Good grief, people with this kind of time to waste astound me!

That's sort of like asking if someone is a "real" mother if she only has stepkids or adopted kids. Sounds to me like they were suffering from terminal stupidity.

when "purists" talk to me about only 100% cotton, etc, I tell them the womwn in the covered wagons used what came to hand. And those quilts are admired in museums
Mim

I try to avoid negative judgmental types in all aspects of my life, quilting included. Such a silly thing to argue about :(

that hasn't happened to me at a quilting thing, but actually at a group of people from my church and they started raising their voices a bit and getting somewhat argumentative. I just said "Sorry folks. I gotta go" and left. Didn't seem like either time or place...if there ever is a time for loud arguing....I'd rather find something better to do with my time. YIKES

There is room for everyone in the quilting world. The first quilt I ever made was cut out with scissors and stitched on my machine. I like to think that I have advanced as methods have advanced. I am not to old to learn a new way of doing things or to appreciate the love and work that went into a quilt if it was made using a different method than I use. What a sad world to be so narrow minded. You were right to go leave. I would have been right behind you.

I used to think that, but if you follow that line of thinking clear through, we would be walking and not riding in ANYTHING. Let alone still sending smoke signals instead of using cell phones. I agree with the lady who said that the early women appreciated their sewing machines. I DO think hand quilting is lovely and so is machine quilting. I sure would like to do it as well as the artists I have seen on this site. Maybe they were having a bad day???

She probably doesn't sew anything but just likes to complain. There are many of them out there;
just give me one or two who love to do parts or all of the making of a quilt. I have 2 tops ready
for a LAQ, (just not the funds right now, but soon). I love to hand quilt but I am a slow quilter
and right now I don't have room in my living room to put up a frame; I have GD living with me
and I had my fabric in her room and it has gravitated to the living room in tubs....I was so hoping
to clean in there this weekend.

So true! In those situations ignoring is the best reply. And don't let it bother you.

Maire

Who cares? If nobody 'built' the tops, nobody would 'quilt' the layers.... Also, which came first the chicken or the egg? Same idea. Are you a homemaker if you send your clothes out to be washed and have a housekeeper?