Nonna Judi

This guy has got to be kidding. Don't even get me started!!!!!!!

Treasureit

I agree!!!!!!!!!!!! I feel a Nebraska vacation brewing inside me! Has anyone been there?

maryb119

Agreed!!! This is so true!

Kcmomto2

Editorials are often opinion. No doubt. But the journalistic integrity of the author and the publication as a whole come into question when there are no opposing facts presented to support the ones the author uses to try to sway us to his/or her thinking. The author was not interested in knowing more about which he spoke. Just spouting info to get people riled up-sharing half information. Many pubs include disclaimers with the editorials they print or a standing statement that says what they publish does not necessarily express the opinions or beliefs of the publication's editors and publishers. I couldn't find that with regard to the editorial/opinion section on the site. If it was a journalistic/reporting article, it would be completely irresponsible of the publication to have printed it without due diligence to checking facts and presenting all sides of the issue. But, as an editorial piece-all I can say is, the author completely loses all credibility when it's so blatantly one-sided. Blah.

TexasGurl

Thanks for posting this ...

Wow, what a total waste of space this "article" is ! Even worse, no byline ?? but somehow it got published???

Obviously this person did no research and has never been to the museum, or probably any other!!! To question this very small amt of funding - compared to all the millions and billions that are misspent by Washington???

SonjaG

This article is about a lot more than quilting. This article is about the dramatic change our society has undergone. The author states that "quilting fails to hold the interest of most Americans today." I hate to agree with him/her, but it is true. MOST Americans, especially younger ones, have no interest in handcrafted arts or learning a skill that they see as useless. The author also states, "...department stores carry a wide selection of affordable bedding, and special memories can be recorded by photographs and videos rather than by laboring over scraps of cloth, quilts have become largely irrelevant in modern culture." This speaks volumes about how Americans raised on electronics and gadgets view things. Why labor over a quilt made from scraps of every dress your daughter owned when you can record a video of her in the dresses? That's not how I feel, but I am certain there is a large segment of America that thinks that way. Too may children have never taken on a project that requires commitment, such as quilting, and seen it through to completion without bribes from parents. I mean, really, we live in a society where every kid playing soccer gets a trophy so their feelings aren't hurt, and they don't keep score, because apparently winning is bad and losing doesn't build character anymore. As for the wasted money? I don't think the government should be funding museums like this or any other. Let private enterprise do that. I'm not a fan of big government, and I'll leave it at that. Oh, goodness, let me jump off this soapbox now. LOL.

Peckish

I'm not a fan of Congress, can we de-fund them?

TexasGurl

SonjaG -
You make some good points BUT - I do know that THERE ARE A LOT of 18-30 yr old NEW quilters and crafters out there, who DO have a big interest in quilting and hand crafts !!

Take a look if you haven't, at all the "Modern" quilts, the books, the blogs, blog hops, and pattern marketing ... these "Kids" are USING THE INTERNET and their Hi Tech devices to share and promote their ideas. The founders of the Modern Quilt Guild said the first Guild and all their new chapters wouldn't EXIST - if they didn't have the Internet to meet up and communicate. My daughter and a number of friends are now into quilting, crafts, home decor and knitting. They are in their early to mid 20's, and the modern quilts and fun fabrics brought them to quilting. At the Houston Quilt Festival a few weeks ago, the largest quilt show in the US - there were a LOT of quilters in this age group !

As far as the funding issue ? ... Federal funding of ANY museum doesn't bother me NEARLY SO much as the ongoing, massive waste of our hard-earned money!! What about the Smithsonian ?? Valley Forge ? Gettysburg ? Vicksburg ? Should the government not fund these historical and cultural museums ??
I'll take a museum anyday over corporate bailouts, secret deals, funding inept "Green energy" opportunists and the continuing handouts to all the chronically UNMOTIVATED in our country !!!!

SonjaG

Wow, I stand corrected. Thanks for the interesting info. I wasn't aware of a modern quilt move. But of course, I'm new to quilting. I guess I was speaking based on what I have seen.

I do stand by my feelings about government funding of museums. I live in the DC metro area. Just last weekend my husband and I visited two museums. One was a private museum operated by private funds and the other was the National Archives. The private museum was more efficient in getting visitors through the museum (which included waking through a security area). The employees were friendly, helpful and welcoming...they have to be...it's a business. The federally funded and government operated National Archives had and extremely cumbersome entry process, the federal employees were rude and seemed to care little interest in making my visit enjoyable. I've worked in both the federal government and the private sector...based on my experience, the private sector is more efficient. Like I said, I'm not a fan of big government.

Weezy Rider

Most everyone wants instant gratification today. I learned to sew and have taught others out of spite. I dislike what designers think we need, colors we should use, and how our homes should look. In the meantime - they export the work to the orient, and take all the credit and give themselves bonuses when the line they are selling is successful.

How about that idiot who did the American outfits for the Olympics? Made in China?

You can't quilt, sew, whatever on an Ipad, I saw another article where Android users were grinches since we didn't spend all out time shopping online or pouring out whatever on Facebook. If you aren't doing that, you are unAmerican!

(I belong to cell phone forums, and have seen links to articles that do say that if we don't do the above, we are potential "terrorists" since we don't fit the norm.)

One of my favorite patterns is done by Laughing Moon. It's a reprint of a man's dress/work shirt from at least the 1860s.

If I'm not mistaken, some quilters in the past managed to put commentary (political or otherwise) of the times into the quilts. That's what is so great about the museums and preserving this.