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I think the people that make the snarky or insensitive comments just don't get creative people. My dad raves about all my quilting, my family fights over who gets the next quilt, the day care provider for my niece;s son ordered a bunch of things from me, then ordered more. My SIL's stepmother commissioned me to make her one, need I go on? Let the petty people rant, there are people who truly appreciate the artistry and uniqueness of a handmade quilt. I was called for jury duty once and we had to fill out a long questionnaire about ourselves. When I got called, the judge looked at my questionnaire and said "Quilter, huh? Hand or machine?" I replied "Machine, but both are good" He smiled and said "Yes they are and both take time and effort!" So, there, a real judge said quilting is good!
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My SIL told me she just can't understand why I want to cut fabric in pieces just to sew them back together again. My reply because she knits socks all the time-why take your string and spend all that time making socks when you can buy them at the store!
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I used to always HAVE to give home made gifts to family (due to a step-family that was large), and friends. My friends ALWAYS enjoyed the gifts. My step sibs always just hurmped!!! the gifts (but it didn't stop me year after year). Then one year I took a job at "The Mall" and was SOOOOOOO happy with my employee discount, that I bought ALL my gifts that year. I still gave a few home made gifts to my friends (but family got MALL gifts). You should have seen the LOOKS and COMMENTS when the family opened the gifts (NO HOME MADE GIFTS!!!!). My oldest step-sister in a big loud voice said "HOW COME I DIDN'T GET MY QUILT THIS YEAR!!!!!!". Each year I would make one large (husband & wife gift along with all the other home made gifts), quilt for one of my step-sibs. One of the others said what about all the home made candy and cookies???? We didnt get any of them only this (gift from the mall). On one hand I was sad, because no one liked the gifts that I had gotten them. On the other hand I was happy, because for the first time in 10 years they told me that they loved my home made gifts. Before the night was over, my oldest step-sister told me what I was to make them for the next year!!! (I got the last laugh on them - I only made gifts for the people who ALWAYS valued them - the rest get MALL gifts - my step family still remembers this and they have had a lot of fun with it over the years).
Happy Sewing Snooks |
about when you present a hand quilted baby quilt to a new mother and she says " did you see the one that so and so gave me? it's so beautiful, how's that for cutting you down to size!
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I had someone look very closely at the thread painting and raw edge applique on one of my small "arty" wall quilts and remark that it was "too bad it's so messy... but I'm sure you'll get better after you've had more practice." I just laughed and said "if I wanted 'perfect', I'd have bought something made in China at WalMart" and quickly changed the subject.
Yes, we're still friends -- but I never mention anything about quilting to her. |
How about when people say "I should LET you make a bunch of 'em for me so you'd get lots of practice"... Not!
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Maybe she needs to file her toenails!!
Originally Posted by Dyan
(Post 4764954)
A woman once told me "you could snag your toenail on those stitches" I had showed her a quilt I had lap quilted, I was proud but she shot me down quick. I still hand quilt and Yep you could still snag your toenail...lol Family and friends do not complain.
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One comment I get is "Quilting? Isn't that a dying art?" Usually I explain that there are about 35 million quilters worldwide, with about 21 million of them in the United States and we account for several billion dollars spent annually. That usually makes them stop and rethink their comment.
Though sometimes I reply, "Dying? No, I got a good report the last time I went to my doctor!" |
Originally Posted by mlsa
(Post 4768267)
Hi Everyone
I'm new to this site but wanted to join in on this discussion. My daddy (when he was living) always taught us boys that "if someone could only afford to give us a safety pin, then we treat that safety pin like it was the greatest gift in the world because they thought enough of us to give us something." I've never forgotten that and try to live that way. I've started making prayer quilts for family members that are sick or going through some type of emotional trauma and I tell them, "My quilts are not perfect but the prayers are." David I love your post - you are so right. |
Originally Posted by nabobw
(Post 4765133)
How about the people who say they can buy a quilt like you are making for much cheaper at Wal-Mart.
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The remark that stays with me came from my husband. I had been knitting or crocheting afghans for nieces and nephews, when he suggested that I start getting into something cheaper to make -- like quilting. Little did he know he had started
me on a much more expensive way of gifting. But I've been quilting ever since. |
Last summer I had my grandaughter's all out on the front porch and I was making them rip out some free motion they had done that was crazy looking on their quilts they were making. I had one of them in my lap as well working on it. About 5 different people coming down the street just had to stop and chat about the quilts. One lady was so excited she wanted me to make her one right away or teach her how. She had it that she was coming back and start as soon as possible without even asking me if it was ok. I was kind of overwhelmed with her strong personality. Anyway I never saw her again! lol she never showed up and I was kind of glad! But yes people do say crazy stuff sometimes, so do I....
