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.

Happy Birthday . . . to me. . . .

When we’re young, Birthdays are the second most exciting days of the year.  They are only beat out by Christmas.  It’s a day of Presents and cake and parties.  Most importantly, it is a day that is all about you.  Even Christmas can’t do that.  When we’re young, we can barely wait for birthdays to come around.  Then we get older, and we start to dread them.

Why is that?  What happens that causes birthdays to lose their magic?

Perhaps the problem is that we fear getting old.  When were young, getting older is a good thing.  It means being able to do more things: Staying up late, driving, getting out on our own, paying bills (though this one quickly loses its charm).  But after we turn about 21, the mile stones become less exciting and more daunting.  I remember when I turned 25, how shocking it was to think that I was a quarter of a century.  This was possibly the hardest age I’ve yet turned.  It was about this time that I decided that I wouldn’t worry about the numbers any more; I would just enjoy the birthday.  I would look at the day as I did when I was a kid.  Just an exciting day that was all about me . . . and I got presents.

Unfortunately, this proved to be easier said than done.  As this year’s birthday approached, I could feel the birthday blues creeping in on me.  To be honest, it baffles me.  Logically I know that the numbers really don’t matter.  It’s all relative.  When I’m home at my apartment, I’m one of the oldest.  Most of my roommates are younger than me.  There are times there that I feel old.  At work, I’m the youngest.  They even sometimes refer to me as “youngen” (Affectionately. . . I think).  Despite that, there are times when my co workers act younger then I do.  (No disrespect to any of them, I hold all of them in the highest respect and regard.)  There are also times that I act younger then my roommates.  

The fact is, age is all relative, but if we are so afraid of getting old that we fail to take joy in things like birthdays, then we are already old.

The Quilter's Image

One good thing about quilting is the magazines.  They have great projects and ideas, but that isn't the only reason I like it.  If you look at the quilting magazines you will find pictures of women who are real.  You know, women with curves, wrinkles, and hair and make up that didn't take a stylist several hours to accomplish.  If you ask me, these are the kinds of women that should be in fashion magazines.  These women are just as beautiful as the woman in the fashion magazines.

The standards of beauty today are extreme to the point of being unrealistic and unreasonable.  too many women cannot see their own beauty because they are constantly compared to who, at best, are in the minority, or, at worst, photo shopped and air brushed to look even more unrealistic.  So many women bend over backwards (literally, if they're into yoga) trying to make themselves look like something they are not rather then accepting their own beauty.

One time while working at the shop, I referred to myself as an ugly duckling.  The customer I was helping looked at me and quite seriously told me that all girls are beautiful.  I didn't argue, but I didn't quite accept what she said either.  Everything I have seen in magazines, on TV, in movies, it showed a very specific form of beauty.  But it was a form that I didn't fit.  It took me a while, but eventually I learned to accept this simple statement as truth.  All girls are beautiful.

The fashion magazines, the movies, television, they all lie.  The fact is, there is more than one kind of beauty, just as there is more than one kind of quilt.  There are quilts that are big and some that are small.  Some have tiny prints and intricate pattern, and some have bold prints and large blocks.  But that doesn't make them any less beautiful than any others, just different.  And it is these differences that make quilting so much fun.  could you imagine how boring quilting would be if there was only one style of quilt?  You would make one quilt, and then you would be done.  There would be no need to make any more.  But there is no end to the number of quilts you can make.  There are hundreds and hundreds of different patterns and combinations.  if twenty people were to make the same quilt, they would all be different.  Why can't we accept these differences in people?  Why can't we accept these differences in ourselves?

Patience and Persistents

One thing you can say about quilting, It is not for the faint of heart.  It takes a lot of work, a lot of patience, and a lot of time.  Fortunately, it my experience, quilter's are not easily deterred.  One day while working at the quilt shop, the power went out.  Without lights, our shop is dark, even during the day.  There are few windows, and they are all in the front of the store.  Plus, picking out fabrics is kind of a visual thing.  One would think that this would be a hindrance to any costumers who might come in.  They came anyway.  One after another they came into the door, stopped for a moment, asked if we were closed and, after being assured that the power was just out, continued with their shopping.  Some went back out to their cars to get flash lights so they could more easily navigate out shelves, but not one of them turned around and went home.  Eventually, once all of the costumers cleared out, we did close up early, but I was still surprised at how determined our costumers could be.

The thing is, if quilting was all about finishing projects, no one would do it.  Don't get me wrong, there is a great deal of satisfaction to finishing a project, but if you didn't enjoy the proses, it wouldn't be worth it.  I have often heard that quilting is not a race.  It isn't about how many quilts you get done, it's about having fun while you do it. You can buy a quilt, but you can't buy the experience of making something with your own hands.  It is the journey that makes the destination worth while. 

Let me start by saying one thing, English is great.  You use it everywhere.  Regardless of your occupation, hobbies, or social/economic situation you will at some point need to read, write, or talk.  Those who chose English as a major can usually go on to do anything: publishing, teaching, law, medicine, construction, bricklaying.  A background in English can help with all of these.

I didn't want to be a bricklayer or a teacher when I grew up. I wanted to be a writer.  So English seemed to be the way to go.  The problem with being a writer, you need a day job.  Few of us become overnight successes right out of collage.  And when I graduated with my bachelors and no offers to become a rich and famous author, I set out to find myself a day job.

A quilt shop may not be the first place you would expect an English major to work, but that is exactly where I ended up.  I must admit that after four+ years of reading and writing, it was a nice break to spend some time cutting and stitching.  Plus, as I said earlier, English prepares you for everything, even quilting.  Here are just some of the ways quilting is like Writing:

1. There Must Be Order to All Things. Remember how in elementary school they taught you to make an outline before you start writing? (I was never really good at that, by the way, it wasn't until I started working on ten page papers that I really understood the reasoning) Well, the same is true in quilting you need a plan. Even if your making it up as you go along, it helps to have something to refer back to when you get lost.
2. Everyone Has Their Own Opinion. Not everyone likes the same kinds of books or the same kind of writing.  I prefer creative writing and fiction books.  Yet I have know some people whose main focus was technical writing.  I've know people who can only read non-fiction.  Fiction just doesn't appeal to them.  Quilters are the same way.  Some lean towards bright colors and contemporary prints.  Others like the dull colors and traditional prints.  Everyone is different and they all lean toward different things. It doesn't make them wrong, just different.  And differences are good.
3. It Takes Determination and Hard Work to Complete a Project.  It takes a lot of time to finish a book.  Then it takes even longer to go through and edit it and rewrite it to get to where you want it to be.  Quilting takes just as much time and dedication.  Piecing the top, stitching the layers, binding.  But in both cases, when your done you have something you can be proud of.
4. You Have to Enjoy What Your Doing.  It is ten times easier to write a paper when you are actually interested in the subject.  Try writing an essay on watching paint dry and you'll see what I mean.  the results will be better if you enjoy what your doing as well.  If you don't like the fabrics or the pattern you are working on, the quilt will not be as much fun to work on.  The results may be technically just as good, but you still won't like it as much

There are probably more correlations between the two activities.  Of course these lessons apply to more then just writing and quilting.  Everything we do need to have the same degree of organization, cooperation, dedication, and fun!