It always surprises me when someone says "I would NEVER do/try/use/ or whatever". My mother has a friend who quilts and she will not go to a quilt show because "People use MACHINES to quilt-That is not REAL quilting".

I will try any thread, material, technique, anything new or old, and I will use or do it. I love trying new and different things and materials and threads, whatever. The only requirement is I must ENJOY it.

I completely agree with you second paragraph.

Some folks just get set in their ways and refuse to change or try something new.

I agree with you 1,000%! I too love trying new things - that is how I am learning more & more with each project I do - big or small. No sense in putting all of our time, money & effort into this if we are not going to enjoy it. Nothing like some good "Quilting Therapy" to clear my head & put a song in my heart.

You go girl!!!! :thumbup:

If something catches my eye enough AND I have resources (time, $, supplies, patience) to do it, I will try it at least once.

I envy people who have the time and patience to make a hand made quilt. If I was ever lucky enough to get my hands on one, I'd probably hang it on a wall so it could be looked at and admired, I would never dare use it in case it got hurt.
That said, I personally prefer the thought of working with all the wonderful new techniques and designs that are coming along daily.
Why spend months doing something that could be done in a day on a long arm amachine. Or hand piecing a top that will probably be given to a relative who won't give it the care it needs. So many people talk about how the person they gave a lovely quilt to soesn't understand the time and love that went into it. Back in the days when I was doing a lot of handwork, my sister in law came along and cleaned me out, come to find out she wanted them to put in her church sale, I haven't given her anything since. If she'd said she wanted stuff for that, I had plenty that could have filled the bill, not the things I'd worked the hardest on.

Absolutely. I had a quilt teacher tell me yesterday I can't FMQ with Isacord polyester as we don't know how well it will hold up in 100 years. I love it and use it all the time.

I have been getting great tips/ideas from this board, and learning a whole bunch of different things to try. The motto I follow is, your never too old to learn

I used to be one of those people. Was orginially taught by an elderly woman (who was marvelous) and everything was by hand. When my hands got so bad I couldn't hold a needle for long (even after surgery on both) I gave up quilting. For years I mourned the lose of my ability to quilt-then finally I thought what is wrong with me? Just sew by machine!!!! Even though I can no longer do the beautiful baltimore album appliques by hand. I can quilt just about anything else I want to by machine. Why did I waste so many years?!!!!!

Kat

Thank you. After having people look down their nose with disdain when I mention quilting by machine, or that some of the fabric is from Joann's instead of a LQS, I decided that I would never do that to anyone. Walmart fabric? Go for it. Using scraps of polyester? Why not. Applique with fusible web- goes quicker, doesn't it?

It's your quilt and your creation and no one should tell anyone else that it's wrong or to do it differently unless asked specifically for their opinion or suggestion.

We need to remember that old saying, "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all." Just smile and nod. :-)

I do what suits my mood , wallet, time, and makes me happy! those are the criteria I use for measureing quilting success.

join my next swap and you'll get to try something different.

Me too! :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

Linda what a great topic. I was feeling kinda blue because I read that some quilters "only" use LQS fabrics or "only" use expensive threads. I'm unemployed so I use what I can afford. Call me a cheap date, but my quilts turn out just fine and my machine sews best with good ol' Coates & Clark thread.
I really don't think there are any "only"s or "must do"s--just enjoy what you do and do it with love.

This reminds me of my oldest son, who is a terrific cook. One Thanksgiving dinner at my house he refused to eat any of my pies because I had used frozen pie crust!

I so agree with you. I will give anything a try once. If it works for me great, if not then I will move on.

I was also faced with someone telling me that my quilts are not quilts because they are tied. I asked her, back during the days of the old west and even after that, were quilts tied??? I do what I can. I love making quilts, experimenting with colors, looking at the next quilt to be more of a challenge then the last. It also relaxes me.I have 2 fabrics with batting in the middle, and tied. I can't afford a machine or sending out.
It's my quilt. I like the results

IMO, "I'd never........." is posting an opinion. And until opinions are banned from this board, I'll continue "I'd never..........."

I bet she doesn't know how many hand quilted beauties she is missing!

If we were meant to fly, we'd have wings.
Sell the Model-T. 15mph is too fast.

Wake up and smell today's roses.

what a shame she is missing so much by not going to a quilt show, every show I have been to has some thing for every one!

A couple of the ladies at my church put out a contract on me for taking the raffle quilt to a LAQ. No one wants to take the time to do the hand quilting, and I personally hate hand quilting, although I enjoy the piecing. A few of the ladies who po-poed my having the quilt done by machine have decided that they LOVE this quilt.

I love trying to new things.

Unless it's in regard to a safety issue, I just don't listen when someone says to always or never do something. Generally they're just too full of their own importance. :lol:

Good for you!! Hey the first quilters did that where would we be?? Still doing nine patches only!! You never know what you can make or do if you don't try!!

I like this attitude.

Breaking the rules in quilting is called "creativity"!! How boring it would be if we all made our quilts exactly alike. I will try any and all techniques, fabrics, threads, whatever. Some are "keepers" and others are not for me but may be perfect for someone else. say each of us should do what makes you happy.

My response to that is that people who use washers and dryers are cheating too. They need to go down to the river and beat the clothes on rocks. Or that driving in a car is cheating, they need to still use horses. Or that the next time they have an infection, they should shun antibiotics and use leeches instead. And my final comeback: The dinosaurs are dead and good riddance!!

Why limit yourself..if it's available and you can, try it! GreatStarter those years were not wasted!!

I agree, I agree, I agree......

What these people don't realize is that "back in the olden days" women HAD to make quilts by hand because that was the only way to have bed coverings--they couldn't go to their local store and buy them. And that as soon as mechanical machines became available, including treadles, those who could afford them FLOCKED to get them. Gr-gr-gramma loved her treadle because it made it so much easier to make the necessary stuff. And if it was good enough for gr-gr-gramma, it is sure good enough for me!!

we were selling raffle tickets for our quilt and two ladies came by, said it was just beautiful, but NO way would they buy a chance ... it was not hand quilted, wasnt' a real quilt, I laughed at them, felt the quilt and said, Feels real to me????

I think that is a little harsh....can we not try to be a little kinder and gentler on this board....my goodness gracious....

I do how, what and where I want. I don't ask for opinoins because, I don't care what anyone else thinks. There is never just one way to do anything. Some people think they are much more important than they really are. Sad people.

You can't please everyone, you've got to please yourself!

Yes, I know our ancestors, the first quilters, did it all by hand. But they also did thier laundry "by hand" on a washboard. I'm sure if they had a chance to speed up the process of quilting by using a machine they'd have jumped at the chance, just as they did with washing machines.

I agree, each to his own. For me it's machine quilting.

I think that is a little harsh....can we not try to be a little kinder and gentler on this board....my goodness gracious....[/quote]

Harsh? It's true. If historical accuracy is harsh, then don't read any history books, my dear.

we have to remember that this board is for all of us. I am not a moderator but this post could quickly become deleted and then we all lose if this becomes a name calling & berating thread..

Everyone has an opinion, not everyone will like it or agree with it..

I truly believe "to each, his own". I enjoy learning new things, but I don't always change my way of doing something because I learned a new way to do it. I love traditional, but I also love being able to make quilts faster than I could 40 years ago.

You can't always hear voice tones when we type here. I try to read everything with a postive, then you hear the real voices. It's hard here. I read Gaigai's post and it made me smile. History is what it is. I handquilt and I machine quilt. If I say I won't ever...or never...it's because I dont' think I can ever be good enough to do it, not that I don't like it. Back to happy.....