"Just let me get my magic wand..."
05-10-2016, 01:01 PM
#111
Super Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: West Virginia
Posts: 1,621
I have a good one My Sister's Grandson was getting married and I thought would make him and his wife a quilt for their wedding gift and I did.So me and my oldest Sister went to stay the night before in my other Sister's house since she was going to be out of town so we wouldn't have to travel so early the next morning the day of the wedding and we did we had went out to dinner and done some shopping had a wonderful time,,So later that evening my Hubby called and said I had forgot their quilt and he would have had to travel 2 hours to bring it to me So i told my Sister's GS and his wife the day of the wedding I had made them a quilt for a wedding gift and they seem so happy that i had and I told him when he came to visit his other grandmother which lives close by where I live to stop by and pick it up and they both said sure,,,Well my Sister his GM has since then pass away and he has been by my house many,many times but never offer to stop by and pick his gift up I still have the quilt in the gift bag then I begin to think of the time and the money I paid for the fabric I brought and hours I put in that quilt and I made it in the colors their bedroom was in Which my Sister had told me the colors of their bedroom and to think they haven't even offer to stop and get.I come from a Big family my Mom had 14 children so you can imagine how many Grand kids she had 34 in all I have made nearly all of them a quilt for wedding gifts But this one was for my Mom's Great G kid. Now here is the thing of it That was 7 years ago guess what I will not do that again,,,Wish my bedroom was in those colors I made the quilt a Queen size that's the size of my bed also I will keep it and maybe one day I will do my guess bedroom in those colors Lavender,Sage Green,Creme ,,,Don't that take the cake Vent over ,,,By the way I love this thread,,,Blessings
05-10-2016, 01:10 PM
#112
Super Member
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 9,509
Originally Posted by toverly
I definitely need to practice this simple phrase. I can say no, but I usually make up some excuse like, I have too many other projects. Which does leave the door open for a later date. Your way ends it. Good job.
05-10-2016, 01:21 PM
#113
Super Member
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 9,509
Originally Posted by QuiltnLady1
Great thread!! I LOVE Cathy Miller -- her songs always make me smile. My story -- I was asked by a friend a couple of years ago to make a twin quilt -- I asked who it was for what it should look like, etc. I she had some specifics in colors, fabrics, etc, then told me it had to be heavily quilted because it was to replace the quilt her son used on the garage floor when he was working on his car -- the one he had from Walmart wore out too fast. Needless to say, I said I would not make the quilt -- she was not happy.
05-10-2016, 11:07 PM
#114
Super Member
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Twin Cities, MN
Posts: 2,490
I have made dozens of wall hangings and quilts, and do a lot of alterations....by choice. My sister got a sewing machine for Christmas, and promptly declared that "If you can do it, I sure can." She then made a Tee Shirt quilt, and a quilt for her granddaughter. Then I get the phone call...."Can you help me? These didn't turn out right. There must be something wrong with my machine." No stabilizer, no squaring, no batting...Not as easy as she thought!! And yes, I'll help her...when I'm good and ready....and enjoy every minute of her "lesson"!
05-11-2016, 08:38 AM
#115
Super Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: East Arkansas
Posts: 2,534
I don't have a magic wand story but I was showing a block-of-the month (West of Baltimore) quilt that I had made to my son. He said, "Boy, Mom, I bet you could sell that on e-bay for $100.!!!!!! It was a raw edge hand applique quilt that I had invested almost $1000.00 (thousand) in and I worked on it about 6 years. I gave my daughter strict orders that he DOES NOT get any of my quilts when I die. The king size "Foldy Stuff" courthouse square quilt I gave him years ago has never been on his bed that I know of. I had failed to get a picture of it, so not long ago I asked if I could do that. He got it off the top shelf in their bedroom. I've also made all four grand children and one great grand a hand embroidered ABC baby quilt. Haven't seen them at my son's house but the ones I made for my daughters girls are still being used for lap quilts.
05-12-2016, 04:24 PM
#116
Super Member
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Maine-ly Florida
Posts: 3,917
Originally Posted by Genden
My friend had a neighbor ask her to sew together blocks she had embroidered, then hand quilt and finish the quilt. Her neighbor is a retired hair dresser, so they struck a deal--a finished quilt for doing her hair for the rest of her life. They are both near eighty and very happy with the deal.
05-12-2016, 05:09 PM
#117
Super Member
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Louisiana
Posts: 6,764
Originally Posted by jbj137
***
*** My story:
*** Can you make me a quilt for my camper
*** so I want ruin my good comforters?
***
*** I guess quilts are only for dirty, trashy places.
***
*** My story:
*** Can you make me a quilt for my camper
*** so I want ruin my good comforters?
***
*** I guess quilts are only for dirty, trashy places.
***
05-12-2016, 05:44 PM
#118
Super Member
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Texas
Posts: 5,546
A co-worker of mine was having her first grandbaby so I decided to make her a no-sew fleece blanket for him (the kind you tie off the edges all around). She told me that the father love the movie Toy Story so I was able to find fleece to make it. Well, they loved it so much that the father asked my co-worker if I could make him one to match. I immediately said NO but I would be glad to show her daughter (the mother of the grandbaby) how to make them since there was no sewing involved. The daughter came up to the office & I brought a small square of fleece to show her how to make it & tie it off. She never did make her DH one & they have never asked me to make anything else for them.