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I consider myself lucky as all my family appreciates my quilts. My DH is the best. Every quilt I make he says is the prettiest and is it for us.
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Originally Posted by GingerK
(Post 4765019)
You know, I must live in a bubble--a very nice bubble--because I have never had a negative comment--even for my first efforts. I do believe my DD thought I was nuts--until she saw the first baby quilt I made and claimed it for her first born, who was born 5 years later! Thanks for the morning smiles!
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I once had a comment on a quilt that took me three years to complete " what a waste of time, you could have bought one".. It was a labor of love and my daughter loved .it
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Wow, that's rough! and I dont mean the toenails!
Originally Posted by Dyan
(Post 4764954)
A woman once told me "you could snag your toenail on those stitches" I had showed her a quilt I had lap quilted, I was proud but she shot me down quick. I still hand quilt and Yep you could still snag your toenail...lol Family and friends do not complain.
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My comment was delivered by my grandson, who is 11, this summer when they were visiting. I covered him up with the quilt I just finished hand quilting - took me a few years on and off. I said "Raymond, I made this quilt" and he said "Wow, Grandma, it looks just like the kind you can buy in a store!" But he said it with admiration and I took it as a compliment. I've made him some things over the years, mainly halloween costumes and pajama pants, and one whole cloth quilt (he was born before I began quilting) and he always thinks Grandma can "whip it up" whatever it is.
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Originally Posted by nabobw
(Post 4765133)
How about the people who say they can buy a quilt like you are making for much cheaper at Wal-Mart.
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When I get the ignorant response of 'real quilting is done all by hand' I just say I quilt the way I want to.
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Originally Posted by Elise1
(Post 4768275)
Dina, What a horrible, insensitive thing for them to say. I am so sorry you had to hear that comment. Thank goodness we have each other on the board to appreciate our quilts.
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Originally Posted by Dina
(Post 4767597)
Hmmmm, I am reminded of a thank you note from four of my friends. I had told all four that I would make them a quilt if they bought the fabric and selected the pattern (from patterns I had made already....nothing new for me to learn.) All four took me up on it, and we met for lunch and then went to a fabric store for each to buy fabric. At lunch, they had offered to pay me to make the quilts, and I told them "they couldn't afford me, that it would take 40 hours to make each quilt, and even at minimum wage, they couldn't pay me to do it. I just wanted to make them each a quilt they liked."
Four months later I delivered the quilts, at the same time at a lunch at one of their houses....their idea, not mine. (I never dreamed they wouldn't want to see the quilts until I had made all four.) Each lady was delighted with her quilt, and they had even bought me a $100 gift card from a quilt store. Nice lunch. HOWEVER, the thank you card with the card said that they felt so lucky that I didn't sew well enough to sell my quilts, as it was to their advantage, since I sewed well enough to sew for them. That lunch was two months ago, and I am still hurt by that comment. They did learn though that a quilt is not cheap, as even though I warned them that buying the fabric would not be cheap, they were each surprised at how much it cost just for the fabric. The quilts, by the way, turned out beautifully, and I sew quite well, thank you!! Oh, it feels good to finally fuss out loud about that. Dina Oh, that was so unkind, and so unthinking. You must be a great actress. I'm not sure I could have hid my feelings so well, and acted normal, after reading that card. Obviously, it's not your sewing that prevents you from selling your quilts. It's your choice not to sell your quilts. Big difference!! I agree, since you are still upset about it, I think you should have a kind talk with all 4 friends present, and just be honest and up front about why the remark hurt you so much, and then let them be understanding. And if they're not understanding, maybe you need new friends! |
Originally Posted by nhweaver
(Post 4764996)
I forgot the one from my mil (now deceased, and I hesitate to speak evil of those who are no longer with us), she was a phenominal seamstress and at times snippy, who critiqued my first grandbaby handquilted quilt that I made (at the baby shower), to my daughter when she opened the gift,she said "those stitches are so uneven, give me that "thing" and I will do it right!!!" It was my best effort at the time, my daughter thanked her, and went on opening the gifts. Everyone else at the shower was impressed with my efforts.
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Originally Posted by faykilgore
(Post 4767292)
My daddy said the same thing when I started quilting. Turns out he slept under a mountain of quilts as a boy in a house with no heat and still slept cold. I never made him a quilt. I did make him a sweater that he wore until it was ragged threads.
Few comments are made thoughtfully. I swear most people (and I'm guilty at times) think out loud without realizing how it sounds. We enjoy our craft, just as others enjoy whatever they do that we don't understand. I ride a motorcycle (to remote quilt shops!). My favorite comment is, "You rode that here?" To prevent myself from making a rude smart-elicky remark, (like, no, it followed me) I try to remember that they just want to talk and don't know what to say. And yes, there are the jealous and mean-spirited. They need our prayers and mercy. (but not our quilts!) |
Originally Posted by Dyan
(Post 4764954)
A woman once told me "you could snag your toenail on those stitches" I had showed her a quilt I had lap quilted, I was proud but she shot me down quick. I still hand quilt and Yep you could still snag your toenail...lol Family and friends do not complain.
