Have you ever....
 

got in the middle of a heated debate with quilters...never encountered anything like it. I've been quilting 30+ yrs, started by hand went on to machine and now longarm. Still do it all 3 ways.

The debate was on "are you really a quilter if you, "only sew the top" meaning that the top is sent out to be quilted by someone else.

Never heard this debated before, and it was heated!

Any thought on this ladies?

PS... I left and went home to quilt

You did the right thing by going home. Time is too short to be arguing over such silliness.

: )

Annie68 is absolutely right. Why argue about what a word means? Was there some underlying hostility that just found an opportunity to come out?

My EX daughter-in-law told me one time that her mother did not think that "anybody" (meaning me) was not a quilter unless they cut out fabric with a scissors and had hand pieced and hand quilted a quilt - as she did. Actually she had to go to her church sewing group once a week and use their tables to cut out her fabric because she could not find a square inch in her house clean enough to lay a piece of fabric - HMMMMM

I agree also, you did the right thing by going home. Comming from a long line of quilters,
who have either hand pieced decorative quilts, machine sewed decorative quilts, and both hand quilted small and large quilts as well as sent out to have machined quilted quilts, it's the art of putting together with your hands and heart a beautiful hand made top whether hand quilted or machine quilted that makes you a quilter in my book.

You did the right thing, some people just have closed minds. Is a seamstress not a seamstress today because she uses computerized sewing machines, seam tape, maybe computers for designs and electric cutters? The product is still something created by being sewn together.

SusieQ, some people will argue about anything :D I'd have gone home with you :thumbup:

The first quilters did everything entirely by hand because they used the only tools available at the time. Taking advantage of new technology and tools doesn't make us any less of a quilter nor does it diminish the value of our finished projects. It's my opinion the colonial, civil war and pioneer quilters would have taken advantage of any "new" or "modern" tools available to get the job done. Just look at how quickly these busy women adopted the sewing machine. I'm sure it made their lives much easier. My great-grandmother, who was also a quilter, sewed all the shirts for her husband and five sons. Bet she appreciated her sewing machine.

Off my soap box now. I get so tired of this argument.

"Can't we all just get along?"

I'm down with this response! How nuts is this, not worthy of debate.

builders pay contractors to do the actual work, so why can't a quilter pay someone to finish their top. its still their quilt. i would have left too though, and not gotten involved, LOL! Much more fun to be sewing!

I don't blame you, I would have left too. I have had a lot of people tell me that my art quilts aren't quilts either but I just ignore them and go ahead and do my thing. I enjoy it and don't care what it is called.

I've even heard about people arguing that if it isn't big enough for a bed it isn't a quilt!!!

Oh . . . my . . . gosh! These were adults? Maybe you should have thrown in (just for fun) that real quilters ONLY use 100% cotton batting, and ONLY used re-cycled fabrics. Oh! And also that real quilters NEVER use rulers or any other modern help! With the right attitude, that could've been a very entertaining debate! :D

I was at an Int'l Quilt Show and a saleswoman wanted to show me a long arm. I told her I did not enjoy that part of the process and I can't remember her exact words but she insinuated that I buy my quilts. I was insulted to say the when I walked away but it has stuck in my head. I REALLY don't enjoy getting the quilts together. I REALLY enjoy making the tops. Why would I do something I don't enjoy! By the way, I love doing binding.

I guess the man in the cockpit that "drove" me home a few weeks ago is not *really* a pilot because he used an Auto-Pilot.

I agree with the others. Going home to quilt - in whatever fashion you did it, was the right thing :)

Here is the definition of quilting and quilter: Quilting is a sewing method done to join two or more layers of material together to make a thicker padded material. A quilter is the name given to someone who works at quilting. Quilting can be done by hand, by sewingmachine, or by a specialist longarm quilting system.
It really is a silly agrument. You did the right thing and went home

One of my friends says that she quilts by checkbook. :)

I don't like when people start judging people. That's when people feel less than and other people feel better than. I never judge...I sympathize a lot.

