Handcraft dilemma

uno wrote:SUE! You stinker! I had hoped to never see those things again! Agh! My eyes! My eyes!

I am embarrassed.

NOTE: I made the quilt in my avatar. I will admit this one turned out pretty darn good, by my standards.

Uno!  you should be proud.  I know I am.  I am an owner of one of those quilts!!  and as soon as I can find my sewing machines in the freakin mess that happened in my office/sewing room over the holidays while I was sick, that top is the first to be quilted.  with alpaca batting.  I just havent decided on a denim back or a fleece or flannel one yet.  hard decisions!


eta.  but now I am also a little worried.  if I make this, I know damn well my pets and kids are at some point going to be on it. (or in the kids case, also under it!)    will that be upsetting to you in the long run, knowing that??

I am honestly asking. because while you might not have thought much of this particular top, I LOVE it.  and I have actually been toying with the idea of making it a quilt for hanging as a head board for my bed.  I could do that too.  Or making it uber warm for my really sick days-- but those days means more pets and cuddles.  so which do I choose???   really really? how does a person pick that?  I want to enjoy it  AND see it last.  so how do I go about that.
maybe that has been an unconscious reason as to why I have delayed in finishing this? because I know the outcome of the quilt might include pets and heavy use and that can be upsetting to some people? the mind, its a curious thing!!!

I do have to say though, it did hang on the railing until christmas, where we enjoyed looking at it every day from the table. I only took it down because the kids wanted to hang up some lights. and most likely, once I get it done it would hang on the railing again for a while because I wouldnt want to use it, in case it got "ruined".

(too long? dont want to read?  Uno-- the bolded part is my more direct answer to your question!!  figured I would make it easier to skip over my rambling in case you wanted...)

so.  I have been sort of thinking, and this has been a topic of discussion with my Mister, with a tear or two.  

(I have been sitting here for an hour, looking at my typing-- wondering if I should post this.  I hope I am doing the right thing in posting, and not just annoying people.  really my answers are the same as others, I just wanted to give you my personal experiences, AS a fellow crafter)


about giving a quilt or not.  just because of pets?    I just want to say for the record, my KIDS have ruined more things than my dogs or cats ever have.  kids are the hardest things ever ever EVER on handcrafted items.

I quilt. and sew, and knit, and crochet, and needlework, and blah blah blah.  I, for the longest time, would hoarde away my stuff---

"I cant make that, it might get ruined"

"I cant use that (to make *insert whatever it is*), it might get ruined"

"I cant give that to the kids, they are going to ruin it"


Three years ago, an infection went through my brain.  caused a LOT of damage, and the reality of it is, I am lucky it didnt just kill me.  it gave me a second chance (although some days I really wonder about that, and many tears have been shed over what I used to be and how I miss it), and it might be short lived chance because I just am not getting any better, and who knows what is around the corner for me!

Lets just say, now. Now I dont worry so much.  Yes it might get ruined.  Yes my damn dog might get up on the quilt while I am laying on the couch or in bed, incapacitated once again.  but you know what?  I would rather that cuddle from my dogs, while I cant walk/talk/or function, on a quilt that isnt just giving me comfort but hopefully helping to keep what precious memories I can still remember in my head  (another downside.  lost so much of my memory its shameful)

I know personally, first hand, just how much money and time goes into making things by hand--- I had to decide what was more important.  someone else packing up my stuff, saying boy its a shame she never used these beautiful things... or me (or the kids) using them-- taking that chance that yeah, life happens and things get wrecked-- and enjoying every second of it.

I am slowly learning to let the people around me, and giving myself permission too, to enjoy the hand crafted things.  because you just never know what life has in store for you, things change in a blink of an eye



Uno--- derailed this with probably way too deep an answer for your question.

But as a person that has both kids, and pets, and Mister (and yes, I am the horrible type that lets them all sleep with me on the bed. especially mister.  damn. truck drivers can get grubby! ha)  IF *I* were given something as amazing as what you are talking about as a gift... I know personally I would probably take steps to just hang it on my wall.  It would be the safer place for it-- just the time alone that it takes to make a quilt and then do the quilting on it, wow. It would break my heart if something ever happened to it.   I would rather sleep under it, dont get me wrong-- but pets, mister and kids happen.  especially on my bed (of course I have other reasons for everyone being on my bed, then what you are probably talking about, but it still happens).  so yeah, on the wall it would go.

So maybe a comprimise?  You want to make the quilt for them (assuming here right?)  and you want to give them this glorious gift, but you are honestly afraid that it might get wrecked.  Why dont you sew on hangers for it now, and give instructions for hanging it?  A full size quilt on a wall, man!  that is a beautiful thing!!!


