Question on growth of quilting
 

I started quilting in 2007 after I retired. I was motivated because my son was having his first child and I thought a quilt was a perfect project for me. I searched the web and did make on of the basic quilts with a variety of block fabrics and post and sashing. But I don't remember there being so many resources then, and now I find the web is rich with information on quilting. Has the interest in quilting exploded over the past 5 or so years or is it just me becoming more proficient in my passion and of course spending each morning on this wonderful board. I am part of the baby boomer generation and I thought perhaps with more of us retiring and discovering quilting that it has grown.

Good question.

I'd guess with technology what it is today, we are all more aware and/or in touch. Our "world" is larger, so we get to meet more people that share similar interests. Kind of like when you're shopping for a new car. You pay attention to whatever it is you're interested in. Think the same goes with quilting.

:cool:

I started quilting in the 1980's, and believe me it has EXPLODED since then. I think I heard something like 20 million people in the US say they are quilters. There are a lot more of us now!! Yay!!

I made my first quilt when I was in my late teens. At 62 I know what I like to do and don't do. Over the years I have belonged to two different guilds and have made a lot of bed size and other size quilts. The information available has grown and quilting is very popular, mostly for woman who have older families or are empty nesters in my experience. My main quilting now is on Linus quilts and they are made by machine. I am a handquilter for hire but get few customers as they are used to Longarmers and fast turn around. I have handquilted the last two or three raffle quilts for our Linus Chapter's fund raiser. I handquilt on a raffle quilt for our local Senior Center with a small group of ladies there. We only work a couple of hours a week. I spend more time on this board than I do with either guild anymore. Most of the guild members are only interested in getting things done fast and easy. I have forgotten more about quilting than most of them have yet to learn. The guild most handy for me meets at night and they are not interested in hand quilting. They recently ran a mid-month quilting class which ended with teaching them how to prepare their quilt for the long armer.

I started quilting in 1989. Quilting was fairly popular even then - there were quilt shops around and guilds were available to join. Of course, the profusion of fabric was certainly not like it is today! I think it wasn't the explosion of quilting, but the internet that made it feel like an explosion. Quilting is definitely more popular and the market for it is bigger today, but the internet helped it become the huge force it is today. When I started, there was no internet and there was no way to share or learn beyond your own community for the most part.

Today we have wonderful things like the QB where we share from around the world and we can have quilting conversations at our fingertips any time we want. We can view the fabrics out and coming from manufacturers, and find them online if we don't see them in our LQS. Seeing patterns, and machines, and long-arms create a market where little would have existed in the past. So I think it's the exposure that's really pushed the growth of quilting. Of course, that's just my opinion.

I agree that online shopping has really 'exploded' the quilting world. I started quilting in 1992 and had three shops within two hours of me. Now I can shop from my home. I can go to the Pictures section and see some fabric I like and Google it and purchase as much as I need and I'm done shopping.

My favorite shop closed March 7th because of online shopping. She had been open eight years. She couldn't compete with all the fabric choices you can find online. I think that is why quilting has 'exploded' - online shopping and quilting forums like 'The Quilting Board'.

Also being a baby boomer who retired and Started quilting I agree that in the last four years I feel a major boom in shops on the Internet. Also more people have lost jobs retired or have more. Free time and therefore are after a hobby. My cousin he has found that wood turning has made the same boom. Neither are cheap hobbies and require patient as well.

The internet has been great for quilting, and other hobbies. It is so much fun to "meet" other quilters from all over the world to exchange ideas and support each other.

Episode 8 of "Why Quilts Matter" (whyquiltsmatter.org) covers the topic of the demographics of quilters. It is very interesting!

Perhaps it's also because we are living longer (think of all of us on this board who are retired). After we retired from our job (and kids WERE time consuming too) we are freed to celebrate our creative side. And many of us have hubbys who are pitching in with the limited housekeeping 2 people require.

Quilting is exciting, but it does consume a lot of time. I suspect that the "quilt police" are losing their gripe (grip) on quilting because there is no longer a "standard" or "right" way to quilt. Some still worry about "the right way" but many of us are really enjoying just .... doing. I think that brings a lot more people into the quilting world. I particularly love the way quilters send things to areas that have been hit hard. And the fact that more and more of us have the time and energy to work with G-kids, or, less frequently, our own kids. The internet certainly is a huge issue, whether building quilts or building bombs. Or maybe many of us simply have great friends with totally individual ideas about quilting who keeps us reaching reaching for new ways/patterns to quilt!

I started quilting in the late 70's - resources were rather limited and the quilt police were very much alive. I was told repeatedly I couldn't do this and I couldn't do that--all things I'm doing today. Resources have become abundant - before our learning was word of mouth. The guild I belong to has a place for everyone - groups for hand quilters, appliquers, beginners, EQ experts, modern quilts, long arm quilters, DSM quilters. I wish all of you could have such wonderful support!

I just started quilting in the past 5 years.....loved to sew, not good at constructing clothes for myself, no children to sew for, a new sewing machine, some classes and here I am. 61 with one finished quilt and 4 UFOs. I enjoy reading this board every morning and have learned so much from all the experience here.

Not sure of the overall picture - but DH and I just got back from the Paducah Quilt Show and he and I were amazed at just how many quilters were there. I asked him what he thought that the average age of the quilters was and he said "72" and they were all from Iowa - I said "Iowa? How do you know they are all from Iowa?" and he said "because they are all corn fed" - meaning that they were a little on the heavy side - LOL Can you tell we raise cattle?

I started quilting so long ago that my scissors a ruler and cardboard templates were my only tools. For a long time it was hard to find a lot of good fabrics. There was a time when there were not very many doing quilting. I remember it started coming back in the late 60's and 70's. I started getting interested in it again in the mid 70's. From there it started getting more popular and has really grown into what it is today. I am so happy the art was not lost.

I started quilting in the mid 70's, but my MIL who was a hand piecer & quilter said that quilts were not to be pieced on a DSM. So I stopped and only did crafting. After she passed, I inherited her small stash, some cotton, mostly polyester fabrics. Then my obession began. I think that any other craft can be mastered, but the world of quilting is always changing- different fabrics, different patterns, there is no end to learning the art of quilting. This is what holds my interest. (Except for the hand sewing the back of the binding, haven't mastered the elmers glue trick yet.) And after almost 40yrs of quilting, I still haven't made all the quilts I have pictured in my mind.

I believe that it is becoming more popular.

It seems to me like there was a period of time that hand crafts of all sorts more or less dwindled in popularity. Part of this I would attribute to the increase in the availability of inexpensively priced items from overseas. Then there was an upsurge in the past few years of appreciation for more locally produced handcrafted items. Many of these items are made by us retirees. However I think there is starting to be an increase in younger hand crafters as well.
In the Renfaire community we are seeing thirty something crafters beginning to join the ranks of those who have been doing it "forever" so we have hope for the future of many crafts.
Quilting is not one of the crafts represented in this environment but sewing of various other varieties is.

I started quilting in 1974, making the first quilt I gave away for a close friend of mine I worked with, who was having her first baby. After that, quilts were my "go to" for gifts....and I really needed something inexpensive to give as I had a staff of 50 shortly after that and at times it seemed as if they were challenging each other to see who could keep me the busiest. Many years later, I have made over 700 quilts and have given most of them away. And yes, I have had a ribbon or two in there as well....but I have most enjoyed doing what I wanted to do, with no one but me telling me what was right and/or wrong about them!
Improvements? YES! Differences? YES! Still fun after all these years? YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You know, if the internet sales tax law goes through and we all have to start paying tax for online purchases (those that live in the 45 states with a sales tax anyway), local shops may just see a boost in business. Shipping charges plus sales tax at the online retailers may balance out the lower prices they can charge because of their volume.

I started quilting in the 70's and have seen it 'bloom and prosper' since then, but it's been much faster lately. I think a lot of it is because of the internet and because quilting is easy for most women to 'pick up'. The vast majority of the retirement age group learned how to sew back in home ec classes and have been sewing, at least off and on, for a long time. They start with some level of confidence in their ability to branch out. There's also a much greater range of quilting styles, techniques, etc that can only result in a wider appeal. It's all good!

I think the internet has been a HUGE factor in the growth of quilting. Not only do we have a lot more available to us in terms of supplies, but there are so many classes, tutorials, blogs, etc. that are easily accessible and free! Imagine this scenario:

It's 1970. You are in your 20's. You own a quilt made by your grandmother and are somewhat intrigued by it, but you don't have any quilting relatives. So you go to a guild meeting. There is a mix of kind, generous quilters, and a few of the quilt police variety. The quilt police tell you you HAVE to use these colors, and those fabrics, and you HAVE to stitch it by hand, otherwise it's not a REAL quilt. Maybe you don't really care for those patterns or colors they tell you to use. Maybe you don't have the time to hand-quilt. Maybe your feathers get ruffled by being told you have to do things a certain way, but no one ever tells you why. You lose interest and move on to a different hobby.

