Pet and Smoke Free Environment
06-10-2011, 05:43 AM
#31
Junior Member
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 217
Originally Posted by ywoodruff5
Wow....this is a touchy topic and I just have to reply but will try to be tactful.....lol.
I have a dog and both my DH and I smoke in the basement. Yes, pet dander can be a problem for people with allergies. But this should not be a problem if completed article is laundered or dry cleaned.
Smoke oder is simply an annoyance - and that comes straight from an allergist! This, too, can be alleviated with laundering. The flip side of the coin is fabric that is perfumed for those of us with perfume (musk) allergies.
I recently moved from CA to MN and joined a quilt guild to make new friends and enjoy the sharing. They meet twice a month and I was traveling 45 miles one-way to attend. At first I thought people were different in the midwest because no one seemed interested in getting together or "allowing" me to attend their retreats. Finally, a member took me aside and told me the reason was because I was a smoker. I explained that I don't smoke around non-smokers or at retreats. Her response was that I would still smell like smoke! I didn't reply (and no longer go to guild) but couldn't help but think about all the women who use perfume that I am allergic to and yet I never said anything - just tried to hold my breath or avoid.
Thank you for allowing me to vent!
I have a dog and both my DH and I smoke in the basement. Yes, pet dander can be a problem for people with allergies. But this should not be a problem if completed article is laundered or dry cleaned.
Smoke oder is simply an annoyance - and that comes straight from an allergist! This, too, can be alleviated with laundering. The flip side of the coin is fabric that is perfumed for those of us with perfume (musk) allergies.
I recently moved from CA to MN and joined a quilt guild to make new friends and enjoy the sharing. They meet twice a month and I was traveling 45 miles one-way to attend. At first I thought people were different in the midwest because no one seemed interested in getting together or "allowing" me to attend their retreats. Finally, a member took me aside and told me the reason was because I was a smoker. I explained that I don't smoke around non-smokers or at retreats. Her response was that I would still smell like smoke! I didn't reply (and no longer go to guild) but couldn't help but think about all the women who use perfume that I am allergic to and yet I never said anything - just tried to hold my breath or avoid.
Thank you for allowing me to vent!
It's their loss, not yours.
Let's think of the times that we all used to heat our homes with wood or coal fires, when we weren't able to change all our clothes every day, when we shared our living quarters with animals other than cats and dogs ...
The most beautiful of our antique quilts were probably sewn in those kinds of conditions.
06-10-2011, 05:48 AM
#32
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Cedar Park TX
Posts: 584
Originally Posted by ywoodruff5
Wow....this is a touchy topic and I just have to reply but will try to be tactful.....lol.
I have a dog and both my DH and I smoke in the basement. Yes, pet dander can be a problem for people with allergies. But this should not be a problem if completed article is laundered or dry cleaned.
Smoke oder is simply an annoyance - and that comes straight from an allergist! This, too, can be alleviated with laundering. The flip side of the coin is fabric that is perfumed for those of us with perfume (musk) allergies.
I recently moved from CA to MN and joined a quilt guild to make new friends and enjoy the sharing. They meet twice a month and I was traveling 45 miles one-way to attend. At first I thought people were different in the midwest because no one seemed interested in getting together or "allowing" me to attend their retreats. Finally, a member took me aside and told me the reason was because I was a smoker. I explained that I don't smoke around non-smokers or at retreats. Her response was that I would still smell like smoke! I didn't reply (and no longer go to guild) but couldn't help but think about all the women who use perfume that I am allergic to and yet I never said anything - just tried to hold my breath or avoid.
Thank you for allowing me to vent!
I have a dog and both my DH and I smoke in the basement. Yes, pet dander can be a problem for people with allergies. But this should not be a problem if completed article is laundered or dry cleaned.
Smoke oder is simply an annoyance - and that comes straight from an allergist! This, too, can be alleviated with laundering. The flip side of the coin is fabric that is perfumed for those of us with perfume (musk) allergies.
I recently moved from CA to MN and joined a quilt guild to make new friends and enjoy the sharing. They meet twice a month and I was traveling 45 miles one-way to attend. At first I thought people were different in the midwest because no one seemed interested in getting together or "allowing" me to attend their retreats. Finally, a member took me aside and told me the reason was because I was a smoker. I explained that I don't smoke around non-smokers or at retreats. Her response was that I would still smell like smoke! I didn't reply (and no longer go to guild) but couldn't help but think about all the women who use perfume that I am allergic to and yet I never said anything - just tried to hold my breath or avoid.
Thank you for allowing me to vent!
06-10-2011, 05:52 AM
#33
Junior Member
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: South Louisiana
Posts: 255
My dog is not allowed in my sewing room - too dangerous for him and although I am a dog lover, I can't stand dog hair in the house. I don't plan to sell any quilts but may give as a gift one day and I would tell the person that I have a pet "just in case". When my husband smoked (he stopped over 4 years ago), he never smoked in the house because my son and I are highly allergic to cigarette smoke, so my house is smoke free. Now that he has stopped, I am even more sensitive to cigarette smoke so I can understand the smell issues. Perfumes, fabric softeners, refreshers are also an issue since some can be very overpowering.
