Pumpkinpatchquilter -- I have to laugh at anyone perceiving me as "forward". However, I'm a vetran of online crafting boards (and other venues online), and it probably would be accurate to say that I'm not going to spend undue time worrying what people think of me, or my work. In other words, I can take it as well as I dish it. If a published, highly acclaimed, award winning quilter looked at a quilt I've posted and asked what the heck was I thinking when I did x y or z, I would have no issues with that.
Quilting has been historically a very democratic past time, one where women from all walks of life, all ages, and all areas share openly and generously, and not one of those hobbies where there are " big name" icons or demi-gods. Unlike, say, the scrapbooking industry. However, in the last year or so, I've noticed some, particularly in the modern quilt guilds, starting to fall into those camp following patterns, idolizing certain bloggers or fabric designers. The web allows for that, since via Flickr or yahoo or blogger, you can feel like you "know" your favorite quilt or fabric line designer. And while that is kind of cool, it also leads to, I don't know, an attitude of being threatend when a question or suggestion is made about doing things a different way.
I was at a modern quilt guild get together not long ago where one woman became almost rabid about having to press her seems open, because that's what her favorite blogger says to do. She couldn't wrap her mind around the idea that it's ok to press open or close, depending on your personal preference, or on the particular block. And because I almost always press seems together, I clearly was not a "modern" quilter.
Shrug.
Maybe I'm forward, since I don't care what she thinks ; )
RST