Compare that to today, where you can find OODLES of information, free tutorials, patterns, inspiration and ideas, and if you don't care for one style of quilt, it is quite easy to find other styles, other techniques, and especially other quilters like you. It's easy to move on from the quilt police.

Knitting took off like wildfire about a decade ago with lots of new, young people taking up the craft. I wasn't so young, but jumped on that bandwagon and am still a knitter - when I'm not quilting. Once I stumbled over modern quilts, my interest was immediate. I'm now a member of our local Modern Quilt Guild and there are lots and lots of younger women involved, and new people showing up at every meeting. I think this is really sparking a lot of new interest - and with so many new fabrics, long time quilters have a whole new genre to explore. Between younger people, social media and internet content - quilting is the new "big thing". You no longer need a mother or grandmother or church group or anything like that to learn the craft.

[QUOTE=ghostrider;6046258]You know, if the internet sales tax law goes through and we all have to start paying tax for online purchases (those that live in the 45 states with a sales tax anyway), local shops may just see a boost in business. Shipping charges plus sales tax at the online retailers may balance out the lower prices they can charge because of their volume.)

This is a bit off the subject, but I shop online because of the huge variety of fabrics available, not because of saving money on taxes. I shop first at my LQS because I want them to stay in business. If I can't find what I want/need there, then I shop online. Yes, money can be saved by shopping online, but it's important to me to help my LQS. Their help is invaluable to me.
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I have so enjoyed reading this thread. I do remember hand cutting and sewing the pieces that made a grandmother's flower garden quilt way back in the late 60's. I had a little gold box of the flowers and didn't know where to go from there so that was then the end. Sewing my own clothes, stretch and sew in the 70's, making my kids clothes, pajamas, costumes, bathings suits were my sewing until they grew older, clothes were cheaper to buy and then sewing just stopped, probably in the 70's. Ah, then the rediscovery of quilting through the birth of a grand child. I have returned to sewing, but in a much more fulfilling and rewarding way. Thanks so much for a reflection on this ever evolving passion so many of us. have.

I retired 12 years ago, and I love to quilt and do other handiworks. I stated quilting a few years before I retired and have expanded my hobby. I work on quilt tops a few hours each day, and enjoy when I complete a quilt. Of course my family loves my quilts and I try to make several quilts for my gradkids to have. I have often thought how did I find time to work, I stay really busy, but I can find time to quilt. Thank goodness.

What is a quilt? I have been quilting since forever-the '60's. I think the boom started in the '70's. But, look at what has happened. Unbelievable fabric choices, batting improvements and thousands of books and patterns. Now, I am taken with templates and techniques that not only simplify making designs but make them almost foolproof. But, quiltmaking has been a springboard to fiber art quits and graphic design. I was at the Mancuso show in Denver last weekend and was amazed to see so many art projects and so few traditional offerings. I know that this was the choice of the show coordinators as they juried in the pieces to be shown. There are so many sources, brick and mortar stores and online offerings that the sky is the limit. Yes, explosion is the right word!

I started quillting about 8 years ago. A woman from my church had a group to her house once a week to learn. I was only able to do this for about 2 years, due to work pressures. After I was forced to stop working because of disability about a year and a half ago, I went back to quilting. I have learned so much from this board. My 18 yr old daughter has made 3 lap quilts. She has a very busy life, so she doesn't have a lot of time to dedicate to quilting. I hope that as she gets older and slows down some, she will, like me, return to it.

I am hoping I will find a guild near where I recently moved with my daughter, or meet a group that would like to quilt together once in a while. Unfortunately due to COPD, and dependence on oxygen for everything, I can't get around too much. If it wasn't for this board, I would be SO lonely...I spend a lot of time on here and love it..Thank you all!!

I had a time lapse of about 8 years. I'd become very disappointed in the treatment of a few quilts I'd made. Whelping beds for dogs and drop cloths for mechanics and throw rugs to cover oil spots and birthing beds for cats. A lot of money was one thing but the inappreciation of these just through me into a downward spiral. My granddaughter brought me out of that when she went to an estate sale and found a quilt for $5.00. She really liked that quilt. That estate sale was 3 years ago and she tried analyzing everything about it. We talked about the size (queen). She sent me a photo of her with it. it was tattered but she thought about the work that went into it. She had a seamstress look at it and was informed it was hand quilted. She was amazed. In that same week, I had shown a house for sale and there were quilts in the house. The house was very messy and pet odor was very strong. The clients had a collection of quilts and were very disappointed (as was I) int the condition of these quilts. I know we saw 15 or 20 quilts. Some tattered some not. My clients purchased a different house but they belonged to a local guild and invited me to join them as guests. They were having a birthday party for one of the members. With all that happening in one week, I just started renovating the spare bedroom and making sure all my fabric was cleaned. A little at a time and still working on a few things here and there. I'm back where I belong and I love this board. This is where "TOO MUCH INFORMATION" can be a good thing.