(OHHH that reminds me (squirrel!!)  I need to send you a picture!!  I want to make a particular quilt, but going off a picture...  some advice on direction would be great)

where was I? right.  wall hanging.  seriously.  sew some heavy duty hangers on that beautiful piece of work, and let them hang it.  hopefully a north wall too (away from windows hopefully, because light on a quilt might make it look pretty but NOT for long!! gah! quick way to ruin it, even quicker than the pets)  because then it would act as a piece of art, AND insulation!!   (I know I would love to take down my one big painting and replace it with something much more practical and help cut down the cold that comes through my north wall).  then you get it all--- you get to give, they get to receive and enjoy, and you get to see it last.

or choose another gift that wont cause you angst.  Maybe they are worthy of your gift of time, but it just might not be in the form of a quilt-- there is nothing wrong with that!  
OR. you can make them a quilt that is more suitable for pets and life that happens-- maybe tweak up a pattern for some more durable materials, make it a little smaller so it can be easily washed?  make it not just FOR them, but with them in mind....

(*insert true story here*--- I made Mister a quilt soon after we got married.  for in his truck bunk.  I knew KNEW it was going to get beat to shit.  so wanna know what I made??  this was and still is one of my "things" I make, denim quilts--- BUT  not normal ones!!  I take quilt blocks/patterns, enlarge them and use denim. You have to enlarge them, so that the seams can handle the bulk right?  so a normal cotton quilt that might be a 9" square now becomes a 12 or 18" square.  works like a charm.  but this particular quilt I made for him???  it was a token of love... I had made it from jeans that both him and I wore, so that we were literally sewn together to keep him warm while he was out at work.  Now, since I have been sick again this winter, I have stolen it back, and its on my side of the bed.  which both my Lab and my cats will sleep on it, on me.  but its denim, and it can stand up to the washings, so all is good. there is even a seam or two letting go, but those are just making me smile-- reminding me how "young" I was in my quilt making then, and you know-- its holding up pretty frickin good considering the mistakes I made while making it! despite all that?  I would much rather have it on the bed with me, gives me comfort)

(oooh squirrel!! you mentioned fabric bowls!  I really want to learn how to make those!!  do you use a pattern, something off the internet that showed you how to make them or is similiar to what you make?  I would love to know. because yeah, in my spare time (bwuahahaha) I would love to add another craft to my long list of stuff to make!)

@lanaire-ranching
Beautiful words of wisdom and honesty.

My dear Lanaire..... I have never had a quilt of mine stuffed with alpaca and I think that is an intriguing and interesting choice! (is it a bat or is it loose?)

To lay your worries to rest, and that is indeed what I want to do , allow me to say this: You are also going to be putting in a VAST amount of labour, materials, cost and time. IT's not like I did all that and then you threw it on the floor for your cat to have kittens on! Having  just the top, you still have A LOT of work to do to get that quilt across the line into a completed object. SO honey, you go ahead and cuddle your kids, dogs, chickens, whoever needs a cuddle. You're making it, you call the shots!

My dogs, with nails trimmed, groomed and clean, spent many hours on my bed with me when I was younger. But I did recently make a quilt for someone who (no word of a lie) sleeps with three pit bulls on the bed. Every now and then these dogs get into a massive fight. My friend has been accidentally mauled more than once trying to break up a fight. No quilt is going to survive the weight and friction of a pit bull battle. Or the blood! And knowing this, I made her a beautiful quilt anyway and gave it to her because I wanted her to know that I love her and put the time in to stitch a little of that love into a cuddle.

Lanaire...quit worrying. And if you do the quilting by machine it will indeed be sturdier than my hand quilted quilts. While I enjoy the look of hand stitching, it is never as sturdy or long lived as machine work. Machine quilting lasts longer.

Edited to add. I have never been a fan of hanging quilts on walls. Especially large quilts. Because MOST of my quilts have been quilted by hand, the weight of a hanging quilt puts my stitching under incredible strain. For this reason I have never encouraged people to hang them. A sleeve stitched on puts great tension on the fabric right where the stitching is. A quilt has a far greater chance at a longer life laying flat. And hanging quilts in sunlight! IT"s like sunlight on vampires, it vapourizes them! SUn is DEATH to fabric!

Oh, and I hear you about grubby hubbies! I look at Hubs' side of the quilt, the backing now a permanent gray and think, 'hmm, maybe cream backing was not the best colour choice...' There is some kind of black, thick graese they use at the mill. It smells terrible. For reasons only Gordon knows HUb manages to get this on his ears. Everyday. He washes his face when he gets home, but never his ears. YOu should SEE the destruction my quilts have sustained! Grease stains! (weeping quietly) And I put them on the bed anyway. At least HUb tries to be clean, except for his ears.

Lanaire..I posted a basket tutorial on this site. Use the search, Basket Tutorial and you should find it. They are a fun and unique project. I think.