JenniePenny

On the other side of this coin, sometimes we, as quilters, perpetuate this magic wand myth.
How many times have we seen a post on here such as "help. It's Monday and I just got a baby shower invitation in the mail. I didn't know she was expecting....the shower is Sunday! Does anyone know of Quick Baby quilt pattern that I could make by this weekend?" Although there is always no shortage of helpful answers, it's also OK to go buy a baby bathtub and some onesies (or whatever) at the baby store. Heck, if you didn't know that she was expecting, how close are you really, and why do we feel stressed out and compelled to make a quilt?

sewingsuz

I know a Man that has a back hoe or some machine like that which you could add forks to lift big items up. I ask him if he could come by and give me a estimate on moving a shed about 12 feet out from where it was. I told hime I would empty the shed out. He said he would not charge me but wanted me to know he did not have insurance. I said I know that. the next breath from him was I know, " how about a quilt". He never came by and I am glad.

maryellen2u

A guy was working in my yard, I told him I did not have money to pay him. He kept working saying he enjoyed doing this sort of stuff. I remarked to a friend that it was pretty unusual and spectacular. I said that I intended to make him a batch of cookies. She actually took quilts down from my display and chose a king size quilt and said that one would be good to give him. It took me quite awhile to get my jaw off the floor.

Sophie2

A few years back my DH asked if I could make a friend of ours a quilt for Christmas. He is 80 and lives by himself and my husband wanted to give him a quilt he could cover up with while watching TV. He said nothing fancy. I suggested I make a jelly roll race type quilt. My DH thought that would be fine. We gave it to him and he loves it. Tells me every time I talk to him on the phone that he is using it or he just washed it. Anyway, his daughter found out I made him a quilt and my DH asked if she would like me to make her one. (My DH assumed she knew she would have to pay for it) He asked her what type she wanted and she replied "like the ones she sees on the clothes lines in Kentucky". So, I e-mailed her and confirmed she wanted one and she said yes. I told her to let me know the size, colors and if there was a pattern she liked and I would give her a price. Haven't heard from her since. Another person that thought it would be free.

K-Roll

Question: when making quilts for charity, does anyone writing off the donation(s) on their taxes? Just curious!
I know that monetary donations and other gifts to charity are deductible.

(I haven't started on a quilt yet because 2 other (non-quilt) projects are not finished; now I'm thinking I should just bite the bullet and start without waiting for everything else to be finished.)

Pennyhal

I had a friend who wanted me to make a quilt out of her deceased mother's clothes. She brought them over. I told her that she had to take the seams apart, wash, and iron the fabrics so we could cut quilt pieces out of them. She left and I never heard from her again.

madamekelly

Another "wand" story- is my DD has a friend, who figured out that I sew. He brought me a very thin, well worn Tshirt, and some leather pieces that he wanted me to use to put patches on the Tshirt with! The weight of the leather would have shredded the Tshirt, and I do not sew leather at all especially not on my quilting machine. Still makes me laugh.

I once agreed to make a wedding dress for a bride who was recent arrival from Russia. I told her to get the fabric, pattern, and explained how the list of notions worked. I heard nothing out of her for six months. I figured she had just bought a dress. Four days before the wedding she showed up, with fabric, pattern, notions, and even thread. This was before I learned to "just say no." I managed to get her white satin dress with silver shot lace sleeves, and silver sequins hand sewn on, and ready two hours before the wedding. She had agreed to pay me when she got back from her honeymoon. Imagine my chagrin when she came by and handed me an envelope with $10 in it....(To be fair, when her new hubby found out what she had paid me, he brought me another $190. In her experience, $10 was a huge fortune, especially in American money.) That was the last wedding dress I made.

Carol Wilson

I made a quilt for a friend's new grandaughter, (she is not a close friend), next time we met she informed me "It's not fair that Kate is the only one with a quilt I have five other grand children who would like quilts".

Needless to say I now keep her at a distance. Some people have no idea how long a quilt takes to make plus the expence.

mike'sgirl

I hope you said ,"Uh, No!"!

Beachbound

Good point!!!! Also how many times do we say "oh it's no problem or no big deal"? I know I belittle my own work way too often. Trying to stop that!!!!