Quilt Snobs

On a Yahoo group I belong to, a member recently posted about her experience with a fellow quilter explaining that she should only buy the best of fabrics. In other words, this means the quilt shop prices. Now, I have nothing against local quilt shops making a living, am in fact often times quite envious of the ladies who have the budget to afford shopping at these stores. But, considering the price of their fabrics I will never be one of those people. Here is a little info to consider. Depending on the pattern or design of the quilt, and the size, on the average a full size quilt will take about 12 - 15 yard for the top, back and binding. In a quilt store, the fabrics will run 8.99 to 15.99 a yard for 100% cotton fabrics. We won't even get in to the specialty fabrics like Minkee for this purpose. So, using the 12 yards for figuring, that is $108 - $192 just in fabric. You will need to fork out another $30 in batting and $5-$7 in thread. All in all, you are looking at about $150 per quilt. Now, most of those same brands of fabric are offered online at lower rates, JoAnn's carries a lot of it at a lower rate, usually about $2-$5 dollars a yard less. When I first started quilting, I could go there and get calicos and cottons for about $3.99 a yard, then they were $5.99 and lately, I found them averaging about $7.99 a yard. No one seems to make mention of that increase in the news, not like milk and gas anyway, just as essential in my mind you know. Walmart also carries the same brand names, not as much variety, but they also have other brands of cotton as well. Most of them for $3.96 to $5.96 a yard. Just off the top of my head, that is about a $50 savings.

I only bring this up because of the thought that is predominant among quilters that if you buy your fabric anywhere but a quilt shop you are getting poor quality goods. I have heard this so many times myself from the "quilty snobs" and just don't buy it. First of all, when you mention the same exact brand is offered at a lower price they come back with this story of how the quilt shops get the middle of the middle runs which is a better quality than the end pieces. Okay, I am so sure that quality control in some factory is letting thousands of yards be made this is inconsitent with the hundres of yard in the middle. But this they swear by, even adding on to this that the fabric is even thinner than what you buy at the quilt store. Go ahead, buy a fourth of yard at the local quilt store of a piece of Cranston brand for instance, and the same exact piece at JoAnn's or Walmart. It feels the same. The texture of a piece of fabric is determined by thread count. Am I to believe that the factory some how adds threads to a machine run of fabric in the middle of the run? I think not. Besides which, if a major company is going to make an inferior product for the purpose of selling to discount retailers I serious doubt they will use the same name. Come on, even Walmart changes the name of their store brand.

I have searched online, even through Scopes, and found nothing to substantiate this view point. However, with that being said, I will freely admit that there are poorly made fabrics that are sold cheaply at the discount retailers. They are thin, woven badly, fall apart in cleaning. I also admit that you can feel the difference between a poor quality and good quality fabric. The worst piece of fabric I ever used actually came from a quilt shop.

Bottom line is this, there are quilter's out there that will spread this opinion to make their self feel better, make them feel that their end result is a quality piece. They don't want to hear that it could have been made, or was made, for less. I quit swapping quilt blocks because of this same mentality. Requirements being made on brands and colors of fabric. You know, half the fun in swapping is the swap itself. I can't afford to buy high priced fabric to make blocks that I will hopefully get the same amount back from. I admit, that when it comes to purchasing fabric for a quilt, where the quilt goes makes a difference in the price I spend on materials. A few dozen quilts for charity will be made witht the cheaper supplies. I don't mean the cheapest, as I still look for the quality in the pieces, but $4.00 a yard virsus $10 a yard is a pretty big difference when you are talking about several yards. It is a difference between one quilt for sick child and six quilts for six sick children.

Okay, I have gone on long enough. But, I can't help but think that when younger women are wanting to learn to quilt, make quilts for their family to use, for special gifts, but hold back because they perceive quilters as being older women, maybe it is because that older women don't have to think as much about a budget that includes children at home.

Here is the bottom line as I see it. A quilt is a special something that gives a person a special feeling of warmth, security, when it is wrapped around them. That child that has cancer and is cold because of his treatment, that mother greeting her newborn child alone because her husband is serving his country overseas, that soldier that is warming up with a piece of home that someone cared enough to send, the elderly resident that has bright spot of color on their bed in a home, that homeless man that is a little warmer because he has something to wrap around him, that child that has little flu bug and carries around the quilt made for them, a mother 1200 miles away feels like she still has a part of her daughter with her, they don't care that you used Cranston brand from Walmart instead of the local quilt store. To them it feels the same.

Just a Thought.

I was doing some blog surfing, noticed a posting about some 30's fabric. It made me think about the thirty's repro fabric I used for a quilt. It is not the best of photos, taken a while back, over a year, but you can get the idea.

