Having been in some discussions here that got heated, I will remind all what Ricky reminded me. Let us all agree that we can disagree without being disagreeable. Quilters, be they young or old in years , traditional or artsy in style, rich or poor, frugal or extravagant, have one basic trait in common: We all strive to make something beautiful which will be appreciated by someone-the person who made it the recipient of it the person who inherits etc-and to that end we are all the same.
I am an extravagant quilter - I buy the fabric I want on sale if possible but if I want it, I buy it. (well maybe not if its a really espensive item like a long arm) But I worked long and hard to bring us out of poverty and now I can splurge when I cose. But remembering those poverty days, I do not find fault with my friend who struggles. Let's try to understand that we each must do what we think is best for us. Cheating, stealing I have no time for But beyond that you must follow your own conscious and end the end we wil all be judge on the same criteria. Ann

There's nothing wrong with disagreement. So far that's all I see that this is. IMHO nobody has gotten out of line.

There are many quilting forums where it is assumed that everyone agrees on everything. Offering a different opinion can turn into a very ugly experience.

I certainly hope this forum remains a place where all types of quilters feel welcome and open, honest discussion is allowed. Even if not everyone agrees.

Maybe we could make it a separate topic on the forum. But you are so fortunate to have this information. I have a few things from ancestors and I love finding out about what their lives were like. (I have children a little older than you.) I remember my great grandmother who was born about a decade after the civil war. She died when I was twelve but I do remember sitting on the porch and watching her bead. The great aunt that just died was the last of the ten children. My youngest grand child was born about 135 years after my great grandmother. I feel very fortunate to be able to have touched both ends. My great aunts were very skilled seamstresses. I'm a wanna be. I have fun quilting and I think it does give me a connection to the past.

retiredgrandma5, thank you for the interst in my family. LOL, I could literally write a book on all the information we have about our past. My family has been research our genealogy for over 10 years. Also my great-grandmother's family had the foresight to keep a journal of everyone in the family. Ever year up to about 1949 they would have a family reunion and at the reunion they would document where everyone was at, who married, who pasted, who was born and they also documented old family stories. It is pretty neat to read.

Now my great-great-grandmother's diary from the last year of her life is actually published and I believe the Ohio historical sociaty has it. I have a copy. My family were one of the first group of settlers in Northwest Ohio.

Anyway, it has been a while since I have read any of the diaries, but I do know my great-grandma wasn’t a good quilter:) I don't think she really enjoyed it, but she was a darn good seamstress. Matter fact that was how she made her living. My great-grandma was something else, she passed away at the rip old age of 103. I remember she had bags and bags and bags of fabric. She was a bit of a fabric nut, plus fur. She liked fur. She use to make me all kinds of cloths when I was younger. I remember she made me these bell bottom pants out of crazy powder blue fabric with brawn zig zag strips. The worst part they were polyester Now I am only 29, so when she made these I was around 5 or 6 and polyester bell bottoms were completely out of fashion. I still laugh about it when I think how my mom made me wear them as to not hurt her feelings.

Now her daughter, my grandmother was also a very good seamstress. She use to make me the most beautiful dresses. I called them my twirl dresses, because I could twirl and make the skirt form a bell. She is the one that taught me how to sew and use a sewing machine.

I stop sewing in high school, because it wasn’t cool. Plus I was too busy with other things and never thought about sewing again. Then for some reason about a year ago, I decide to pick up quilting. I think my grandmother to talking to me. I don’t know, but I haven’t looked back. My Aunt is probably the best sewer in our family living. She actually makes handbags and sells them.

Anyway, I know this is wayyyyyyy off topic. But I am SHARING:)

Poobear1929, I find it so interesting that you have your great grandmother's diaries. (Journals and diaries are another lost art.) You must find some fasinating details in them. Would you be able to share some interesting tidbits that you found out about her time and activities. I know I would be interested. It's a peek into the past. My great aunt just died a week ago at the age of 103. She was an incredible woman who sewed everything by hand.

My LQS owner is not real friendly; however, after several visits to the shop, I have developed a kindred spirity with the employees. The owner usually is not the one who usually waits on customers but most of the customers know her personality. I agree that the passion and love for quilting is from the heart and passing on the traditional will grow a community of oneness and maybe restore America to its roots of hertiage and warmness.

I am not putting down LQS and saying they are all run by snobs, just the one closest to me. I will drive the 30 miles or so to go a shop I feel it worth my dime. They are supper friendly, down to earth people. Just the nicest group of people, I even took a class there. However, they don't always carry what I need...or some things are pretty expensive. On top of that it isn't always worth it to fight traffic to drive there. Like accessories for my Viking. So those items I will turn to other means to get cheaply.

