I met a friend there today for lunch and man it was so crowded had to wait for a table. We looked around their store and I saw beaituful quilt sets - quilts + shams for $199.00. I thought that was a good price and you could tell they are homemade too. That was for a queen size. I wonder where they get these.

WOW!! It would be worth the trip there just to look at the quilts :D:D:D

Can't imagine a quilt being home made, selling so cheap. I guess you never know where you might find a good buy!

I have always admired their quilts also. I love cracker barrel!

I didn't know you could get them there.

It sure would.

They do have pretty quilts there. I like looking at the pattern of the quilts to get ideas.

They are all Donna Sharp quilts. http://www.donnasharp.com/Dot_page.asp?Dotid=94
They are machine pieced and assembled in a Kentucky factory and are then shipped to China where they are hand quilted. That is what keeps the price down and still permits them to be called "handcrafted".

Maybe I have not seen the right quilts at Cracker Barrel, but as a hand quilter, have you looked closely at the stitches in these quilts. They are too big and too far apart. I was asked to leave a shop in Branson where they sold "handcrafted quilts", because I said they were not worth $99.00

They are handquilted-- in a poverty country, and the stitches are running stitches not hand quilted stitches. I can do a king size quilt with running stitches in no time. I think I know the shop in Branson, Dix. You are right, the quilts there are an embarrassment to a quilter. There is one in Hot Springs AR that has machine quilted quilts made in some forsaken country.

I have seen the quilts at Cracker Barrel too - I have never believed them to be handquilted - no way at that price - they are pretty to look at but would not hold up being used, I'm sure... if something is too cheap to be real - it's too cheap... I have seen hundreds of handquilted quilts on this board worth far more than the ones at Cracker Barrel. And more beautiful.

We go to Branson every once in awhile and I usually go in a couple of quilt shops. They have cheap quilts from China. I hate to admit it but some are really pretty at a good price. Don't hit me too hard! OUCH! :oops:

I saw some beautiful quilts at Cracker Barrel in November. If I was not a quilter, I would have bought one. They were much nicer than the ones you see at retail stores with the ugly stitching. But, hey, I make quilts. Why would I buy?

Fact is if it is pretty it is pretty. And if you spend a year or more on a quilt and DH or the dogs or whomever doesn't appreciate it and take care of it why wouldn't you buy a pretty inexpensive commercial quilt to be "used" hard? I have a quilt on my bed made of polyester and made by the Amish ladies here in my county. I didn't pay much for it and it is pretty but my quilts are out of reach of the kid and the dogs and the DH. Until I am animal less and maybe DH less my quilts will stay away.

Not to sound completely naive, but I am a beginner quilter and learning a lot just by reading these boards. But can I ask, what is the difference between a running stitch and a hand quilted stitch?

I imagine a running stitch to be down one side and up the other in equal increments, is that right? I was at an Amish store the other day and saw these tiny little stitches that made the quilt have texture, but couldn't really see the thread, is this the hand quilted method?

-Charity

So do I !! I love the Old Timer's Breakfast or Uncle Hershel Breakfast -- anytime of the day.

I haven't seen the "handcrafted" quilts at the CB that I visit. They have absolutely beautiful machine quilted quilts starting at 99.00

Hand quilted in China is not my idea of "hand crafted". I am dissapointed in Cracker Barrel.

I got one of these for a Christmas gift last year...one washing and the seams are coming apart...not worth the $$ even if they are pretty!

I have seen the quilts at Cracker Barrell. They are pretty quilts although I did not study the quilting. I read an article several years ago that was investigating child labor in foreign countries. These children starting at 5 or 6 were paid 50 cents a week to quilt. The children worked 8 to 10 hours a day. It was very sad. There was also a big scandel into one of the Amish groups who sent their quilts overseas to be quilted. These were the advertised "Amish quilts" that were $200-$300 in price. That information might still be floating on the web. I have bought inexpensive quilts before I started quilting and when they are washed a few times, the threads start coming apart and I ended up throwing them away. I do have a friend who bought one of these quilts and requilted it and it came out pretty good. I guess the old addage "you pay for what you get" is for real.

I have a hunch they're from China. Were you able to touch the fabric? They use a very light woven material that usually won't last more than a dozen washings I have seen them at Ole Time Pottery also.

They are pretty from a distance, but up close I wouldn't want one: however they do have great ideas to remember and use their ideas at home. Sometimes I make pictures, I did this with a memory quilt.

Something to read. If this works.

I make all of my quilts to be used. Pretty or not, that's what they are for. To be used.
It's kind of like never using your good china because it might get broken. Then realizing that your family is as worthy of using the good china as 'company' is.
Use those quilts! LOL

China!

I'v bought a quilt similar to this from the Woolen Store at Frankenmuth, MI.. With the shams included it was about $100.00. It looks hand quilted but whenn you look close you can see it wasn't. I liked the pattern so I bought it but being it is in our guest room it doesn't get used alot so I have not washed it. I'm hoping it stays together. Anyway for the price I still like it. Now tham I'm quilting I would not buy another one though.

