I was waiting in line to be seated at our local country store type restaurant with my husband when we started looking at the quilts they have for sale. They are actually very pretty. We looked through several and saw some nice king size quilts that were priced at $130. My initial thought was “Wow, that’s cheap...how can they possibly sell it that cheap?” Then I see the tag where it was made overseas. Well, obviously there is a sewing shop somewhere in another country paying people VERY LITTLE money to make these quilts. I would guess it costs as much to ship them to America as it did to create them (maybe more). I cannot even purchase the material to make a quilt like this for $130. Then I would have to spend 6 to 8 hours sewing it together and quilting it. It got me to start thinking about the “value” of creating your own quilt. Obviously, there are some people in another country working away all day and night cranking out these quilts for very little pay. They do it for survival. I do it because I enjoy it. That’s a huge difference. I believe people like us that choose to create their own quilt don’t do it just because we want a pretty quilt. We do it because we are artists and have creative minds. We like to stay busy. There is a certain amount of pride that goes into starting a project within your mind’s eye and going through all the steps it takes to create a quilt. You decide on a style, fabrics, colors, design, size, quilt pattern, and how will it be used. You purchase all the materials, start measuring, cutting, and sewing. The sewing machine is your instrument and you are the musician that runs it. It takes time. You make a mistake and have to fix it. Finally, you complete the task you started and there is a sense of accomplishment that you created what you set out to do. It’s yours. You did not buy it from some overseas manufacturing company. You created your own art piece. What is it worth? The answer to that for me is, “What is my mental state worth?” It’s priceless! I spent time thinking, planning, working, creating, and seeing a final product that I created. I did not spend all my time worrying about the latest newscast or sitting on the couch watching reality TV. I have a sense of accomplishment and a beautiful quilt to use or share as I please. I made the king size bedspread that is on our bed. It’s no longer just some bought bedspread. It’s my art work. It fits my bed perfectly and it even helps me make-up the bed because the lines I put in the design line up with the edges of the mattress top. I actually enjoy making up the bed now! LOL! I said all this to say this. The next time you start thinking, “I would like to make a quilt but it takes a lot of work and I can buy one a lot cheaper than I can make one.” Realize it’s not about the work or the money. It’s about your own self-worth and the ability to use your mind. Now go start planning a new quilt. Someone is having a baby, or getting married, or might be sick. A quilt made by a caring person is a wonderful gift. That sewing machine is waiting to be used.
Happy Quilting!!!
Sherrie