i started that topic telling you about the incident at the airshow over the weekend; last night i was reading some of the replies to my hubby and he was laughing all over again, then he said, what did they all say (meaning all of you) about the last time, when Ashley was assaulted? omg, i have completely forgotten about that time.
WE ARE SLOW LEARNERS I GUESS...we keep taking our quilts everywhere...
3 years ago, on the 4th of July we were in the park, myself, kids, and granddaughters...it was after the parade; this woman walked up to my granddaughter (she was 10 at the time) and literally yanked her quilt right out of her hands and demanded to know 'WHERE IS YOUR MOTHER?!?' I turned around and came to the rescue...along with the person whom i had been standing talking with 5 feet away...he was the town chief of police :-D . said woman was very obnoxious, (maybe drunk at 11am?) she was so 'indignant' she wound up going to jail...cited for public disturbance and assaulting a child...she paid lots in fines and was ordered probation for a year!
AND WE STILL TAKE OUR QUILTS EVERY WHERE WE GO
ya think we are just 'asking for it'? or just slow....
I look forward to the next time...slowly but surely disbanding the gastapo...
what really amazes me is that these things happen in the open when there are literally thousands of people around, they are so sure of themselves...
the one this year was probably in her 60's...so maybe menapause (but i never behaved in any close way to this when i went through it)
the one who assaulted my granddaughter...she was maybe 30...

NOT ME, Thank goodness, lol! Your lady would have scarred the **** out of me!!!!!!!!!!! I always try to be nice to people, so I dont think I would have even been able to answer her.

I am very glad to hear that the women who assaulted your dgd went to jail and paid fines. that is horrible that she would even dream of doing that to a child.

There must be something about your quilts that attract these UNDESIRABLES. Could we see some pics of these awwesome quilts or any of your quilts that are causing such a disturbance? You must be the BEST quilt maker to get such attention!!! Maybe you should set up a table & offer to sign books, programs, quilts, whatever since you attract so much attention wherever you go,lol!!!

My one time encounter with the quilt police was in a very large quilt store here in town. The staff has always been very friendly and helpful and I was talking to one of them about a color selection. I had my pattern in hand, a pieced applique that I was adapting to fusible applique. The woman walked by and overheard our conversation and made a passing comment, something like, you might as well color! I was so embarrased. Since then I really don't listen to negative comments. I love fusible applique, I don't know whether they will last 100 years or 5 years but I have fun, get to exercise my artistic abilities (such as they are) and my children, grandchildren and friends seem to like my quilts.

i am far from a fabulous quilter, they are (mostly) nice but nothing that spectacular...we just have a nack for running into ........ crabby (for lack of more colorful term) people. i have about 1000 pictures from my old computer on a disk...did not want to bog down the new one so have not put them on here...if i can figure out a way to pick and choose which ones i transfer i will start showing more pictures...today i have to learn excel spread sheet though ... i will work on the picture thing another day.

Some people just don't appreciate BEAUTIFUL when they see it. Or maybe she was jealous of your talents.

:-D :-D

I get the this a lot being a young quilter, with a lot of tattoos. The ladies in most of my lqs's don't even help me. I had one woman who told me my color choices were no where near "professional" quality. I told her I did not want my quilt to look "professional", just charming. That quilt has received more compliments than any other!

I have to agree. What nerve some people have. All my quilts are intended to be used, and I love to see others enjoying theirs.

Okay, this thread has really gotten me to thinkin. First off, the "broad" that accosted the child, if it would have been me, I would have decked to "old girl" with something! Defense would have been protecting my child.

But I really hate it when I hear of other quilters having a "better than you are attitude" towards anyone! We all have different preferences when it comes to quilts. If we were all the same THERE WOULD ONLY BE ONE QUILT PATTERN! Like DUH!

As far as the title "Professional", WAKE UP AND SMELL THE COFFEE LADIES! That is a totally SELF PROCLAIMED title! I have been piecing and longarm quilting for years. I have had quilts in shows and won awards but I still say I'm and "advanced beginner" because I learn something new ALL THE TIME!

