04.28.07
Quilting: Is it all just about money?
With quilting having become an ever-growing industry garnering billions of dollars a year, worldwide, one has to stop and wonder if, for some people, quilting is just all about money. From where I sit, that seems to be what is currently happening…at least for certain individuals and businesses. As more people leave full-time jobs, or “retire,” in order to devote themselves entirely to the process of being involved in one aspect or more of the quilting world, we are seeing market saturation, or so it seems.
The current emphasis on the “value” of a quilt makes me long for a time when a woman made a quilt with a certain innocence in her eyes, not dollar signs. That is a time so far in the distant past, it is difficult to even know when the transition to quilts as big time moneymakers occurred.
Not all quilts are created equal.
I have been doing some restoration work on a quilt that was given to me. Someday, I hope to find someone in the family who would like it back, maybe after the person who made it is six feet under, and there is more sentimentality associated with the item.
In the meantime, I am “fixing” the seams of a circa 1970 quilt that has polyester, cotton, wool, and corduroy fabrics, and a kind of acetate or polyester backing. That quilt was valued at $0. by the family. To me, it is an example of a rural quilt from a woman in northern Maine who lives in one of the poorest, potato growing areas of the country, and is a lady of French-Canadian origin. She made this baby quilt for her grandson, and he apparently, “loved it to death,” …almost, but not quite.
Quilting used to represent some core values of thriftiness, generosity, and community. In a sense, I mourn the fact that big business is taking over. Yes, we have more gadgets than ever before. Yes, quilts made by ordinary people, both Black and White, have been elevated to “art” status. Yes, the recognition for quilters, and the potential prize money at quilt shows is grand.
That said, I wish I lived in the 18th or 19th century, when all of that was not going on, and quilting happened just for its own sake. What I enjoy most about quilting is the fact that it is a solitary, quiet, and reflective activity, a time of peace, and an experience in creativity.
Have a great weekend!
Pat
