Love this response!

Sis and I were selling some gold a couple of weeks ago, and when I said I planned to buy quilting fabric with the money, the man behind the counter wanted us to make him a quilt using bags from some old Crown Royal bottles. Sue got his email address, but I do not think she ever responded to him.

Get this...
I had a friend for several years finally be invited into my quilt room. Much to my horror was her responce to my stash and quilts (mostly tops) and a few in my curios that were quilted. She said angrily, why do you store all your quilts? Why don't you bless others with your talents. How many can one person need?

I nearly cried right there! She went on to say why don't you give them away? Why don't you make quilts for newborns in need? I wanted to faint!
Oh I told her I have given of my time & talents. But I was in such shock that I couldn't tell her what was rolling around in my head. When she left I told my husband what had happened and he was furious!!! I sat down and tearfully wrote her an e-mail and told her about all the 75 people I had made quilts for. I went into GREAT detail on why each person got one from me. She was stunned to realize she is not who I give an account to. I told her many times only my husband and God knew who I was quilting for.
She wrote me back I had no idea, sorry. I went on to tell her often my gifts from my husband are fabric. If I have a birthday, annniversaryetc I ask for fabric, and generally it will be made into a quilt for someone else.

I have given most of my "labors of love" to date 78 quilts to strangers. They have been far more gracious. A lady I gave one to entered it into a show and it placed Grand Champion. I have never given away quilts I don't love myself.

I don't understand why some people are so hurtful to think WE have all the time & money and they don't. Their loss!
P.S. The friend took a quilting class with me about 1 1/2 years before her comment . She complained the whole way...omg money for this and money for that. class fee, fabric, cutter, ruler,thread,gas,time. She never finished her quilt. She and her husband tiled their entire entry and kitcken and I asked if they could help us learn how to do it. I told her I would pay for all materials. I am just a hands on learner. Her responce was get a book it is really easy!.hummm

That is not the reaction I would have had. I might have mentioned that she needs to "bless" someone else with her cheerful (uplifting and supportive) visits.

I still owe one to a friend who brought back fabric from Hawaii. its to be all one piece of the fabric. just like a quilted throw i suppose but i haven't had time to do it. now i think she's mad at me. i made her a pieced wall quilt for her Birthday, four blocks, Hawaii looking. didn't get much of a reaction. sigh. i must get the whole cloth quilt done or bust i guess.

I believe this happens with any project being sewn, other crafts, paintings, not just quilting. It's amazing how many show up with items to be 'mended' if they know you sew. When I say that will be $10 per hour, I get, 'what, you charge for that?'

We were in a car club for many years that put on a 50's dance annually, I had six poodle skirts, all were wool felt, different colors and different poodle patterns. One had rollar skates, another 45 records.

At least 50 people, mere acquaintences, ask me to make them one. My response, from my purse I pulled the list of materials, handed it to them. The cost of those was $20-25. At the bottom, was my charge for sewing the skirt, $25. It took care of the problem immediately. But many FRIENDS did take me up on it and I made $25 when I did make them.

Alaska, If anyone whom I had considered a friend said something like that to me, I would have blasted them. It is none of her BUSINESS how many you keep, or give away.

I just say "Get in line because it could be years before I could get to it".

People ask me "what are you going to do with all those quilts?" I tell them it is an art and you can't have to much art.

People don't understand the costs involved nor the time involved to build a quilt when they can buy one for $59. at stores. Of course it is going to fall apart when it is washed.

I always laugh and say "you can't afford me!!" That usually puts an end to it.

I'm actually flattered when someone asks if I'd make them a quilt; although in reality I only give quilts to people that are very special to me, for the same reasons that everyone else cited; expensive and time consuming. A woman I'm chummy with from my exercise class actually had the nerve to say " I want you to make me a quilt, but I don't want it quilty looking, I don't like country things'. I just smiled and nodded... and promptly forgot about it until I saw this thread; what do you mean you don't want it to look like a quilt?!? go buy a bedspread.