I do agree that it can be hard to be in a class with some one who doesn¡¦t have all the tools they need. Like a ruler or rotary cutter. The one great thing I loved about the shop I took my first class, she had plenty of cutters and rules, that if need be, could be used by those lacking what they needed. I took a beginners class, so some people didn¡¦t want to invest in a lot of tools right way without knowing this was something they would keep. The foresight of the shop owner kept the lack of tools a non-issue. Most of the women in my class ended up purchasing everything they were using by the end of the session anyway. Our also teach patiently help anyone who had issues with their machines, which we all didƒº

However, to me the opening comment to this thread just sounded petty. I always thought quilting was rooted in family values, value in hard work, and being frugal. The reason why my great-grandmother made quilts and made clothes was because they didn¡¦t have much. They also shared with their neighbors, reading through some of her diaries and her mother¡¦s diaries, they truly didn¡¦t have much. I guess I am a little shocked that those would complain so much about sharing a tool or a spool of thread. As long as I was asked, I have no problems. To me quilting isn¡¦t about all the cool tools, fabric, the amount of money something cost, it is to me a way to connect with some one I may have never known. It is learning a craft that has been passed down through generations that I can pass down to my daughter. It is leaving a little piece of me behind for future generations to cherish. And it is about SHARING, not just tools, but ideas, stories, support and everything else our society is slowly loosing because we as a country are isolating ourselves from each other.

FabricWhisperer wrote:

Well said!!!!

I have seen the claim written several times that their LQS is run by snobs. I have heard this repeated over and over again. I guess I never have been to a quilt shop that I have had that experience.
I am not sure what you mean by snobs. It is the price of fabric, the 'tude of the employees, a combination of both?
From reading some of the comments on this MB it would appear that the LQS is the worst place to shop and take classes. Goodness...I view it this way....without guilds, quilt shows (which by the way many of the LQS sponsor by being vendors and pay for advertising), and LQShops these things keep the art of quilting alive in the community.
My expectation when taking a quilting class is that everyone should be prepared and at least try to have the supplies at hand. I perfectly understand someone forgetting a pair of scissors or a spool of thread...it happens. My other question is...in all fairness...I have also paid for the class...is it fair to me that my class time is taken up by someone who doesn't know how to use their machine? I guess I figured that those who attend are adults and don't really need the 'warm fuzzes' of attention to get thru the class.
As someone suggested there is room for everyone in the quilting world. Whether you spend $$$ on your hobby or you are careful and are the finder of good things to reuse or use up, we are all quilters.
Sometimes women are their own worst enemies. We can all agree to disagree and just move on and quilt!!

FW (who has donned her telfon suit (quilted of course)

Gbquilter, I have to agree with you on some of the points you made. I too, believe how much some one chooses to spend on quilting is very personal. I also commend you with how you challenge yourself with making wonderful quilts with “found objects”. My quilting hat is off to you.

I also like to add a few of my two cents on the subject as well. I was a little interested when I saw the title of this thread. Then I was a little taken back by the opening comment. All I have to say is so what if someone chooses to us a dull rotary blade instead of buy anew one? So what if CheapO chooses to by $1 spools of thread? Is that really affecting you? If they are part of a club you are in, and then sit across the room form them so you don’t have to hear about it. If CheapO wants to borrow your thread, kindly say no because you will need every last inch for your project. I would feel honored if some wanted me to teach them something I knew, so they didn’t have to take a class.

So what if the person can look at a picture or a quilt and make a pattern of it. I say hats off to her/him, drafting patterns are hard. Let me say this before the copy write police start scolding me. They way I look at is, as long as a person isn’t trying to make money, get the pattern published, or enter the quilt in a show to win a prize. Then so what? No two quilts will ever be made the same or look the same. Also, maybe you should try to get the person to use their talent to draft a pattern for the guild, and then you and the guild members can pay her for the pattern? Encourage them to use their talent and maybe profit off of it. You know support women in business; I believe some stated that is what they like to do.

I am by no means cheap; however I do look for ways to save money. Quilting can be a rather expensive hobby, I say hobby because that is what it is for me. I have slowly over time up graded the quality of thread, fabric, sewing machine, and tools I use. But I have done so for my own preference, not because I am trying to impress someone. I will shop on Ebay and try to get good deals on certain things. I like to buy rulers and books second hand. It is better than those things ending up in landfills.

Matter of fact I got my sewing machine off of Ebay, a Viking. I bought if from a dealer that sells on ebay and yes before someone can ask. I did look the dealer up on the Viking website to confirm they were indeed a reputable dealer. It was about $400 less then at my local Viking dealer and it came with a warranty. If I can find something somewhere else cheaper I will. I buy a lot of my books on Amazon.com or find them second had. I do have a huge library of new and used quilting books. I am mostly self taught, so in the beginning I bought book after book learning how to quilt.

