Quilt Economics

Over two hundred years ago, our country went through a huge revolution in order to become free.  Since that time, there have been many smaller revolutions trying to ensure that that freedom was extended to everyone.   We fought wars to free the slaves, one on a national scale and countless on individual scales.  We went through a civil rights movement, and a women’s rights movement.  Countless injustices were addressed and eventually rectified.  Slowly, we began to see people as they were rather than only seeing their race, gender, nationality, or religion.  And slowly, this became the land of opportunity that it always promised to be.

Now as you watch politicians debate over health care, taxes, big businesses and big budgets, and as the ninety nine percent occupy Wall Street, we seem to be going through another revolution: a poverty rights movement.  The basic rights Thomas Jefferson claimed belong to all, those of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, seem only to be given to those who can afford it.  I don’t claim to have the answers to the great political questions of our day.  These questions seem to be beyond any one person. Everybody has an opinion, and every opinion is different.

It all seems to come down to money.  Money, money, money! To quote Hello Dolly, “Money, you’ll pardon the expression, is like manure, it’s not worth a thing unless it’s spread around encouraging young things to grow.”  Money is one of the great paradoxes of our time.  It is completely worthless, and yet it seems to be the only thing that matters.  Personally, I’m inclined to believe the former: it’s completely worthless.  Money’s only value is the value we give it.  It only means what we think it means.  To some it means power or prestige.  To others it means yachts and villas.  To many of the ladies at the shop, it means fabric.  It is not uncommon to hear something like, “Do I really want to buy this? I could get five yards for that much.”

Quilting really is an equal opportunity hobby.  It doesn’t matter how much or little money you have, you can still quilt.  Many quilters may find this an odd statement.  Don’t get me wrong, quilting can be a very expensive hobby.  It is not unusual to spend a couple hundred dollars on one quilt.  But despite the many new expensive gadgets and notions that are always available for quilters, it really doesn’t take that much to just sit down and sew.  Anyone can quilt without all of the accessories.  One can still make something beautiful with just a needle, thread, and a hand full of scraps.  Some of the most impressive quilts I’ve ever seen were done using just that.

Fabric really doesn’t care who you are.  It doesn’t see race or nationality.  It doesn’t discriminate based on religion or even gender.  And it doesn’t care how much money you have.  My only hope is that someday we are all so open minded.