Jakers1

I have made quilts for friends and family. My daughter is standing up in a wedding and asked me in March if I could make a quilt for the bride and groom, as she is friends with both. I asked when the wedding was, as I did not want to be on a short deadline. Since it was not until November, I said yes, and the top is almost done. Otherwise, no one has asked me to make a quilt and I would probably respond to any request similarly as others have done.

roserips

Easiest way to say no, I charge $100.00 a Square foot, what size did you have in mind?

Sewnoma

I very rarely post on (or read) Facebook, but last year I won a 4th place ribbon at the county fair for one of my quilts and I was really proud of it, so I went ahead & posted about it.

I got a FLOOD of requests & demands, mostly from people who never bothered to talk to me otherwise - some were at least considerate enough to offer to pay me (although all but one of them asked what the family/friend discount was) and some had what I considered to be outrageous requests - some people seemed to think they were doing me a favor by asking for a quilt. "Oh cool! I was going to buy the girls new bed quilts, but now you can make them!", or "Hey, I need 2 baby quilts for 2 different baby showers, how fast can you make them? {followed by a list of specifications as far as colors, type of pattern, etc. and a 2 week deadline, and a comment that they hoped that shipping wouldn't be 'too expensive'}" Uh...wow. Yeah, none of that is going to happen.

I didn't respond to any of the "gimmie" messages at all. Rudeness begets rudeness. Folks offering to pay or politely inquiring if I made quilts to sell were rebuffed as kindly as possible.

quilter68

Make you a quilt? Okay, we will shop for what we need together so you can pay for the goods-up front. Then I will work on your quilt every Friday and you can come over and clean my house while I sew.
When you are done cleaning then I am done sewing for the day. See you next Friday!





My addy is wrong - I will be 73 in four weeks.

piecNpat

That is so true!

debbiemarie

Most people who do not sew themselves do not realize how much work is involved. I had a friend who wanted me to move the cuffs up two inches on all his dress shirts, REALLY!! That is a lot of work. I told him that I didn't think they would look as good as I messed with them.

LynnVT

I enjoyed this conversation a lot! One thing I am willing to do is quilt small baby quilts for Project Linus that fellow guild members make. It gives me a chance to try different techniques and no gets upset if it's not perfect. That kind of job is a hassle for people with a longarm, but easy on my sitdown Sweet Sixteen. But I would say that another way to say no is to say, "I'm sorry." Then add whatever reason you prefer - you are too busy or it's too expensive, or may no reason at all. I truly am sorry not to be able to jump into everyone's project ideas, but the answer is still no. Now I need to get back to the quilting I'm doing for a fellow quilt member so I can start the one my sister asked me to quilt for her. I'm looking forward to doing it, though I just discovered that one side of her quilt is two 3" blocks shorter than the other. Hmm. I do enjoy a challenge!

misseva

When people tell me boy, you could sell that my reply is: If I started selling pot every addict would go into rehab & give it up. I do not feel guilty saying "no".

decky

I've had to say no many times and it does get easier. I don't even hem my husbands pants he has to take them to a tailor.

Pat in MN

jcrow

My daughter just asked me to fix a strap on her fabric purse. I thought 'ughhhh' but looked at it anyway. I couldn't figure how to do it. I know how to put the strap into the body, but I had to pleat the body and then take a long 1/2" strip and go around the strap about 5" from the base without the ends showing. I couldn't figure how to do it. I told her to go to an 'alterations' gal and ask her if I could do it and if she could explain to my daughter how I was to do it. My daughter hasn't said a word about it since.

I had a hair dresser say she would love to have a quilt. It was the first time I went to her. My mouth dropped open and nothing came out. I was shocked that this person would ask me for one. I changed hair dressers after that. I made a quilt for my mail carrier for Christmas. I put it in a box and put it in my mailbox. She gave me a Christmas card the next day with a big ole' thank you. She brings me many packages to my door every week, so I felt she deserved it. Besides her, I only quilt for family. I've had people say in passing that they would like a quilt, but I don't respond at all. That usually gives them their answer. If I HAD to make a quilt for someone, it would never get made. I have a hard enough time of finishing my quilts anyway.