I had a bad experience at LQS where I was taking my beginner classes. I brought in some blocks I made with lesser quality fabric to show and see if they were done properly. I could tell they thought the fabric was inferior and I shouldn't be using it. Oh well.

Kyia

I think washing vs not washing is definitely a big one. :)

Wash or not

I agree with everything that's been said, but will add a couple more I've personally seen:

Cutting on the bias for half square triangles (argument over whether it will stretch or distort if you don't)

Whether fat quarters, dimes, nickels, or fat 8ths are worth purchasing.

I posted a pic of some thread painting I had done on my LA machine (this was on Facebook), and got a nasty back about "not everyone being able to afford a machine that costs as much as a car" (which wasn't even close to the truth; the price I paid for my Avante would be only 1/2 of the cheapest car out there, and more like only 1/3 the price of most "ordinary" cars these days.) The comment hurt anyway. She didn't even look at my art work. Or, maybe she did and was secretly jealous of that too.

Some people just like stirring up trouble, and some, like the 2nd example, just can't hide their jealousy. Doesn't matter what you can do with what you have, if you own something "nice" they will be venomous toward you for it. I think some people are just MEAN and think they feel better about themselves if they've put others down, and that can extend to any element of your quilt- color, choice of design, proportion, overall size, choice of borders, quilting style, yada, yada, yada. If they can nit-pick about it, it turns controversial as other try to undo what the mean person said. Not necessarily "quilt police" as much as "mean girls".

The same mean girl said you shouldn't be making quilts for premature babies, because they can't sleep with them anyway. (She quoted some pediatric recommendation for no soft items in the crib. Funny, she completely ignored the picture of how to tuck the blanket over the baby's lower half, in conditions where a quilt or blanket is necessary.)

I am a lot like you. I am adaptable, open and feel like there is a lot of difference between right, wrong and different opinions and ideas. I try to give people room to be who they are and do whaT they may unless folks are getting hurt. To me there is lots of room to be different.

Not so I my sewing room. There is usually some hidden there. It is NEVER near my wonderful fabrics. Neither is the Diet Coke that is almost always where ever I am. Both are always on a totally different surface. Chocolate and Diet Coke might be important but neither mixes well on fabrics or spilled on my precious sewing machines. Several of my LQS keep Quilter's vitamins available. They look a lot like M&Ms to me.

My Bischon AKA Rocco the wonder dog has his sweet little furry head on my foot while I sew most of the time.

sgardner,

I am really sorry to hear what happened to you about your artwork. I wish I was in a position to be able to buy ANY new machine. I work on one that is close to 35 years old, and has problems! It does not even do FMQ. I am glad you have a machine you like! I don't know this person who was unkind to you, but she might have a cell-phone growing out of her ear that she pours money into thinking it is of the utmost importance, she might be wasting money on eating out everyday, she might have one of those expensive cars that spew filth into the air that we all have to breathe, she may smoke, she may waste her money on booze or pills. She may be doing any number of things that prevent her from being able to buy the machine that you own! This "mean girl" trend we unfortunately see increasing in America is being taught through media, especially television. It has been elevated to a desirable personality trait and if you want succeed in the world, you learn it. People who are not so smart learn it and spread it. That means "nice" people are the ones taking the emotional risks because they choose not to act that way. When somebody is mean, it is a sure sign that they are insecure and not very smart.

I think the copyright thread was pretty controversial.

another topic:

fair and/or reasonable shipping costs