter... what type of quilting pattern should be used on the finished top?
I truly believe, and I know that I am not alone in this, is that a quilt is something that is sewn and then quilted by hand. It takes months to complete it, but you have something that is truly worthy to be passed on to progeny. Art quilts are another story and use whatever methods one can think of to hold the layers together. They are art, and are usually treated as such. And comforters are tied quilt tops. They are layered and then tied. They can be bound or not. And there usually is one or two rows of machine stitching on the borders, mostly for stability.
Okay, I am climbing down off my soapbox. I am in the process of doing a down and dirty comforter for my bed. It is called the Lover's Knot and is by Eleanor Burns. I sewed 56 blocks yesterday and am on the last round on the final 42. Tomorrow I will put it together. I pray the quilt shop is open... I need her tables!!! It is also the quilt pattern of the quilt that I spoke of earlier. Eleanor would be proud... I have a book that was copyrighted in 1985. I will make more from it. I love the pattern, and I love how it goes together.
Have a lovely evening, ladies. I am.
Anita in Northfield