I heard/read somewhere awhile back that the quilting boom (and other handcrafty things) started with the Bicentennial.

I always say I'd be thin if I could find a way to exercise while I sew. So far I can't think of a way.

I started quilting 40 years ago when the only cotton available was 'calico' - tiny flowers - or dress fabrics. I stopped for awhile when I went to grad school and then worked full-time. The first thing I did when I retired was make a baby quilt for friends' newborn, and I haven't stopped since then ('85). So I've seen many changes. I've taken lots of lessons when they've been available - mostly in Tucson, where I spend the winter. I've learned more on this board than anywhere else - and I've seen it explode from a few members to thousands. There's always something new to learn. Lately, I've been spending time on Pinterest, too, because I get so many ideas for quilts there. BUT computer time on this wonderful board and at Pinterest is starting to eat away at quilting time, so I'm going to have to start setting a timer and limit it! LOL Lord, give me discipline!

I did limited quilting when I was younger, mostly just blocks and tying. Now that I have retired, I have joined a guild and having a lot of fun learning new techniques. I think it helps that the rules have changed and there are so many new accessories to help with the process.

I started quilting in the late 70's - early 80's and the amount of information on quilting has increased tremendously. I started with templates, scissors and no rotary cutters, mats, etc. There also is much more information on the internet with amazing tutorials, web sites, quilt stores on line, etc., etc. The other thing I've found is the abundance of a huge variety of fabrics, which wasn't available when I first started to quilt. I too am part of the baby boomer generation, and I've been quilting for a great many years with new advancements coming fast and furious - so enjoy all there is out there in quilting land.

I agree that the internet has brought more people together and has broadened the horizons of all crafts. Also the cable tv shows etc. Being from the lower south we really don't have a huge need for quilts as most of you ladies do up north. At 55 I first learned to quilt from my Aunt at 15 yrs old, never really took an interest in it until many years later. Still here in New Orleans we have very few fabric shops. I have no choice than to order thru the net, saves time and gas. But this is a craft that I enjoy and I have too many relatives who would want nothing more than handmade. I believe the public in general is just tired of the cheaply made products from abroad. ( not that all are cheap- but a lot are). Also I feel people are looking for something unique, something no one else has and that has brought this craft as so many others more attention.

jcrow- How do you Google for fabric after looking at a picture?

I think it's more than just that - right now the whole arts and crafts movement is huge. I think modern quilting though has really been the push that has increased the plethora of quilting web sites and blogs. Remember when knitting was really big and trendy for a while? I think that's kind of happening with quilting, but not necessarily to the same degree. ;) Whatever it is I truly see it too and am thrilled!

I'm not sure if she uses the same tool I do.... on most websites, you can click on the picture and drag it to the search bar. Then click "images" and it will pull up images that have similar color compositions.

Thanks Peckish. I'll try that.

I started quilting in 1978. I love to hand quilt, but my time is running out, so I got into machine quilting a few years ago. I love that too. When I started it was BC (before computers), no paper piecing, no rotary cutters, no JoAn's. The tech world has really given us the resources, and the great people that do quilt, a place to get together. Knowing that a person has a place to go for help, or just info in general, gives them confidence to try a new project. I know I spend as much time as I can on the Quilting Board. It is a wonderful group!

I can still remember when the rotary cutter was introduced, it was the single biggest change in quilting! Not all quilts had to be cut with sissors and templates. The market exploded with strip method books and patterns, and shops dedicated to quilting came into the retail world. It no longer took soooo long just to cut a quilt. I still marvel at this amazing tool. The access to information via the internet on just about every subject has certainly enhanced its growth and popularity.

People are really into recycling and they are coming around to seeing how fabrics are recycled and memories are made through quilting. My husband usually asks what I want done with clothes he is about to trash. Yesterday I saw a pair of jeans he tossed. Yes, everyone, I retrieved them and washed them in hot soapy water. They were on top and our garbage is always in bags. I'll cut them up and prepare them for a rainy day quilt. The LQS in my area are always busy with classes and they say some kids from the art classes from the schools come by to look at many of the different fabrics. You can't do that online.