This pattern is called "Rancher's Daughter" and can be found free at Debbie's Creative Moments then scroll down to the bottom.

I made this quilt to be a wedding gift, rushed to get it made before the wedding. Long story short I now have the top, the wedding was cancelled. They broke up. Guess it will be on the UFO list to finish in 2008. It was made in 2006. I have several UFO projects, similar situations. Guess I should make a list of them and just check them off as I finish them.

Today, I finally got the computers moved around. Now, I am back to the old set up so I can print, seems Vista doesn't play well with printers. Hubby even bought me a great flat screen monitor so I can set up on my sewing desk and still have room to sew. Amazing how quickly you get use to something because I sure miss that big screen. That computer also has a much better keyboard. Had forgotten how crappy this one is. Doesn't even register all the keystrokes, will be typing along and then realize that half the letters are missing. The other computer is too far away from the router, so need a longer wire before I can have Internet with it. SO...I am off to buy ink for the printer, now that I can print again, and a longer wire to get Internet. Just wanted to post this photo of the quilt while I was thinking about it.

Hubby is sick, one kid is sleeping at a friend's, the youngest is grounded for a few weeks, and I have been battling a severe headache. We ate out last night, don't even feel up to going out tonight, had fast food for lunch, so am thinking I will just make some soup for supper. Okay, I am off to run the shopping errands and get back home so I can settle in and read emails and work on some sewing projects. Am going to have to get a keyboard as well.

Quilt Top Is Done

Just thought I would pop back in and post a couple of photos. I am finished with the quilt top for the baby quilt I am making. It will have a deep purple fleece back with a lighter purple cotton binding. I machine embroidered the name and birth date in one corner as well.

I am still learning to use my little camera, but I think it came out pretty well. Think the quilt came out pretty cute as well. My co-worker is the dad, he mentioned that they did the baby's room in pink, black, and white. I actually thought about putting this quilt aside and going and buying all new fabric, but then decided that they can use it in the car or something. I know when my kids were small I was always short on utility type quilts.

I also thought I would post a photo of the center square. You really can't see the detail in this photo, but the little angel is machine embroidered and done to look like cross stitching.

Like I said, the detail isn't showing up very well. But, you get the idea. I am heading off for the night. Going to see what other trouble I can get in tonight. Still need to eat.

Busy Day

Today has really been busy. I went grocery shopping and household shopping. Then home to put it all away. Sneaked in a new quilting magazine of course. I put all the perishables up first, then left the rest out for a while. I knew I had to clean out the pantry, so why put it all away just to take it all out. I managed to get the top half of the pantry done, so feel like I have accomplished a great deal. Still have the bottom half, but shouldn't take as long. I probably took to the dumpster about $50-$60 dollars of food if not more that had all expired or gone bad from the brown moth infestation that I am plagued with. That was the main reason for the cleaning, then added some moth repellent sachets to chase the little buggers away. Also gave me a chance to inventory my pantry. Could not believe that some how I have ended up with 13 cans of beef broth. After buying groceries and coming home with cans of black and red kidney beans for a particular recipe I want to try, only to find I already had three of each on hand, I was further convinced that this cleaning and inventory was essential. I am also going to make up a menu plan for the next three weeks and challenging myself to see how much I can actually do with just what I have on hand. Which really is a ridiculous amount of food.

We have had an on going problem with mold growing in our bathroom. Hubby has become fearful that the mold is what is making me sick and the reason I can't seem to get completely well, so he mixed up some bleach water and went to work on the walls and ceiling. It looks so much nicer. Discovered that bleach water makes old wallpaper (actually it was former owners great idea to use contact paper and glue) come off very easy.

I went an played a little with some fabric I have. Just had to touch the little sweeties, make sure they are still there and all. Can't wait until I can start slashing them to pieces and then stitching them back up. I have several tops that I am going to layer and finish up before I let myself start on anything else. I have four major quilt projects that need to get done first off when I get started back. First, quilt for co-workers new baby (plan to make up a few extras for future gifts), second is throw size quilt promised for raffle prize to booster club, third is a few quilts that just need binding, and four is quilt that I started for a wedding gift for my son. The wedding was postponed, then called off, then they broke up. I still want to finish the quilt though. Then I have a mile long list of various UFOs and PIGS I want to do. Doesn't everyone? My new year's resolutions include being more organized, so will make a list of projects to mark off. When I am not working 40 hours, not going to the gym, not cleaning house, not taking care of the family that is. Yeah, I know!

Well, off to a warm bath and even warmer bed so I can start it all over again tomorrow.