No is a good word to use when you don't want to do something.....no excuses....just NO
No is a good word to use when you don't want to do something.....no excuses....just NO
05-14-2016, 09:35 AM
#119
Member
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 4
I have a friend who doesn't craft a whole lot and what she does craft she doesn't spend a lot of time on it doesn't turn out to well she used to do Crosstitch she took her time and it was really pretty so when I tell her I am making a quilt show call me in about an hour and ask how it turned out like it's done. I now tell her I'm making pot holders so when she calls the pot holder is done lol
05-14-2016, 02:51 PM
#120
Super Member
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Texas
Posts: 5,500
Originally Posted by SherylM
I learned this expensive lesson years ago, long before I started quilting.
Back in the 80's I made most of my clothes, including some things like tailored slacks. I was a single mom at the time, so when a lady at church approached me and asked if I could make a dress for her, all I saw was an opportunity to make some money and never thought to ask several important questions. I didn't think to ask what kind of fabric it was or what type of pattern, and told her I would do it for $20.00. STUPID ME STUPID ME STUPID ME!!! NO WONDER her eyes lit up like a Christmas tree when I gave her the price - she handed me a bag with six yards of slinky, slide-y silk charmeuse and a pattern for a dress with a full circle skirt on it!
I didn't have the guts back then to say, "I'm sorry...I'll have to re-think that price and timeline..." and went ahead and made it. It took me weeks longer than I originally thought it would, but every time I called her to tell her it was taking longer, she just happily said, "That's fine!" UGH! She knew she was taking advantage of my ignorance, plus she'd seen my work and knew that I would do a good job regardless...
That dress was a nightmare - I had to do French seams on almost the entire dress, plus it needed tons of handwork. It turned out beautiful though and she very happily handed me a twenty dollar bill when it was finished. Didn't even seem ashamed of herself.
After that I did one more dress for a little girl at church. I charged a more realistic price, but the mom picked a pattern that had miles and miles of ruffles and gathers. What a headache! After that I decided that I would NEVER sew for money again! Took all the fun out of it.
Now I only make quilts for people that I love, and I make them as gifts, on my own timeline. I don't do mending either, and like many of you, I have a seamstress that I take my mending and alterations to. I don't have a problem telling people "No" any more. Life's too short to put up with that aggravation.
The problem that I have now is with my best friend - we've been besties for around 25 years and I love her dearly...can't imagine life without her. I've been working on an Irish Chain quilt for her and I'm looking forward to hand quilting it (never done that before.)
She's a very loving, giving person, but she does a lot of guilt and has a hard time receiving things from others. She's thrilled that I'm making her the quilt but she kept trying to pay me for it until out of frustration one day I said,"NANCY! If you try to pay me one more time for this GIFT that I'm so lovingly and willingly making for you, I'm gonna burn the damn thing! OK?!"
She looked a bit shocked and then we both started laughing. Then she said, "You're right...I've got to stop doing that. THANK YOU...I'm going to cherish this quilt!"
Back in the 80's I made most of my clothes, including some things like tailored slacks. I was a single mom at the time, so when a lady at church approached me and asked if I could make a dress for her, all I saw was an opportunity to make some money and never thought to ask several important questions. I didn't think to ask what kind of fabric it was or what type of pattern, and told her I would do it for $20.00. STUPID ME STUPID ME STUPID ME!!! NO WONDER her eyes lit up like a Christmas tree when I gave her the price - she handed me a bag with six yards of slinky, slide-y silk charmeuse and a pattern for a dress with a full circle skirt on it!
I didn't have the guts back then to say, "I'm sorry...I'll have to re-think that price and timeline..." and went ahead and made it. It took me weeks longer than I originally thought it would, but every time I called her to tell her it was taking longer, she just happily said, "That's fine!" UGH! She knew she was taking advantage of my ignorance, plus she'd seen my work and knew that I would do a good job regardless...
That dress was a nightmare - I had to do French seams on almost the entire dress, plus it needed tons of handwork. It turned out beautiful though and she very happily handed me a twenty dollar bill when it was finished. Didn't even seem ashamed of herself.
After that I did one more dress for a little girl at church. I charged a more realistic price, but the mom picked a pattern that had miles and miles of ruffles and gathers. What a headache! After that I decided that I would NEVER sew for money again! Took all the fun out of it.
Now I only make quilts for people that I love, and I make them as gifts, on my own timeline. I don't do mending either, and like many of you, I have a seamstress that I take my mending and alterations to. I don't have a problem telling people "No" any more. Life's too short to put up with that aggravation.
The problem that I have now is with my best friend - we've been besties for around 25 years and I love her dearly...can't imagine life without her. I've been working on an Irish Chain quilt for her and I'm looking forward to hand quilting it (never done that before.)
She's a very loving, giving person, but she does a lot of guilt and has a hard time receiving things from others. She's thrilled that I'm making her the quilt but she kept trying to pay me for it until out of frustration one day I said,"NANCY! If you try to pay me one more time for this GIFT that I'm so lovingly and willingly making for you, I'm gonna burn the damn thing! OK?!"
She looked a bit shocked and then we both started laughing. Then she said, "You're right...I've got to stop doing that. THANK YOU...I'm going to cherish this quilt!"
Dina
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