Non-quilters do not understand
07-08-2012, 04:38 AM
#51
Member
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Wellsboro, PA
Posts: 82
I have known people who spent thousands for golfing, fishing, hunting, tennis and all manner of other sports (ie. hobbies), I know how much motorcycles cost. The only reason I quilt is I have to watch my pennies, so I save everything I can.
07-08-2012, 04:46 AM
#53
Super Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Woodmere, NY
Posts: 1,422
Yes, I am a quilter, and I have fabric.. I don't think I have an excessive amount.. I have mostly scraps, and very little yardage.. I like to use scraps, and don't use patterns.. That's just my personal preference.. I also don't like to waste...
I went to a tag sale at a house of a quilter.. The woman passed away seven years ago at the age of 54.. The husband has a girlfriend, and they were moving.. What was at the sale scared the crap out of me.. She had a studio in on the upper floor.. One area was floor to ceiling shelves with fabric yardage folded.. The other room was filled with boxes of fat quarters, and other fabrics.. She had templates, and duplicate templates, multiple rulers, and scissor.. The more I thought of it.. There was no way this woman could possibly have used all of the stuff in there, even if she didn't pass away early.. My question is. When does it change from need based to hoarding?
I went to a tag sale at a house of a quilter.. The woman passed away seven years ago at the age of 54.. The husband has a girlfriend, and they were moving.. What was at the sale scared the crap out of me.. She had a studio in on the upper floor.. One area was floor to ceiling shelves with fabric yardage folded.. The other room was filled with boxes of fat quarters, and other fabrics.. She had templates, and duplicate templates, multiple rulers, and scissor.. The more I thought of it.. There was no way this woman could possibly have used all of the stuff in there, even if she didn't pass away early.. My question is. When does it change from need based to hoarding?
07-08-2012, 04:49 AM
#54
Super Member
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Barnesville GA
Posts: 3,181
Our house is funny. I had to move in with my brother and we both understand collecting STUFF.. His is mostly cars and motorcycles. and computer things. Me its fabric and antique furniture. I have very very little furniture now that I only have one room , my bedroom . I have a second room that is my sewing room with the computer in it. But when his step daughter moved in all she sees is clutter. She is the type that has to have the kitchen towels folded a certain way. No hobbies either. I really don't understand someone like that. LOL She sleeps and watches tv all day. to me that is sooo boring. While I can't sew as much as I would like, I do read when I can't do anything else. And I think about what I am going to make. :-)
07-08-2012, 05:09 AM
#56
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Minnesota, USA
Posts: 396
OK. Thanks for the validation! I love my fabric stash. I am always so pleased with myself when I can go to my basement, pull together some fabric and make a quilt from what I have. I have made quilts for birthday gifts, graduation, weddings, babies. I remember making a wall-hanging for a wedding gift. I loved this wall-hanging, the way it turned out, the hand embroidered quote, everything. My X-husband said, "we can't just give them that." Well, I can be sure the wall-hanging lasted longer than that $50 check. (or the wedding, for that matter!) Maybe we just make it look to easy.
As for scraps, my favorite (for now) quilt is a crazy, mile-a-minute quilt I made that has a scrap of just about every quilt I've ever made. I love looking at the bits and pieces and remembering which quilt project they came from.
As for scraps, my favorite (for now) quilt is a crazy, mile-a-minute quilt I made that has a scrap of just about every quilt I've ever made. I love looking at the bits and pieces and remembering which quilt project they came from.
07-08-2012, 05:16 AM
#57
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 257
OK. Thanks for the validation! I love my fabric stash. I am always so pleased with myself when I can go to my basement, pull together some fabric and make a quilt from what I have. I have made quilts for birthday gifts, graduation, weddings, babies. I remember making a wall-hanging for a wedding gift. I loved this wall-hanging, the way it turned out, the hand embroidered quote, everything. My X-husband said, "we can't just give them that." Well, I can be sure the wall-hanging lasted longer than that $50 check. (or the wedding, for that matter!) Maybe we just make it look to easy.
As for scraps, my favorite (for now) quilt is a crazy, mile-a-minute quilt I made that has a scrap of just about every quilt I've ever made. I love looking at the bits and pieces and remembering which quilt project they came from.
As for scraps, my favorite (for now) quilt is a crazy, mile-a-minute quilt I made that has a scrap of just about every quilt I've ever made. I love looking at the bits and pieces and remembering which quilt project they came from.
07-08-2012, 05:16 AM
#58
Super Member
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Texas
Posts: 2,369
it's not just non-quilters --- there are quilters too who do not save anything beyond what their current project requires.
i have a friend who has been creating beautiful quilts for 30 years---she uses exactly what her pattern requires & (used to) toss anything left over---i about had a heart attack when she first told me this---& told me----'oh- don't become one of THOSE string savers!'....it took me a couple years but i did finally convince her to let me have the contents of her (waste basket) before bagging it to go to the landfill---she just shakes her head & gives it up---sometimes there is 1/2 a yard or more pieces in there---i know she is not alone- lots of people use what is required then get rid of what ever was left over- regardless of amount- and then there are those of us who buy extra on purpose & keep a stash and save every scrap--- not every quilter understands any more than a non-quilter understands.
i have a friend who has been creating beautiful quilts for 30 years---she uses exactly what her pattern requires & (used to) toss anything left over---i about had a heart attack when she first told me this---& told me----'oh- don't become one of THOSE string savers!'....it took me a couple years but i did finally convince her to let me have the contents of her (waste basket) before bagging it to go to the landfill---she just shakes her head & gives it up---sometimes there is 1/2 a yard or more pieces in there---i know she is not alone- lots of people use what is required then get rid of what ever was left over- regardless of amount- and then there are those of us who buy extra on purpose & keep a stash and save every scrap--- not every quilter understands any more than a non-quilter understands.
07-08-2012, 05:17 AM
#59
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Washington state
Posts: 474
I agree. I don't have a huge stash since I've only been quilting for a few years, but I love looking at it. To me it represents possibilities. It can also be an interesting challenge to think of ways to use it. The fabrics are what I think of as my artist's palette. For those who don't get it, oh well! Some people have hobbies that I don't understand so it works both ways.
07-08-2012, 05:24 AM
#60
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Central Florida
Posts: 830
Thanks for validating those of us who were sewers before becoming quilters. I still have fabrics I bought many many years ago, stored in bins from my move in 1984. They have traveled with me from home to home over nearly 30 years and I still use some pieces now and then. I am not a hoarder and am very organized, my DH says I'm too neat. I just can't part with some of the stuff I've had for so long. Now that I'm making quilts, I'm finding uses for fabrics I thought I'd never use. Now, if I could only figure how to incorporate all the stained glass I still have ..... 
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