Tracie Posted April 12, 2010 Report Share Posted April 12, 2010 I haven't been on here for a while but thought of all you when I came across this delimma. I had a new customer come into our studio and she has this quilt she made for her brother. She used old swing dancing shirts of his and cheap fabric from JoAnn's. ( her words not mine ) She did a card trick pattern and every other block she has embroderied swing dancers, this is the only unique thing about this quilt. Sashing is in purple and hot pink. Okay, so she says she wants the cheapist thing we can do and "nothing fancy, it's for her brother and he probably wont do anything with it, she used cheap fabric so nothing fancy." BUT THE KICKER. after I get her invoice finished and we have went through the entire visit of what she wants...she says "I will be entering it in the fair this summer". WHAT? but she wants the cheepiest thing and this is one ugly quilt. I don't know what to do. I have received some great customers from our local fair so I want to do something nice but she is not willing to pay for it. What would you do? I can't post a picture at this time due to my computer issues so you are missing the shock and awe of this quilt ) Thank you for any advice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stagecl Posted April 12, 2010 Report Share Posted April 12, 2010 Well, I am not one to quilt over embroidery designs. You can free hand simple designs that are pleasing to the eye and quilt quickly (since money is an object). You can do garden branching, swirls, meandering and feathers. For me, these all go quite quickly and look nice. It is hard to quilt on quilts that are not pretty, but "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" (I think sometimes the beholder can't see:P:o:P:P) I understand the problem you are facing because it will be in the fair, but maybe she won't add your name as the quilter...one can only hope:o I think we always want to do our best, but sometimes the odds aren't in our favor when it comes to what we are working with and who we are quilting for. That is why it is best to keep it simple, clean and nicely stitched. Good Luck...and do post a picture sometime, I am very curious as to what the quilt looks like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ffq-lar Posted April 13, 2010 Report Share Posted April 13, 2010 What would I do? With a not-quite-so-beautiful-or well-thought-out quilt top that may be put in the local fair this summer? I would do a discreet overall design in either matching or invisible thread. Nothing you can do will make the "cheap" fabric look more expensive nor will anything make the jarring colors less so. Do some pretty work that blends in nicely. The on-lookers will only have good things to say about the quilting, if they can see past the others issues! It may well be that the quilting will be the best thing about the whole quilt. And maybe the brother will be so delighted with it he won't want to let it go long enough to be in the fair! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie Posted April 13, 2010 Report Share Posted April 13, 2010 Bummer, I use to hate when this happened to me....all you can do is hope the quilt never really actually gets into the fair. No all kidding aside....do a nice nothing fancy...keep it in her price range and make it shine in a simple way. Quilts with ugly cheap fabrics can't help it...the designer should be shot, not the quilt. Do your best, and simple....a lot of the times those are the prettiest when finished. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quilting Heidi Posted April 13, 2010 Report Share Posted April 13, 2010 I agree with Linda. I think people will be able to see what it was you were dealing with. Remember beauty is in the eye of the beholder! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltingshirley Posted April 13, 2010 Report Share Posted April 13, 2010 I only quilt for myself and charity quilts but I thought I'd put in my 2 cents too. I've quilted some very, very clashing, inexpensive fabric charity quilts. Rather than hide my quilting, I've used the brightest, most contrasting thread I have. Then I've free handed things all over the place that have to do with something in one of the fabrics or the embroidery. I think I'd put music notes, horns or saxs, whatever you can locate in a simple line drawing so you can do it fast and easy. Your quilting will be the thing they see. Of course you're doing it for a person from a person that "doesn't seem to care". When I do it for the charity quilts I'm thinking everyone should get a quilt they love. (I do wash them and dry them in the dryer before I give them back with several of those Shout fabric catchers. At least when you're done, you're done.) Good Luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltmonkey Posted April 13, 2010 Report Share Posted April 13, 2010 Here is my (humble) $.02.... I don't want to sound blunt and insensitive, but really... It's just a quilt and it's just a a fair. So what if she IS putting it in the fair. And,,,So what if she DOES NOT put it in the fair. It's her quilt and just remember: not matter how ugly it is, one quilt does not define you as a quilter. Just do what she is paying you to do. Don't go overboard to impress with quilting she won't pay for, and don't go cheapy either. Just do the best you can with what you've got within her agreed payment range. Not that it really matters, but in my little town, we have a local fair each summer and there is a huge variety of quilts. Some of them are stunning, some of them are "OK" and some of them are not so pretty. Some of them are made by kids. Honestly, I think everyone who goes to see the quilts appreciates them for what they are and do not judge them with a microscope. This all said,,, Go easy on yourself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
witha'K'quilting Posted April 13, 2010 Report Share Posted April 13, 2010 I have to agree with Shana. I too would not worry about what others would think of you as the quilter if this does hang in the fair. As long as your quilting is not falling apart and holds the quilt together...it is just a quilt. I highly doubt that you will be judged for all to see by this one quilt! Odds are...they won't even know/care who quilted it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neher-in-law5 Posted April 13, 2010 Report Share Posted April 13, 2010 In our local fair the only notation shown has just the name of the entry person. The labels are not shown and the quilts are usually folded in 3rds because of space. I would expect that fair viewers would look at the quilt and comment however they chose on the colors and then say, but the quilting is done really well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracie Posted April 13, 2010 Author Report Share Posted April 13, 2010 Thank you all so much for your comments!! It really helped me and was a reminder that I can be a little petty when I'm tired. She put time into it and I should do my best with what I have and be happy with my quilting and hope she will like it too. These are the quilts that make me a better quilter because it makes me think I like the thought of music notes, thank you Shirley! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meg Posted April 13, 2010 Report Share Posted April 13, 2010 TMunds...petty sounds so harsh. you are not petty because you care about the outcfome of your efforts. I prefer the adjective fastidious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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