Are there any hand-piecers/quilters out there who feel biased against in quilt stores? I was in a quilt store up north last month and mentioned that I don't use a machine, that I do everything by hand, and the owner says "Well, you are going to have to get over that!" And not with a smile and a wink, either. I look at the quilt shops near me and all their classes use a sewing machine. Strip piecing does not seem hand-quilter friendly to me and so many patterns are strip-pieced. I like doing the work by hand. I don't want to use a machine. I like being able to sit on the couch with my husband and sew instead of sitting in front of a machine in another room, by myself. Do any of you have problems at stores like I do? Just a vent. A little frustrated.

Well all I can to this is you have my complete respect and I am in awe because my handstitching leaves something to be desired. I think most people nowadays are all about speed and sometimes forget the pleasure of doing the process slowly to savor it and have it done by hand. I say what ever floats your boat is great and you sure as heck won't find that icky bias in these here parts I am sure!

I bow to hand piecers and quilters! Everything you make looks beautiful. I am green with envy of your hand sewing skills. Keep sewing, girl! You know it looks gorgeous!

Yes, I am a hand-piecer and quilter also. I have noticed there are no classes for hand-ers either. I haven't been dissed like you were, but I do lament the lack of learning opportunities.

I do all my quilting by hand, and almost all my piecing. I do attach long borders by machine, but my machine sewing is awful. I don't enjoy it at all, but it is faster on those long borders.

I take my piecing everywhere I go. I manage to finish pieces here and there and I love to watch tv while sewing.

You Go Girl!

It's a shame you were treated that way. I do a lot of hand quilting and have only received positive comments. I admire you for hand-piecing. I don't have the patience for it. :D

Think of it this way.... when the power goes out from the latest natural disaster, who will still have something to do? It will be you!! You are prepared no matter what the situation! :) :) When the quilt shop owner is fussing about not being able to finish her project, you'll be humming along on yours. Life is good :) :) :)

It never ceases to amaze me how insensitive and boneheaded people are. The owner of your local quilt shop has never heard the saying "the customer is always right".

I have nothing but admiration for someone who can hand piece and quilt. How wonderful it would be to have the ability to work on a quilt in the car or waiting for an appointment.

Hopefully there is another quilt shop you can support that is nearby.

Sorry about your experience. I remember many years back when I first dabbled in quilting---we're talking 30+ years ago--if you even THOUGHT about machine quilting you weren't considered a true quilter. Machine piecing was accepted but machine quilting was pretty much quilt heresy. I'd say the pendulum has swung too far the other direction. Why does it have to be one or the other. A famous quote applies here: "Can't we just all get along?"

Just keep doing what you're doing and ignore the rude comments. My hat is off to you.

I'm impressed. My hand sewing isn't good enough. I'm jealous and they probably are too.

I too am impressed with hand quilters...they do such wonderful work and it is a dieing art.....I want to do other things don't have enough time to hand sew.....Our quilting Guild has a lot of hand quilters...that's where you need to go.....they are the best with advice....I think your trip was bad...they just wanted to sell you a machine ...ha ha.....

More power to you for still being able to hand quilt - I can't - my hands immediately begin to cramp... it's all I can do to get the binding hand stitched around a quilt.

That said, maybe that quilt shop owner has seen 'hand-made' quilts like some of the ones I've seen...

there's a place here that sells hand crafts - some absolutely fantastic work and then there are the 'hand made' quilts - I'd be embarrassed to have my name on some of them. the stitches are HUGE - they look more like basting - the kind of thing you'd say, 'that will fall apart the first time it's washed'

do you recall seeing any of the hand quilted quilts at walmart? the huge big sitches probably done by very young children? that sort of thing

if you've seen any of the Gees Bend quilts they are very very crudely made - like maybe a 5 year old just learning - don't yell at me about it unless you've actually seen one of them - I know I wouldn't spend thousands of $$$ on one of them

I guess the point I'm trying to make is, there are different degrees of effort and talent in anything to do with quilting, just as every person is different so is their talent...

Apparently this woman hasn't seen your work and jumped to some rude conclusions....

I think hand work is gorgeous if done well - if not, it's just shoddy, just as machine work...
For decades any woman who did her quilting 'by machine' was really put down - it still goes on, people sniff when they see that you 'quilted it by machine'..... so the prejudice goes both ways - heavily weighted against the machine quilters in my experience.

that woman's opinion of your 'way of doing things' is totally not important - do your own thing, enjoy it for what it is - your way of expressing yourself...
and then show off some of your creations here!!

