How to define myself?
 

I am a beginning piecer? I am a beginning quilter? I've pieced 4 quilts completely now, but have only quilted 1. I've bound several placemats, table runners, and 2 quilts with a few more waiting in the wings. I thought I was a quilter, but was recently told that no, I am a piecer since I don't actually quilt EVERY quilt I make myself (?). I've only sent one out to the LA but am planning on trying quilting on my DM once summer school ends. Your thoughts??

Sounds like you have been talking to the quilt police. I'd say you are a quilter and just keep on sewing :-)

You are whatever you want to be..... don't let anyone else define you...

I don't think we need labels to define ourselves. Just enjoy what you do.

A quilter puts together fabric to wrap others with hugs.....whichever part of it you do. IMHO ��

I believe that anyone who has any thing to do with quilts can easily call themselves a quilter.. I do LA quilting and a hand quilter told me that I am a sewer..not a quilter..oops, there goes the quilt police.

You my dear, are a "quilter". Just smile and enjoy each phase of quilting.

My sentiments precisely!

I'm with the others -- I'm really not sure it matters that much. I either call myself a "quilt maker" because I make the quilt from start to finish or a "fiber artist" (for some shows that's called a "textile artist") because I love to experiment with different cotton materials, layouts & treatments (dyeing, fiber couching, thread painting, trapunto, etc, etc).

There are people in my guild who call themselves "piecers". It's hardly a slight. They are really incredible at what they do and some have even partnered up with quilters to win awards for their work! And then we have a couple of gals who buy all their tops & only do the quilting. But they have LA machines, so they don't use the word "quilters", they use the term "long-armers".

I guess if we want to get really nit-picky, since a quilt has to have 3 layers, a quilter would be a person who binds together 3 layers ... but honestly, unless you're trying to figure out how to advertise your business I'm sure it makes no difference what you want to call yourself. I do almost no piecing. I like applique & whole cloth quilts. However, when I have done quilts with piecing & someone asks "who was the piecer?" I respond that I was. I definitely don't believe that you have to use a technique on every quilt you make in order to claim it. If you want to call yourself a "quilter", you don't need anyone's permission to do so (and if you do, you have mine -- for whatever that's worth! :p)

Honey, if you want to call yourself an Upside Down Table, we'll all just go along with you; no quilt police here I think! :D

I use "quiltmaker," but I may try Upside Down Table next time! :)