There ought to be a law—for
Quilters
Mary Ellen Cummings
Do any of our readers remember
a magazine feature "There Ought to Be a
Law?" Borrowing from that title, I say
"There ought to be a law—for
Quilters." We think of ourselves as
innovative, artistic, and daring. We alter
patterns, play with color arrangements, and
experiment with fabrics. The results can be
fantastic, beautiful, or overwhelming. They can
also be almost impossible to quilt by hand.
What's a law got to do with
such situations? If every quilt maker were
forced to hand quilt at least one of these
fantastic quilts, she would either a.) be more
careful about their fabric choices, or b) quilt
the top by machine.
Twenty-five years ago, most
women who quilted for others charged by the
yards of thread used to finish a quilt. I do not
remember the price, but some ladies in Alabama
told me they charge 60 cents a yard. That can
amount to $150-$200 a quilt.
In 13 years as a group, Mt.
Tabor Quilters have quilted several quilts that
were very difficult to do. Some of these were
because of the detail of the pattern; other were
constructed of fabrics that could not be easily
quilted.
Before starting a quilt top,
decide how you want it quilted. If you plan to
do your own quilting, you may be wise to check
each fabric for ease of stitching as well as
color co-ordination. Otherwise, you may be
charged by the yards of thread and/or degree of
difficulty in quilting if someone else does your
quilting.
Read other Quilting articles by Mary Ellen Cummings |