CD Review: “Burlington Bliss 2″
When the availability of a CD that shows old quilts, from New Jersey and elsewhere, was announced, I welcomed the opportunity to send $15.00 to get a glimpse of some quilts seen at a meeting of the Mid-Atlantic Quilt Study Group. I inquired as to where to send the funds and received a letter back, reading me the riot act.
The letter stated that none of the photos could be re-published and that all of them are marked with a copyright claim. The person saying that was preaching to the choir. I told her that putting a mark on a photo only reminds the “good” people. Thieves, being thieves, can always find a way around anything. I am not a thief, and my intent was to view the quilts for study purposes.
Besides the lousy attitude of one member of the group, and her obscene, unwarranted slur toward me, I would have to say that I was disappointed in both the delivery time and the quality of the CD. I offer these remarks not to criticize for the sake of criticism, but to provide fodder for thought, should other groups want to do undertake similar efforts.
On the first count, I will say that I mailed my check on the 5th. I wondered if the check had arrived, and inquired on the 10th. I received a one-line zinger of an e-mail in all capital letters that said that the CD had been mailed. When I did not receive it by the 15th, I began to wonder, as Media Mail to New Jersey usually only takes 2 business days, and we were long beyond that. I received a hateful e-mail back, barring me from ordering any more products and asking that I not send any more e-mails.
Mind you, I was courteous in all of my notes. I sent another e-mail anyhow, and said that I was sorry that my questions were misconstrued and that I was not questioning the integrity of this particular person. Bottom line: the CD arrived today, the 16th, postmarked on the 14th. Yes, that does seem to bear out my theory of a 2 day delivery time. Someone did not tell the truth, through sloppiness, oversight, or whatever. Bad business.
On the second count, I saw more peeping eyeballs over the edges of quilts and more fake fingernails that I would ever want to view. Many of the photos are out-of-focus or blurry, as well as crooked in alignment. Apparently, these photos were not cleaned up in a photo-editing program, and this was a fly-by-night attempt to get easy money.
If you don’t mind spending $1.00 per minute to view this CD, then it could be the bargain of the century. There was no attempt to include information about the quilts including any stories about them. Also, a few of the quilts were photographed on a professional photo stand, so it seems that it might have been possible to do all of them that way.
Fear. Why are other people so fearful about sharing information? So terrified that someone would re-publish their crappy photos? I don’t know of any professional who would do so. I certainly would not want to re-publish THOSE photos, even if I could. All of my photos are edited and are presented free-of-charge on our website, with captions and descriptions. Perhaps, we are fools for sharing so much information, so freely, so lovingly, with good intentions in our hearts.
This group has missed a chance to share some great information that they have chosen to “keep to themselves” in a cliquish, oh-so-exclusive, member-of-the-club, kind of way. This kind of selfishness does not do much to promote quilt study.
Any close-up of transcriptions on the fabrics, as in Signature Quilts and other quilts with writing, could not be read. Why have close-ups? To increase the number of photos on the disc, so as to make it seem more desirable?
I am feeling discounted, disgusted, and disillusioned. I realize that this is a fundraiser, and I realize that the people creating the product did not attempt to do a professional job. What was most disturbing was the callous and hateful attitude and the way in which I was treated.
There is no need for it. I am a fellow member of the American Quilt Study Group, of which this group is a regional spin-off. Even if I were not, this behavior toward me is not acceptable. You can be sure that I will NEVER be tempted to purchase a product of this kind again, from this particular group.
Peace and goodwill to all the decent people – I know you are out there.
Patricia Cummings
Quilter’s Muse Publications
