Wednesday, October 25, 2006

Confession time

My name is Dorothy, and although I make quilts, I don't consider myself a quilter. Kick me out of the club now, if you must, but I don't like:
-variegated thread.
-30s repros.
-oriental fabrics.
-marbles or "hand dyes" that aren't really hand dyed.
-Sunbonnet Sue (or Sam, Joe, Annie or any of their friends- human, canine, feline or otherwise.)
-puff (or puffy) quilts.
-Turning 20, Warm Wishes, Convergence or any of the "other flavour of the week, think I'll make a dozen" quilt designs.
-paper piecing.
-samplers.
-bright on black.

Have I pissed everyone off yet?

That said, I *do* like:
-CW repros.
-tone on tone prints
-traditional patterns.
-scrappy chaos.
-stitch in the ditch.
-unexpected colour combinations.
-heavy quilting.
-buttons.

So what brought this little scree on? Everyone (but me, it seems) hit the hay early today, so I spent a little of my free evening cruising various and sundry quilting related forums. I came to realize that the less time I spend with quilters (real or virtual), the less I am like them in my personal choices. I read a post gushing over the sumptuousness of a particular "Fairy Frost" shade and had to go look it up to see this wonder of textile genius. Uh, it's grey. With a couple of different shades of grey thrown in. For interest, I assume, though it was completely lost on me. I wandered through some Webshots and Yahoo Photos albums and was struck by how many people have fallen under the spell of Turning Twenty. Some of them are even Turning Twenty Again, with a whole new, just the same design. I just don't get it. And the Convergence thing really makes me scratch my head. I'll bet the first time Mr. Timms stepped back from his very first finished piece he thought,"Yeah, that's what I'm talking about." Somehow I suspect choo-choos and cow pastures weren't quite the media he saw his work headed toward.

So, I found a lot I didn't like, which kinda made me feel like Margaret Hamilton. Perhaps it was time to examine what it is I DO like. So I did. And then I shared. Enjoy! ;o)

12 comments:

Rian said...

LOL! What a delightful post, I especially loved the picture of Margaret Hamilton! I'm sure you left one off your no-likey list: Brite juvenile prints like bug jars. Please tell me you don't like those.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, I'm with Rian on the bug jars.But I do like my brite stars on black oddly enough.Didn't think I would either.I can't get into the latest fads either, even if there was time, tho I may try one warm wishes just to whip up a fast one, in scraps, to be different!
Have some CW repros to share with ya....

Dorothy said...

Oh Rian, how did I miss bug jars? Actually, I'm not a fan of novelty prints at all. I'm sure my name's coming off LOTS of Christmas card lists now. ;o)

Teri said...

I made a Flannel Turning Twenty, just to keep me warm. The only thing I like about the pattern is it is easy. I would put applique on it if I ever made another one. I wouldn't make a convergence. I don't like stack and whack

Jules said...

I don't like SBS or her variations, either. And I don't make quilts with cats. (I don't do anything with cats!) I love your lists.

Anonymous said...

oh, too funny!

I don't go for bug jars, sunbonnet sue, or ...horrors... flannel.

I love variegated thread and am guilty of making Turning 20 and YBR quilts, but just to "use up" fabric - LOL.

I'm not a fan of 30's repros either. And I don't like quilts of 30 blocks from the same fabric. B-O-R-I-N-G! Give me scraps and lots of 'em!

You know what I really don't like? Words appliqued onto quilts. Something about "Happy Fall, Y'all" just makes me shudder!

Debra Dixon said...

I have my favorites and unfavorites like everyone else but I try to remember that certain styles fill certain needs. I would rather someone cut her teeth on a YBR than not quilt at all.

CW Repros-blech, dull, drab, teeny prints. Give me a cheerful '30s repro anyday!

Of course the minute I say I don't like or don't plan to make a certain type of quilt, that is the one idea that keeps bugging me.

I am not, typically, fond of sampler quilts either but I am totally in love with the one I am making for my parents. It is all in the skill of the quilter sometimes.

Nice that we have choices!

Anonymous said...

I made a Yellow Brick Road as a store sample for my LQS. I use it often, and it is the only quilt I finished and kept for myself.
So I love it.
And I like my 30s repros so much, I won't even cut into them.
I don't like all my UFOs!

His Office, My Studio said...

We all have choices to make in life and we need to satisfy ourseleves and no one else.

I like different things from minute to minute, day to day and on and on.

just me said...

Your post made me laugh....yep, Hate the turning twenty quilts for sure...kinda what is the point?! lol
At recent guild mtg someone brought a Turning Twenty Again, everyone was ohhing and ahhing over it, I was looking at thinking what a waste of some perfectly gorgeous fabric!

Anonymous said...

This reads just like when you dissed table runners on the forum. Remember? Then you promptly turned around and made one?

Dorothy said...

Aw, I didn't DISS tablerunners, I just don't *get* them. I did make one, for a price, and I liked it okay. I'd just never seen one used as an actual runner. (BTW, the one I made last year is used as a wall hanging.) I'm starting another one for the same friend this year.