I think you hit the nail on the head. Like bullies, they are insecure people who feel good about themselves by pointing out your flaws. I feel sorry for people like that and that helps me keep from giving them any rent-free space in my head when they criticize.

Quilt Police definition for Newbies!

Definition = Self appointed, usually smug people, who have given themselves permission to critique and demoralize other quilters. They will complain, compare, and nit-pick your work to death, just to satisfy some strange emptiness in themselves. Most quilt police, instead of making quilts, spend all of their time seeking other quilters to annoy.
Synonyms = Creep, kill joy, jerk, know it all, loser, etc.

Quilt police are neurotic people who never get the pleasure of laughing off a mistake.

This is really good! I like this definition because we all usually laugh off our mistakes! Uptight people don't make good company. :roll: :lol:

I will never quilt well enough for competition. My two favorite sayings are:

Finished is better than perfect
and
If you can't wrap a sick child in it, it isn't a quilt.

The second one isn't set in stone. Wall hangings, table toppers, place mats, anything that is done with love is a quilt.

Usually old, female, been quilting a long time, and members of guilds forever. Bring on the new generation of quilters!

I took a class at a quilt shop once and I couldn't believe how snippy people were. First of all the teacher told me she didn't like the rotary cutter I had and then a couple of people asked why I chose the colors I did. They wanted to sell me a few new fabrics. That was it for me as far as live classes go. I prefer you tube for instruction.

I'm sorry you had a bad experience. I used to teach quilting classes at the LQS when I worked there. Sometimes, we had students make a few remarks but for the most part, we had fun in class. You could try a class at a different shop. Please don't give up on classes for one bad time.

I really miss the facebook "like" button on so many of these ! Great answers.. hah!

Thank you for giving me permission to do what I should have had the confidence to do in the first place. Bless YOU. :lol: :lol: :lol: