I know what you mean! I'm not a professional quilter, nor even a prolific quilter, but somehow I dislike the word "hobby", almost as much as I hate being called or thought of as "crafty". I'd rather be asked to hem or mend something (though I rarely do so for anyone but close friends or family) than to make decorations or something "crafty". At least hemming is SEWING. Quilting for me is an art form, and it's my legacy to my family. My grandmother sewed, but was more of a knitter, and a real master cable knitter. I have three of her masterpiece afghans. I don't think of her as a "hobbyist". I guess it just has a connotation of frivolity. I'll take quilter, quiltmaker, or quilt artist :D