I'm one of those weird "half breeds" I do both...I usually have more than 1 project going on at a time and I ALWAYS have something going on to do with my hands in front of the tv. I can spend some time with the machine during the day, but would MUCH rather spend time with DH at night and I usually always am sewing, knitting or something or another. It is very relaxing to me. Its funny that sometimes, my hand pieced projects get done quicker than my machine projects! You GO GIRL and do it anyway YOU want...to heck with that store owner...you don't HAVE to shop there :wink:

KQ.............don't worry about it and if possible frequent another quilt shop if need be. Just think........you can more than likely get more for your crafts simply because they are hand-stitched! I love hand quilting and have not mastered machine quilting myself yet.......

Linda D.

I'm a hand-Quilter too. And I find That I have to addaped most of my patterns. I also get why don't you do it on the machine? But if the ele. goes out Oh it's a different story.

The quilt shops figure you will not take their classes or buy their machines or have as quick a turn over...... next time remind them to smile when they make a comment like that

It's a big ol' world, and there's room for everyone! We all know how we feel about the quilt police! You have the ability to do something that very few people can do, and that's fantastic! Just keep on doing it as long as it give you pleasure!

KrazyQuilter--I hand pieced and hand quilted my first quilt over 25 years ago. I then decided that quilting was not for me! I admire you so much for your talent, time and patience. I returned to quilting 9 years ago, but now my motto is more like-"so many quilts, so little time". Arthritis keeps me from doing as much handwork as I would like to do, so I stick to the sewing machine and send a lot of my tops out to be quilted by someone else.

I am so sorry that shop owner was so thoughtless. She did not realize what a turn-off her selfish comment was-she could lose a lot of customers with attitude like that. Please try not to lump everyone in the same basket with her, there are a lot of people who share, or at least admire, your hand quilting preference.

I combine hand and machine stitching...I have the feeling that the person who said that to you also sold high-markup frames and quilting machines and got a commission. She cannot rely on you to be buying shiney new stuff and filling her pockets, and wants to sway you.

Do whatever makes you happy. I am the first to admit my hand stitching is better than my machine quilting. I do not have space to sprawl and work on anything large. Does that mean I wouldn't LOVE a longarm setup and the space tp use it? Of course not!!!

Here is the link to Jinny Beyer who has become very well known for her hand piecing.

http://www.jinnybeyer.com/quilttips/tip21.cfm

I am also a hand quilter, although I do some piecing by machine. I agree with you that it is nicer to sit with everyone working on your quilter, rather than to be off on your own. Another way hand quilter is nice, is that it's portable. I substitute teach and always have quilting projects with me.

Janie

Thanks all!

I think it is WONDERFUL that you do it all by hand. Be proud that you have the talent. I can only put my tops together with a machine because I lack that special talent.

SMILE and hold your head up.

Anne

Krazy quilter I read this thread earlier, and I couldn't believe how rude that quilt store owner was to you. Before I turned to machine earlier this year all my projects where hand sewn, but now that you mention the lack of classes ect. there certainly seems to be "a bias".

It's so sad really, very nearly a dying art. That's so awful to think that there are people out there not just pushing ahead, but forcefully pushing back on the past. UGH! :shock:

I am so jealous of you ! Wish I could hand quilt. You are so correct about it being relaxing and being able to do it with company without all the noise of a machine or being sent to another room by yourself. Shame on the shop owner :x Bet she doesn't have the patience or skill fro hand quilting !

I appreciate all your comments. I do not pretend to be some great quilter, I stick to simple patterns and am pretty new at it. I do want to say that although this shop owner left something to be desired her shop itself was absolutely fabulous! It's a very charming shop off the beaten path of the Minnesota North Shore and has the biggest selection I have ever seen. If only she would ease up! :) If I am ever up there again I will definitely go back. Man, now I have visions of fabric bolts dancing in my head!!! Maybe I will have to make a little visit to my local shop tomorrow for a fix! :)

The sales person probably couldnt see past the dollar signs she was seeing envisioning the machine she could sell to you...
I am only a newbie and have started with machine quilting but i am seriously considering starting to handquilt something as like you said it is nice to be able to sit on the lounge with your hubby and watch tv.
Maybe you could put up a notice in her shop for likeminded handquilters to join you and see how much interest you get.....

Just posted 3 that I finished the last couple weeks in the pic section. Take a look!

oooh, I like the idea of putting up a notice at her shop....our lqs has a board that we can post just about anything quilting related on. i love it....lets everyone know when quilt shows are, other vendors in the area, etc.

