A little background here. I'm a quilter, but I'm also a *real*, as in glass and solder, stained glass artisan. Once or twice a year I and my partner are vendors at a national quilt show where we sell quilt related pieces. Being on a budget, I often hang a fabric quilt top or two to cover the less than beautiful pipe and drape backgrounds. Last time, I hung a lap size top that I had made from fabric I had picked up at JoAnns and had been an experiment in kaleidoscope blocks. It looked really spiff, mainly because I decided I didn't like making the blocks and so I used up the bits and pieces making them into triangles and found a length of black that I turned into some sashing etc, etc. It was sort of an accretion quilt. I decided to eventually quilt it up and let my son's school auction it off. I had in fact told them I would give them this particular quilt when it was done.

Anyway, a shopper came up and basically importuned me to sell her the top, right there and then for whatever price I would name. This statement I took with a grain of salt. Anyway, a) I liked the final result myself, b) I had promised it to the school as a fundraiser and c) the fabrics were still readily available.

My answer was to a) offer to send her information on the raffle when it became available and she could buy tickets and b) offered to deconstruct the pattern and email it to her, which I did, only asking that it only be used for her personal use and that if exhibited I get mentioned as the designer. Never did get even a thank you for backwards drafting the pattern even though it took me half a day.

One of my non-quilting friends said I should have sold the top and donated the cash to the school.

I've attached a photo of the top.

What would you have done?

I would have done exactly what you did. You kept all your promises.

If I promised someone something, nothing anyone else could offer or do, would change my mind.

I think you handled it just right. The customer who wanted to buy it should have understood that it already had a purpose. Since it was displayed without a price she should not have assumed she could buy it, but inquiring was fine. She should have been grateful that you shared your pattern and hard work.

You did the right thing by not selling it to the lady.
But, I wouldn't have given her the instructions for it. I would have told her that it was something that was "made as I stitched" and there was no rhyme or reason to the pattern.

You handled it perfectly. You kept your word to donate it to the school, and gave her the information to either purchase raffle tickets or make one for herself. You did the right thing.

Hear Hear!! I am of the same mind set, Kathy.

Thanks. I've always felt honoring commitments was more important but I still wonder whether the woman would have plopped down $500 on the spot if I had asked it, which is more than it would make as a raffle item. I've seen people do stranger things. My guess is that she thought I'd ask $50 or something. Considering my quilt output is about 2 a year and none are simple squares, I value my time.

Diana

I love your quilt. Keeping your word is a life lesson that many other could learn from you.

Ditto
Lanny