I always look at quilts wherever I see them and lots of places have quilts with pretty patterns but seldom have I seen even averge skill in them. I have a major problem with folks being exploited and shoddy goods passed off to an unsuspecting public. I make quilts ; some are totally handmade other than being cut out with a rotary cutter, others are all machine made but I wont compromise my own integrity or my reputation by false advertisement or shoddy work and frankly, I cant imagine how other folks do!!!!

Money, money, money!

In an effort of not becoming a quilt snob, I try to remind myself that people who don't quilt want pretty things too. They don't see what we see when looking at a quilt. In order to have a quilt that they like they will buy one of these items. (I, myself, was once in that position) On the other hand, we can do "better, " so we have the privilege of being capable of making our own.

Here, here!!

I have something more to say about the Cracker
Barrel quilts thing: I am not a quilt snob and my comment was not intended to come across as such.However, since I keep at least one foot in my mouth at all times (it amazes me I ever learned to walk!) let me clarify... I learned to quilt because I love the things and to me $100. is a GREAT LOT of money so if I spent that to take home a beautiful item only to find I could not keep it because it fell apart i would be very hurt. THAT, ladies, is what I object to and nothing else.

I have something more to say about the Cracker Barrel quilt thing, please. First, I am not a quilt snob, and I apologize for coming across as such. . However, since I seem to keep at least one foot in my mouth at all times (It amazes me I ever learned to walk), let me clarify: I love quilts and all such things and learned to make my own so I Could have them. My problem , ladies, is a hundred dollars is a GREAT LOT of money to me and I would be heart broken to have put down that money to have a beautiful quilt and THEN find out I could not keep it because it would not hold up to normal use! Folks are being ripped off and THAT bothers me!!

NOW, i need to learn enough about computers so i dont appear senile even online!!!!! tee hee

These cheap/import quilts are fine for those who want to use them & toss them ... but it STILL bothers me when people call them "hand made" or "hand quilted" ... or question why REAL quilts made by REAL quilters cost more $$$.
I remember when I had first started quilting 20+ yrs ago, we were on vacation in the Ozark mountains and I was SO EXCITED to see shops advertise "HAND MADE QUILTS". We stopped to look and I still remember my utter & total disappointment to see they were all made in CHINA - NOT in the Ozarks!! This was back in the 80's - and they were poorly made then too. Some things never change !!

When I said they were handmade I may have been wrong but they were machine quilted and machine embroidered all white backgrounds with beautiful machine quilting. I didn't look at the fiber content tag or anything but they were beautiful to look at no matter what they were made of or how they were made. Don't a lot of us machine quilt or even embroider but consider these hand made by us?

Darlene,
I didn't mean a quilt that's machine made or embroidered isn't "hand-made" ... what I was trying to say was these IMPORT quilts are all MASS produced in factories or sweat shops - vs. a hand (or machine) made individual quilt, made by a quilter, one at a time - as we all make them.

I machine piece & machine quilt MUCH more than I hand quilt now. If I went back to hand work only, I doubt I'd ever get another quilt made !! :)

I just hate to see people think these import quilts are "real" quilts, when they're NOT ... :-(

I make my quilts totally by using a sewing machine and always will and I call them homemade - Because they are. I make them in my home and do the cutting with my hands on my rotary cutter, feed the fabric into my machine with my hands fix the backing with my hands and pin the layers together with my hands and I guide the quilt sandwich through my machine with my hands. In my mind they are all handmade and homemade. I use to cut pieces out with scissors and handquilt them, I am into to the new aprroved way, I want to make them faster and I do. :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

Older, south easterern oklahoma, retired wife , some time quilter.
Used to sew dolls bears. Came here to motivate my self to make small quilt and find good friendship
Hope to findmy way back to sewing again. Once made a 64 9 in spread. I need to stay with simple country stuff..
My dogs name is Moosy.
I like meeting people, wish i lived in Alaska where i was born.
Hope to meet you, if you have time. Sounds like an enthusiastic group. email is [email protected] ( Moosys mom) its colder here this week than in alaska enjoying the fireplace this week. Bless to all 1-4-10

I agree about the "cheap quilts". I have seen some that I wouldn't take home if they were free. People are surely getting ripped off.
Another thing that really aggitates me is going to Lancaster, PA area and seeing the "Amish Made" quilts which are not as advertised. We were there about 3 years ago checking out the quilt shops. While in one a big van type vehicle pulled in and several Oriental ladies got out and each carried in several quilts to be sold. Yes they are well made, hand appliqued and beautiful---but NOT Amish made as advertised. Am I picky or what? They make big money on the " Amish Made" signs. I feel this is fraud and false advertising, am I wrong? Please, let's have some answers. People from all over the world go there for "Amish Made Quilts" and believe that is what they are buying. I make my own, do not buy them there. I was extremely disappointed when I learned this. I read about them in a newspaper article but do not know how to put it on here. If you want to read more Google --Hmong quilt making. Several articles on there. Rant is over.

Welcome, Palomino! You'll find all kinds of friends here!