I'm sorry that you had this experience...there's room for all types of quilters in this art form. I'm a little surrised there is such bias against hand quilters. I hand quilt but tend to piece by machine. I've had people judge me because I didn't do the entire thing by hand...people who thought it was terrible to put bias on by machine on the side you don't even see :lol: it takes all kinds :roll:

Rest easy....no quilt police here. Besides, there are a ton of shop owners who would LOVE to snatch you right up....even out here on the web if you don't have local options. Best wishes and happy sewing!

Having been in the quilt "industry" and attended a few seminars for quilt shop owners/teachers...

Hand quilters are not nearly as "profitable" as machine piecers/quilters. It takes a lot longer to make each quilt, so they don't usually buy as much fabric as a machine quilter. Statistically, hand quilters don't accumulate as large a fabric stash as machine quilters, neither do they make as many impulse purchases. They don't often buy the sewing machines and accessories and specialty gadgets. Many hand quilters use scissors instead of rotary cutters (mats, cutters, blades, rulers), so those sales are lost. Also, hand quilters don't buy as many books and patterns.

Many quilt shops stay profitable ONLY because of their machine quilting services.

It is in the best financial interest of the quilt shop to get you sewing MANY quilts - repeat business, fast turnover, and using as many specialty tools and books as possible.

I like hand piecing and quilting, too!

I love to hand quilt my quilts. I love the look of hand quilting.

As for hand- sewing, I really admire you for being able to do a whole quilt that way. Amazing stuff!

I sew day time on my machine and then at night when I like the quiet times I hand quilt a recently finished quilt top or applique ( like my chicken quilt). I like the balance!

If you were in a quilt store the lady was probably thinking , "I could sell you more fabric if you used a sewing machine!" Some people are motivated by money! As for me? I think it is terrific there are people who do all their sewing by hand!

Lori

I never really thought about it that way. That's a good point. Maybe she got so caught up in making money that she lost her true love for the art. She did make some gorgeous quilts, though! :)

Chele said it all, no better words I can think of. You keep sewing Girl, Wish I could make those little uniform stiches, My Mom could, such tiny straight uniform stiches, Mine :lol: :lol: :lol: You don't want to see believe me. Bill's BonBon

All of my quilt tops I have put together by hand ( with the exception of my Irish Chain that I did last month) and I do my quilting by hand. Hand quilting is a dying Art and I am proud to be one in a small group of quilters that is keeping the art alive because we love it and there are a lot of people out there that would rather pay good money for a hand quilted quilt than a machine quilted one and then you have people like that person at the quilt shop that does not appreciate the beauty of HANDMADE.

So girl be proud of your work because is beautiful.

Every time I sit and hand quilt this little hand appliqued wall hanging I have been working on for about 5 years, I say to my DH - I couldn't even imagine quilting a queen size quilt by hand.

I totally admire everyone who hand quilts, and those who hand piece are amazing as well!!

Because I always try to find the bright side :D :D :D ....Maybe this shop keeper had been beat up by a hand quilter who doesn't think machining is real...you never know!! Maybe she's just on the defensive all the time. I wish I could do the hand work, actually I've never tried, but know my own limitations, and patience is definately one of them...so until I am really comfortable with what I consider the easier way (for me its machine because I see results quicker), hand work will have to wait :lol: For now I only dream. You keep doing whatever makes you happy, after all, that's the whole point, right???? Kudos to you :D :D :D

I began as a hand quilter and piecer. I now generally sew on machine and hand quilt now. I've quilted a few by machine but, I like you enjoy the experience of hand quilting. And I like the stitches to be not perfect, it seems more homey to me. I don't like the huge stitches that are in most of the boughten Hand Made quilts. My mother in law could get nine stitches on a needle but I'm lucky to get five. People have asked me if I would think about selling my quilts and I always say," no one has enough money." I've made about sixty over the past 30 years and I have given all but four away. I have to admit since I started machine piecing it goes much faster but I can never sew a curve as well by machine as I can by hand.When my kids were little and into activities I was fortunate to get a quilt made every couple years. I too wish they had a class of hand quilting, I did a sampler once with a group and we did one square a week and it was so much fun to see the others.
when I don't have a quilt to work on while watching TV I feel lazy. You go girl, everyone appreciates an hand pieced and quilted quilt, but few of us take the time to do them.

I have great admiration for hand quilters. It takes dedication and patience that most of us (me especially) cannot even dream up... Not to mention the end results are so obviously stitched with love and thoughtfulness.
Maybe that shopkeeper is just unable to comprehend why ANYONE would want to take that kind of time to do something. Just keep up the good work, and know that many of us bow to your talent, hardwork, and dedication.