I would have had a ball making that group mad as wet hens. LOL. There would be no end to the comments I could have made, the more absurd the better! I would have laughed my butt off just hearing the debate out loud. I'd say you do it your way I'll do it my way and we'll let God sort it out, in the mean time pass me the cheater cloth.

Even the great artists of the past did not put every single brushstroke on every painting themselves. And yet their work is still valuable.

I figure if you slap two pieces of fabric together, put something in between them (optional), and then all the layers are stitched together, then you have created a quilt and are a quilter. You created it, who cares who "quilted" it.

I would have jumped ship when the discussion got heated as well.

So...I infer from this posting that the Quilt Police are alive and well (somewhere) in this country?? Ignore them and do what you want to. I would've gone home, too! Life is too short!

I would let them argue by themselves, it isn't worth my effort.

People call those who only make quilt tops "Toppers" and I don't see it as negative, just a way to label. But, are labels really necessary, is the question.

We email instead of using the post office, we do on-line banking instead of going to the bank. I do not know of many men that do wood working with "hand" tools when they have power tools. Is your house any less clean if you use a vacum cleaner over a broom? Why do those think it is not quilting if we make it with our sewing machines. We all quilt the way we want too.

I wear quilts! I learned to make pieced, traditional quilt type fabric and cut a sweatshirt pattern out of it. The batting happens to be flannel for wearability. People go nuts if I happen to wear one of these to a quilt show.

I think the Chinese and other older cultures used to make padded clothing for warmth. Houses weren't heated.

Some people simply don't have the room for a FMQ machine, some have no desire to use one.
I can do quite a bit of quilting with feed dogs up, Pfaff IDT down, and the foot lifter pedal on the machine.
The actual pattern I might be using is drawn and marked FREEHAND. Since it's usually small stuff, it isn't too bad. If the blocks are small enough - say a certain sized raggie, I'll use the embroidery machine and the bean stitch.

People need to lighten up.

BTW with those sweatshirts, I had quilted an oval pattern down the arm. I used a template, but used the triple straight stitch on the machine. Since it was red on black it was still vivid after 5 years. A couple of quilters wanted to know how I got that effect. The triple straight stitch is on most machines. even basic ones. You just have to count to know where your needle is when you need to pivot. Not much different than using a blanket stitch. You have to know where you are.

I think it is called jea-lousy:D

I piece tops. I have no interest in the hand quilting to attack layers together. I don't care what I get called.

I do know that you can get into some ugly discussions when machine quilting/long arm quilting enters the mix. One of the women at church insists that the only true quilting is piecing by hand and quilting by hand. LIKE HER MOTHER DID. But she can't do it, she just expects us to.

the way I read your post is that those of us who piece are left out of the equation?

Gwyn, you're absolutely right. Now I'm a contractor. Thank you.

Does she still beat her rugs instead of vacuuming them, too?

I am with you...I just the process up the QUILTING...not my thing...and I love binding..

People are interesting for sure. Men and ladies both come into my work and make the comment when they see the longarm machines and remark "That is cheating." I find the statement interesting. I guess it is all in ones perspective. Is a builder "cheating" when he or she uses a power drill, or hammer or backhoe? Is it "cheating" to use a microwave or programable coffemaker, or blender, or foodprosser? Is it "cheating" to use power windows in your car, well hey, why drive? Why can't you walk if for no other reason to avoid "cheating". You were wise to leave, I for one would have left with you.

I think I'd have left too. Closed minded people are just that...closed! Part of quilting is the creativity! To be creative, we have open minds!

My only comment is some quilt tops are not even pretty until the quilter gets through with them. I takes both to make the quilt in any way they have to do it.

Going home was the nicest thing you could have done for yourself. :) Hope you enjoyed the rest of your day.

Here, Here Annie 68. It is silly and a waste of good quilting time! We are all beautiful independent ladies who have opinions, prefered ways of doing things and courage to try new things. Let's not argue about a right or wrong, just enjoy the process and the glorious results.

well said!!

By coincidence I got into a conversation with a lady at the bus stop the other day and mentioned I did a lot of sewing. She said "I used to be a seamstress". I had never thought of myself as a "seamstress" before, so I am now a quilter and a seamstress.