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The one that gets me is when other women put 'women's work' down by saying."Why would you charge so much for a hand - made thing that you are only making in front of the T.V. anyway? It's not as if it is high art or anything." At this stage I generally suggest they buy from the cheap shop as I don't want to waste my time on any project for a person with this sort of attitude - especially if I'm making it for a gift.
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I overheard the following at a quilt show: "I could never be a quilter because my arms are too short. All of the quilts
Here were made by "long arm " quilters". |
My exchange student is from Holland and she didn't know what a quilt was. Then asked why would you go through all trouble when you can just go buy a blanket. Hahahha
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What's the harm in having the stitches uneven? Anything hand made and hand quilted is a premium gift, yes, even today.
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Last year I joined our local quilt guild and am delighted because they are all so helpful. While I have sewn for many years I have only been quilting for a couple years. So...when I told the group of ladies that I play Mah Jongg with each week that I had joined the quilt guild their remarks were "why would you want to hang out with old people?" For one, they are not all old and I am and another I have learned so much from all these wonderful women. Last Christmas I made a small quilted coin purse for each one in my Mah Jongg group. Their opinions seem to have changed, especially since I invited one of the quilters to join our Mah Jongg group. There is power in numbers. (:
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To the people who say I can buy that at Walmart much cheaper I SAY GO FOR IT they don't know the worth of a good quilt
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Originally Posted by RenaB
(Post 4765486)
My response to the one that stated this would be, I do not see how because I do not sell my quilts to WalMart so how can they be the same?
I have found these people are jealous that they do not have the drive, talent, or patience to make beautiful art but yet wish they could. |
Originally Posted by Derla
(Post 4769272)
The remark that stays with me came from my husband. I had been knitting or crocheting afghans for nieces and nephews, when he suggested that I start getting into something cheaper to make -- like quilting. Little did he know he had started
me on a much more expensive way of gifting. But I've been quilting ever since. |
Originally Posted by nhweaver
(Post 4764996)
I forgot the one from my mil (now deceased, and I hesitate to speak evil of those who are no longer with us), she was a phenominal seamstress and at times snippy, who critiqued my first grandbaby handquilted quilt that I made (at the baby shower), to my daughter when she opened the gift,she said "those stitches are so uneven, give me that "thing" and I will do it right!!!" It was my best effort at the time, my daughter thanked her, and went on opening the gifts. Everyone else at the shower was impressed with my efforts.
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Originally Posted by Jan in VA
(Post 4766487)
I am so done with this thing of women putting other's skills/work/craft down, ya know?
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I bet you could give 10 people on here identical piles of fabric and each would create his or her own unique style quilt - I bet no two would be identical!!!
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Even before I sewed, handmade items were so special to me. I was in awe and afraid to use these beautiful pieces. I have my great grandmother's quilts, cherished baby blankets made by talented women, and a gorgeous knitted afghan from my MIL.
I think we're all a lucky group to have a hobby we love so passionately. Quilting is so much fun and quilters are some of the nicest and generous people I've ever met. We're artists, and art can be very subjective. Just smile and ignore the ignorant. And above all, keep having fun doing what you like doing! |
hello in Holland -- my husband has family that lives in Wassenaar - is that far from you. She too is a quilter/crafter/stitcher.
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Originally Posted by Suedon
(Post 4770962)
I overheard the following at a quilt show: "I could never be a quilter because my arms are too short. All of the quilts
Here were made by "long arm " quilters". |
Originally Posted by Suedon
(Post 4770962)
I overheard the following at a quilt show: "I could never be a quilter because my arms are too short. All of the quilts
Here were made by "long arm " quilters". |
Last year I had crocheted a pair of fingerless gloves for a young fellow who is a seasonal worker in my area and so he asked me to make another pair for him to give his brother for Christmas. He paid me a reasonable price for the gloves BTW.
This year he wanted me to make him a quilt for his mom for Christmas. This was mentioned oh maybe the beginning of November. I politely told him I had at least 8 quilts ahead of any more I would be starting...some of which had been started and were intended for birthdays 2 years ago. His response, well maybe you'll have it done next year when I get back! Granted this year has had more than the usual amount of interruptions so getting the ones I have started done is not as far fetched as it might sound, but I think he is giving me more credit for speed than is justified. And besides I really only do ones for gifts, not for sale. Haven't decided if his mom will be on my gift list or not... |
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