And regarding the tatoos, WOW! My longarm mentor has tatoos, dreadlocks, and plays in a heavy metal band! Now that would really shake up your LQS owners. I love Karen McTavish, her techniques and her methods. My sister went to a class with Karen M., who showed up in tattered blue jeans and BAREFOOT. Best teacher my sister ever had the joy in meeting.

I learned at a very early age to never discount or judge anyone by anything. Just because they are decked out in a 3 piece suit doesn't mean they are rich or good people.

Tortoisethreads, you keep doing exactly what you are doing because you are contributing to the quilters world in your unique way.

Am I missing something here?? Why exactly did that woman go nuts???

maybe because she was using the quilt on something other than a bed. It bothers me a bit when my children use the ones I have given them for a picnic table on the ground but it's not mine anymore. Any they enjoy them and are so grateful to have them.

Only one time have I ever encountered the quilt police and that was in a fabric store that was closing. She was one of the employees. She made me so angry that I left. But the next day (when the owners were there) I went back and said to her in a loud voice, "You were so rude and nasty to me yesterday that I left. After getting home I decided that you must have just been having a horrible day to treat a customer that way so I came back today to give you another opportunity to wait on me. The only thing is that today you are required to play nice in order to get my money. Now, where are we going to start? What would you like to show me?" Needless to say she was very pleasant that day but although I took a lot of her time I didn't buy all that much. LOL The bad thing is that she transferred to their store in Bourbonnaise, Il., and last I heard was still working for them. Everyone says she's only pleasant when the owners are around. Oh well, at least I don't have to deal with her any more.

My kids and I take tea kwon do (martial arts). If anyone assualts them the person would not fare well. I am not sure what is with people that they just go man handle children and others.

I was at a quilt show in Fort Smith, AR a couple of years ago, and overheard a vendor telling some ladies that "you cannot hand quilt with Warm and Natural". I wanted to yell at her that I ONLY hand quilt and I ONLY use Warm and Natural. What kind of thing is that to say to someone?? What if those ladies had been beginners and believed that blarney? She surely must have been pushing her own agenda.

You go girl. I bet I would like your color choices but it doesn't matter as long as you like your quilt. I am a big orange and yellow fan and that seems to distress many people too but it makes me happy and that is what counts. It took me sometime to be confident and basically ignore the comments.

These people are everywhere!
when I first started quilting I entered several of my small baby quilts ad walhangings in a local show.
my aunt was helping "watch" the quilts and was there when they judged them.
The comment was made that I wasn't a real quilter because I didn't miter my bindings! they also would not judge any that hadn't been hand quilted- this was in 1994.

our local sewing shop has always been rude this way, customers and clerks! I ran an embroidery business for several years. One day I needed a certain color thread and ran out! needed to get the order done and would take 4 days to order more so I thought I would check to see if they carried any as they sold embroidery machines.

the clerk seeing me looking at the embroidery rayons asked if I needed help.I told her what I wanted rayon 30wt white.
she proceded to tell me that I was mistaken as rayon threads were only used for embroidery machines and I should look at the craft store down the road for my crafting supplies!
Some people have nerve!

I was born lacking the gene that would cause me to lose confidence in myself because of something someone said. Another way to put it - I don't care what others think.

I'll tell you what I automatically do it in the situation when someone tells me I can't do it that way or I can only do it this way or I can't do it at all - my brain automatically goes "says you". :roll:

Try it - it will work for you too. :wink:

I have encountered the quilt police.

While working in the Machine Quilting guild booth at a quilt show, I asked a woman if she was a machine quilter or if she was looking for one (we welcome all machine quilters - Longarm, Mid-arm, Short-arm, and DSM (domestic sewing machine). We were looking to add members, and to help those piecers that were looking for a professional to quilt their quilts.

The woman started YELLING at me - "I" would NEVER allow a machine to touch my quilts. "I" can hand quilt a queen size quilt in 4 hours. You can't tell me that machine quilting is faster - I know that these quilts on display took longer to do, and they were done with a machine - so there! It's not any faster than hand quilting.

Holy Cow!! I still shake my head.....speed has nothing to do with it.

And just to be clear - I TOTALLY respect those that hand quilt. I tried it. I love the look, I just can't pull it off. Hand quilting and machine quilting are just different art forms - and to compare one to the other doesn't make sense. They each stand alone.