Now before someone cries foul because I am not supporting my LQS. Let me say this. First the closest quilt store is here in town (they are not the Viking dealer I mentioned above). I don’t really like going there, because I get this snooty holier than thou feeling. First off, the minute I walking in someone is following me up and down the aisles, even after I kindly tell them I don’t need any help or I am just looking. That still doesn’t stop them from following me; like I am going steal something or I am too ignorant to know what it is I am looking for. It really affects my inspiration. Yeah I might be a young and only have a year or so under my belt of quilting; but I still know what it is I want. If not I will tell you.

Also, what gets me is that I have been in there numerous times and have spent quite a bit of money on fabric and such. They still do not know my name. I have travel 30 minutes to a store that is a Viking dealer, had only been there on two separate occasions before they remembered my name. Matter of fact they even remember why I was in there the first time and asked how my project was coming along. I wish they were closer, but they are not. So to save time, I will buy online and have stuff shipped to me.

One finally thought on the CheapO quilter. Could the CheapO quilter just be the type who just acting out to get attention? I mean my step grandmother loves to go on and on about how expensive everything is. She is really frugal and does some crazy stuff to save a buck. However, she isn’t a poor little old lady at all. My Mom told me she likes to go on and on about how she has no money and about the extremes she goes to save a buck for attention. She is lonely and just needs people to fuss over her, no harm in that. That is why my Mom has all the patience in the world for her. Maybe CheapO just needs a little fussing done over her to make her feel better about life. Just something to think about……

moogiequilter wrote:


Great point!!

I have never taken a quilting class. My tools are pretty basic. A good pair of scissors I bought on sale about 10 yrs. ago, a beat up old iron, a chalko liner (my one extravagance), a plain ole 12" wooden rule and needle and thread. I don't generally go into quilt shops (I don't like the atmosphere). Finding and gathering up new fabric usually takes more time than money for me. I shop at garage sales and thrift shops and friends give me fabric when they clean out their sewing rooms -- I don't ask, bags just show up on my doorstep because people know I quilt. The only things I buy at the fabric store are batting, printer fabric, thread and sometimes backing fabric. I do like metallic thread but I buy it on sale. The beads I use are from my stash of 10 years ago when I taught beading. Most of my other embellishments are "found objects" or from the dollar store. Sure there are lots of new products out there but that doesn't mean I have to buy them. Compared to many quilters I spend very little money.

Now I am frugal. It has been said that I can pinch a penny till it squeals. But that isn't really the reason I work the way I do. I believe that working this way helps me be more creative. Going out and buying whatever I thought I needed wouldn't encourage me to stretch creatively.

Don't worry I'm not even tempted to borrow your rotary cutter, fancy rulers, thread, etc. I'm happy working the way I am.

How much money is spent on quilting should be a personal thing. What concerns me is that new quilters are getting the idea that certain products are absolutely necessary when they are really optional. Quilting can be a very expensive hobby, but it doesn't have to be.

I would NEVER begrudge someone being careful with my money, I know I should have been more careful with mine....BUT

If you don't want to spend money on a new rotary blade, don't complain to me that yours doesn't work well, and then use mine!

If you don't want to spend money on silk finish thread, don't complain that yours breaks all the time and ask to 'try' a spool of mine.

If you tell my your old, chipped ruler is just fine and you can't see spending $35 on a new ruler, don't make me come to your table in class to collect my ruler every time I need it.

I hope to really learn the lessons that some of you have noted here, to spend my money wisely and to support women who are trying to make a business of their own, but please let me also recognize that I will have to spend some money on this lovely hobby of mine, and not to ride on the money spent by others.

The quilting industry has moved beyond our grandmother's quilting bee.
I remind myself that the patterns and tools I buy are the products of someone's hard work and imagination usually that person is a woman....(not to exclude the men!).
We have moved from local quilt shows to International Shows. Today we have more variety of patterns, fabric and methods. Someone has taken the time to discover and produce or improve the products we use today. Teachers and pattern makers are trying like everyone else to make a living off of what they feel they do best. I have no problem paying them for their time and talent. I also have no problem supporting my LQS which is usually owned by a woman also. If women don't support women owned businesses then who will?
I am just as cost conscious as the next person. So I have to pick and choose projects all the time. When I take a class, I am taking it for a reason to learn a pattern method or technique. I have no problem with buying the supplies required by the instructor or paying for her time. I tell myself I am investing in myself by learning something new. I am expanding my knowledge of a craft I love. Even workshops given by my local quilt guild members, class participants are charged a small fee. This fee would cover the cost of the room and the for the instructors time. We are always expected to have our own supplies.
Also remember without people like Ricky Tims and Alex Anderson who decided to take a chance on an idea...we would not be here in our homes watching the first Internet show on this site!!!
The quilting bee has evolved into an industry whether we like it or not. I think we as consumers demanded more and we got it.

FW