A very sticky subject.
A very sticky subject.
06-10-2011, 06:07 AM
#35
Super Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Bend, Oregon
Posts: 1,853
My kitty is my sewing buddy. I couldn't quilt without her right next to me. So if someone doesn't like her fur on the quilt then they can give it back to me. I don't sell my creations so that is not a concern.
06-10-2011, 06:50 AM
#36
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: WI
Posts: 706
that actually is a very good point. My husband and I are allergic to smoke and he allergic to cats. We love pets of many kinds but when we are with clients in their home and a cat is relentless about being in his face I am left with trying to entertain the cat because the owners never seem to get the clue when someone says they are allergic to the cat that it may be nice to just close the cat out of the room temperarily. If we are working on a sewing machine having the cat present at times becomes a safety issue as cats in particular tend to get right in there and don't realize the danger to themselves.
On the flip side I must share a humorous interaction. Many years ago we had work done replacing windows on a 1929 English tutor. The agreement was 1/2 down until all work completed. The manager of the project realized my husband was out of state for a long period and began trying to pressure me to pay the remainder immediately. At the time we had a beautiful male red and white siberian husky with icey blue eyes. Everytime this guy came to the house Josh would walk over sniff his shoes casually them nail him by bringing his head up with full force right in his crotch. The guy demanded I put the dog away but I refused as he was my protector and this was not a friendly situation. After that everytime the man came to the house he walked sideways with his knees pinched together. In normal situations where there is a matter of allergy though we cetainly would close the pet off for the time being. We restore wintage machines and we are very careful to make sure nothing we use or any itme that leaves here has hair on it.
On the flip side I must share a humorous interaction. Many years ago we had work done replacing windows on a 1929 English tutor. The agreement was 1/2 down until all work completed. The manager of the project realized my husband was out of state for a long period and began trying to pressure me to pay the remainder immediately. At the time we had a beautiful male red and white siberian husky with icey blue eyes. Everytime this guy came to the house Josh would walk over sniff his shoes casually them nail him by bringing his head up with full force right in his crotch. The guy demanded I put the dog away but I refused as he was my protector and this was not a friendly situation. After that everytime the man came to the house he walked sideways with his knees pinched together. In normal situations where there is a matter of allergy though we cetainly would close the pet off for the time being. We restore wintage machines and we are very careful to make sure nothing we use or any itme that leaves here has hair on it.
06-10-2011, 07:13 AM
#37
Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Portsmouth, VA
Posts: 52
I had a situation where a friend of my daughter sent me a large box of t-shirts that she wanted made into a quilt. The box was never opened and stayed underneath the staircase, downstairs from my room, which is where I smoke. She knew I smoked prior to sending the shirts. After haggling and realizing that she didn't want to pay anything for three t-shirt quilts, I sent the box of shirts back to her, still unopened. When she received them, she e-mailed me and said they reeked of cigarettes and "what was I going to do about it." She claimed she had washed them three times and they still smelled. I told her I thought that was very unlikely, since the shirts had been downstairs, under the stairwell, and sealed since I received them and since smoke rises, I found it very unlikely that the smoke had traveled down 17 stairs, made a u-turn and gotten into a sealed box. Told her I had no intentions of doing anything. I worked with an individual for several weeks before she knew I smoked and that was only because I told her that I was going down for a smoke break. Smokers don't always smell.
06-10-2011, 07:51 AM
#38
Super Member
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: North Fork Ca
Posts: 8,234
For people who are sensitive to pets or smoke, it is a nice gesture to let them know beforehand, but usually the only ones posted are those that are pet/smoke free. I would ask before I buy if I needed to know
06-10-2011, 08:18 AM
#39
Super Member
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Southwest Kansas
Posts: 4,820
Originally Posted by donnahbm3
I had a situation where a friend of my daughter sent me a large box of t-shirts that she wanted made into a quilt. The box was never opened and stayed underneath the staircase, downstairs from my room, which is where I smoke. She knew I smoked prior to sending the shirts. After haggling and realizing that she didn't want to pay anything for three t-shirt quilts, I sent the box of shirts back to her, still unopened. When she received them, she e-mailed me and said they reeked of cigarettes and "what was I going to do about it." She claimed she had washed them three times and they still smelled. I told her I thought that was very unlikely, since the shirts had been downstairs, under the stairwell, and sealed since I received them and since smoke rises, I found it very unlikely that the smoke had traveled down 17 stairs, made a u-turn and gotten into a sealed box. Told her I had no intentions of doing anything. I worked with an individual for several weeks before she knew I smoked and that was only because I told her that I was going down for a smoke break. Smokers don't always smell.
06-10-2011, 08:23 AM
#40
Super Member
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Ilion, NY
Posts: 1,293
Originally Posted by Marion T
I wash all my quilts when they are finished. I don't sell my quilts. My pets are allowed anywhere they like, and there are worse things than a pet wandering around the sewing room. Anyone who doesn't like it is welcome to stay away.
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