Originally Posted by
DawnFurlong
The thought that always occurs to me with this is that - if one cannot afford the fabric at the LQS and therefore cannot make a quilt - there is then not a quilt to be made to last for 50 years. And the joy of quilting is lost to that person as well as to those who would have enjoyed using that quilt.
Many, like me, mix it up. Which is why many say buy the best that you can afford - and don't feel guilty about it. Beautiful quilts are also created from fabric from other sources. Maybe it will last 50 years, maybe it won't - but they are created, loved, and bring joy for whatever time it is they last.
My first quilt was made from fabric from an LQS, around 7 or 8 years ago. It is now faded (no, I have not washed it a bazillion times) and well used. I doubt it will last 50 years - but I sure enjoyed my first quilting experience - and we have enjoyed using this quilt! I'll be interested to compare this quilt with my *new* quilt that is now on my bed. My *new* quilt is made with a mix of fabrics. Also, I have a quilt I made for my daughter, made with a mix of fabrics. It is holding up quite nicely.
I guess I'm not making heirloom quilts so don't worry if they last 50 years. I won't be here to see if they do, at any rate! I have a quilt that my mother made when she was a girl, out of flour sack fabric, which I'm sure was hardly quality material. I assume most quilts made years ago were made of that kind of fabric, in fact. My mother's quilt (the only one she ever made; she was not a sewer!) is still whole and the colors still bright, though I admit it's not used and hasn't been washed a lot.
Having said all that, I'm all for small business enduring and flourishing, including local quilt shops.