Scrapbooking versus Quilting

My quote of the day reflects my feelings about scrapbooking magazines and the vibes I get from some of those scrapbookers that think about nothing but being published.

Some days I find myself being glad that we no longer have any bonifed scrapbooking stores in our area- it was such a "dog eat dog" mentality when we did have the 3 stores. No one ever gave out any tips of the trade, shared their secrets on how to make a certain thing work better or told where they bought a certain item. I remember one shop owner always complaing about croppers ruining tools. I Do on the other hand miss having an active Scrapbooking Group and having them meet in my home once a month (I'm going to try again in the fall). I loved spoiling the ladies with a gourmet lunch, and at their request I made recipe page kits for them (of the days recipes) and showed them "new to them" techniques. We laughed, we cried and we enjoyed our time with one another. There was never any of that trying to show one another up we were all equals, all of us had something to share. I miss the days of scrapbooking our photos and sharing the stories that went along with the photos....somewhere along with the quest for being published and of course constantly more new product that basic idea got lost. Maybe that's why I don't share my layouts as much as I should...basically, I don't like the attitude that some people have taken- it's a huge turn off for me. I'm seriously wanting to get back to "the basics" and get with scrapbooking again.

The reasons I started Quilting....The two people who unknowingly had an influence on my wanting to quilt are Susan Vité and Ginny Johnson. From years ago I remember my friend Susan having this quilting project laid out in pieces from Longaberger cloth napkins (the Longaberger Company only used Waverly brand fabrics at that time). It was such a beautiful work in progress. The napkins were costly and came in a 2 pack, My thought is that it must have taken an awful lot of napkin packs to complete that quilt, but oh how lovely it will be when it's finished! There's Ginny Johnson, oh is she ever a bargain hunter when it comes to fabric! She could spot something, know how she would use it in the future and buy yards and yards of it! I do have to admit that I regret not showing a better interest in quilting while both of these ladies lived near me. To think that I didn't start quilting earlier out of plain ol fear...the fear that I would start to stock pile fabrics (as I am now).

I remember the going away/retirement gift that Ginny made and gave to our friend Liz M. was without a doubt the most exquisite quilt I had ever seen! Everyone was in awe! Now of course Ginny is a prankster and the look on Liz's face when Ginny told her that she got the fabric for $1 a yard...I had to hold myself back from laughing. Knowing now what I didn't know then, I know that Ginny didn't get any of that beautiful fabric for $1 a yard, for the fabrics she used on that quilt were in the $8 to $10 a yard price range and at best she got them for maybe $5 a yard. Maybe she found the backing for $2 a yard but it still cost her some big dollars to make it. Then Ginny sent it off to be professionally quilter by a long arm quilter...again not inexpensive. But WOW was it beautiful! I know that this quilt will be cherished by Liz for the rest of her life.

The one thing I have felt with quilting is this genuine love of the craft by others, and how they want you to be able to make something beautiful too! Every time I step foot into a quilt store (there's one in particular I love to frequent) you are always greeted with a smile and a warm welcome. The owner is a charming woman who is ready to help the most advanced to the absolute novice quilter with any problems she has with a project. She takes her time with us and I can tell you that it has made me a better quilter. Everyone in this one quilting store is friendly, always wanting to show you a trick or technique that makes quilting more fun, interesting or just a little easier. None of that snobbery stuff that you find so prevalent in the scrapbooking industry going on here. There's also none of that "I'm being published so my work is better than yours" attitude going on either, I find that seriously refreshing.

Now the popularity of quilting versus scrapbooking...lets face it, scrapbooking for the most part is what I like to call a "quick fix". But if you don't watch out, scrapbooking will get you hooked in a heart beat and before you know it, you're in over your head with expensive tools and some of those tools (and their accessories) are way more expensive than quilting tools and sewing machines, LOL! Quilting on the other hand ...it takes a bit of time to complete a project but it also leaves you with such a sense of accomplishment. I can leave a quilt draped on the top of the sofa or over a chair and people are drawn to it. I can have a quilted table runner on my dinging room table and friends want to know more about it. Now if I leave a scrapbook out on the coffee table- people will ignore it unless I force them to open it and look through it. Why is that?