A few years back, friends took me to a new business where the owners would tell you what colors look good on you. They had some clothes, grouped according to color palette (winter, summer, etc.) hanging on the walls as examples. When I pointed out that I would have paired "this with that" from two different palettes, their first response was "oh, no, they don't go together." So, I took down the pieces and put them next to each other. Their response "OH. They do look good together!"

I'm by no means a color expert, I just happened to like the colors of those two pieces of clothing. So, they taught me something new, but I opened their eyes to something new. That's how those LQS ladies should look at someone's choices! Sounds like they're stuck in a rut and full of themselves. Good for you, for sticking to your guns!

I was at my first quilt retreat and working on a quilt done in Amish colors. Everytime this one woman walked by where I was sitting she would say, in a nasty way, "Intense!!" She did it so many times that now my friend that was with me just has to say "intense" when we are working on something and we burst out laughing.

I always try to be nice to people too, but some people need to be told that their actions are unacceptable. These ladies are way out of bounds and needed to be made accountable for their actions. No one has the right to tell someone else what to do with their own things.

My first response was "What the Hell?" I think I might have went all Hillbilly on the that Krakhead accosting my GD. You did have the police there, so maybe you wanted him to handle it. I have never heard of such a thing. just sayin,,,,,,,,,,,,

If these people only knew just how funny they really are!

WOW, I can only imagine the size of those stitches. lol

Now I do have one peeve where mistreatment of a quilt bothers me: At the end of the movie "How to make an American Quilt" Winona Ryder drags that beautiful WHITE quilt through the red dirt. I think that is just thoughtless and disrespectful to all the quilters who contributed. Doesn't mean I would manhandle anyone for it.

my granddaugter did nothing ... she had not even layed the quilt on the ground (yet) it was tucked under her arm, her and her friend were discussing where to put it...and were quite animated when the crazy woman attacked! (and just an fyi...the quilt is a game quilt with hop-scotch and other 'outdoor' games on it, made for outside play) the woman grabbed it away from her and yelled..."where is your mother? someone need to explain a few things to her!"
police officer friend and i went right over and i asked her just what she needed to explain and why did you just take her quilt away from her? (officer was out of uniform/ not on duty) she turned to me and asked if i was her mother? i said no i'm and thats as far as i got...she told me she needed to talk to this childs MOTHER and i should mind my own business...at this point officer stepped in...she became very beligerent with him (not knowing of course...) all the while my poor granddaughter is like hiding behind us afraid...adults are not supposed to act this way... the only thing quilt related said during any of this was...this KID was about to put this on the ground and her mother should be shot...she went on to say more about respect/value...that's about as far as she got before she decided to take a swing at my friend (as she threw the quilt on the ground) granddaughter snatched it up and ran to put it back in the van...crying; the woman went from bad to worse and was hauled away in cuffs...my granddaughter's will not take their game quilts to the park anymore, they are afraid of being attacked.

This might count as being a member of the quilt police.

I saw a quilt being displayed at a store - it was NAILED to the wall - and it was pulling at the nails and looked like it might be getting ready to tear from the weight of the quilt.
I did tell the owner/manager that the quilt was "in danger" being displayed that way. Whether he ever did anything about it - I don't know - but he gave me the impression that he really hadn't known any better and hadn't noticed that it was pulling.

I didn't yell - just mentioned politely and privately.

There are people everywhere who tend to carry a "frank license." Where they get them, I don't know! Seem people will attack over the silliest things. In the past, I have been verbally abused for not having children..."Whats wrong with you? Aren't you ever going to grow up?" My personal favorite is "Who has the problem, you or your husband?" I used to cringe, but now I say," Well, I did have 6 children, but they were noisy and wanted to eat all the time, so I just dropped 'em off out in the country!" By the time they have recovered, I've turned on my heals and walked away!
Went grocery shopping on a low budget week years ago, and was running a total on paper. Grouchy old lady comes up behind me, looks over my shoulder and says loudly "Why not just buy a calculator?" I turned around and said, "Why not just mind your own business?" Her husband burst out laughing and said to his wife, "She sure told you!"
People don't scare me anymore!

