There truly is a difference between the fabrics & threads you can buy at JAF/HL versus the ones you can buy at LQS.
Just because the batting instructions state that it CAN be quilted up to 10" apart, doesn't mean that the quilt will hold up with that little quilting (it means the batting will).
Universal needles do not actually sew everything. You need to buy different needles for different types of sewing & you need to match the needle to the thread.
And, most of all, I have learned I need to stand up for myself! There are too many people out there (including some who -- shockingly -- work in quilt shops!) who believe that unlike cooks, maids, electricians, sales clerks, doctors & lawyers, quilters should never get paid for our work. Beyond that, there are others who undervalue (or worse, devalue) our work ... expecting that we should work for $1/hour so they can have beautiful, functional pieces of art. And finally, there are those who don't consider quilting to be an art or a business, much less both at the same time. So I have learned a bit too slowly to stand up for myself, my art & my business. I have learned to fearlessly explain what goes into my craft -- the cost of supplies, the number of stitches, the hundreds of hours, the classes, the lessons learned through experience, professional appraisals & so forth. I have learned to explain how I developed a business plan, established necessary inventory, marketed my business, filed (and continue to file) required paperwork with the government, and meet with my business adviser, attorney & accountant like any other reputable business owner. I pay taxes &, yes,
quilting is a real business and I am proud to earn above minimum wage like any other hardworking American. I wish I knew that with those first commissioned quilts I took on. So much work preparing fabric that customers swore was in good condition, but was actually riddled with holes ... all for a measly $50 + cost of fabric/batting. The thread, pins, needles, wear & tear on my machine, starch, laundry detergent, electricity & so forth ran through half of that $50 and all the mending took me 8 hours, and then I had the time needed to sew & quilt. I ended up making about $1.50/hour. Now I count all those items when calculating cost & would never do another custom quilt using a client's fabric without first inspecting the fabric in person & doing a burn test on it to determine the fiber content.
Ah well, live & learn. And then go quilting.