polite and private is always the way any criticism should be handled...yelling at anyone in a crowded park is just plain rude and out of line, and to tramatize a child.....and people wonder why i'm such an antisocial recluse (what my family calls me, i go to work and go home...and like it that way, getting out and about is not a norm for me)
i have seen things and talked to quilters about things but i've always taken them aside if it was anything that may be construed as criticism i've always tried to spare peoples feelings and can not imagine what these people may be like and a regular basis...seems like pretty unhappy people. and this one who attacked my granddaughter...i think she was drunk..or something...but i have a hard time forgiving anyone who uses that as an excuse for bad behavior

I cringed at that one,too. Especially since I grew up in the south. That stuff just doesn't come out. Her character was pretty confused in that movie, as I recall. I'm sure that if the ladies who made it for her had explained how to treat it, she would have.

At least you were polite, and not physical or confrontational, I doubt they'd allow you full membership for that. But please never visit my house, LOL!! Though none of mine are in any danger of falling down or pulling away, I use nails because they're easy and they work on my very difficult walls. If you use enough across the top it doesn't pull. Personally I've never made anything so wonderful that it deserves to be treated like a precious work of art. It's amazing how many people think a nasty email will make you run off and pull all the nails out of the wall and never use them again... :roll:

There were about three nails holding up a quilt that looked like it was at about 6 x 8 feet.

Kill with kindness, (being from the South, raised in a Southern Baptist Church with the ladies group running the town, I learned from the best). When you encounter rude had no raising people, always answer with How Kind of You in the sweetest stickiest voice you have. That is when others either draw near or run for their life. LOL This happened to me about machine quilting wasn't real quilting from a hateful woman. ____ How kind of you to let me know my quilt is not real. I swear, all the quilt classes I have taken, all the national quilt shows I have been to and not one person as ever told me that machine quilting made a quilt not real. I would like for you to come to my quilting quild and explain to our award winning quilters what is a real quilt. Let me have your name and number and I'll have our program director give you a call...never let up talking while you steer her out the door or room. The How Kind of You gives your mind the time to start forming long running sentences to get that person out and gone. I hear my DDs, now adults, start out with How kind of you....I know they can handle anything!

LOL - I was taught to deal with rudeness the same way! I'm educating my daughters as well :lol:

Sometimes it works!

I've read several in the mystery book series books by Rita Mae Brown - the settings of the two series is West Virginia - horse and fox hunting country - seems like folks in different parts of the country handle "scenes" in different ways.

When DGS and DGD were 2 and 3, DH and I took them to the store and a lady behind us told us how cute they are and that they looked just like us.We said thank-you and she turned around to her friend and said the trouble with people now is that they are so old when they have kids they can't enjoy them long.and our DGS said" Grandma are you old?"She went to a different check out lane.LOL

Wow, I am glad I have never had an encounter like those described here.

I am wondering if there is ever an appropriate time to comment on someone else's quilt? I ask because a situation recently arose in my HOG (motorcycling) group. For years I made T-Shirt quilts for the club to raffle off. Unfortunately the last few years I was totally burnt out on it and did not offer. One of the girls who works in the shop volunteered to make it. I saw it hanging in the shop and know it will not last through 3 washings. She did not use any interfacing on the T shirt squares, it has tons of loose fabric hanging in the back and she only tied it in the corner of each 12" square. I know of no poly batting that can be tied 12" apart and still last and by the feel of it, it has a poly batting. I believe W&N even requires more closer tying or quilting, I think at least every 8". I have said nothing because it really isn't my place to say anything. Should I without seeming bitter or a know it all or a quilt police?

Ck,
It's amazing how people can't or won't mind their own business. I always say..."Make sure your house is clean before you mouth off about somebody else's."

You sure show a lot of restraint with the "Q cops"......LOL

Next July 4th, you should take a bunch of those cheater quilts and lay it out. Either that snatch it back from them and wrap them up and knock 'em down.......lol

I have sent people to the E.R. for the same things, but no quilts were involved. :shock:
Something about messing with my babies and laying one's hands on me, causes me to snap....lol

Not to put a bad rap on my home territory but those "quilt police" are lucky they don't live in the Northeast! No sugar and honey up here when it comes to rudeness. :-)

You Go, Girl!!!