Tuesday, August 4, 2015

Confessions of a Quiltaholic!

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So this summer I found myself wondering why I wasn’t spending much time at my sewing machine.  Why is my drive to make quilts so low right now.   I always have a quilt project on the go and can’t wait to finished it.  I’m one of those rare ‘start to finish’ quilters that doesn’t have a ton of UFO’s but what I do have is a lot of finished quilts!   I have more than anyone would ever need!   So I was curious to see how many quilts I have around the house and I’m just talking bed quilts not wall hangings.   So I went room to room, checked all the closets and Rubbermaid boxes, found all the living-room cuddle quilts as well as the ones on my display ladder and this is what I found.

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In total 40 bed sized quilts in my house, and that doesn’t include the baby quilts I made my boys which is what got me started in the first place!  A lot have been used and love and about 10 are new and have been sitting in a closet waiting to find the right home.    I sent one quilt home with my sister this week as I prefer to gift them then sell them but I think that might have to change.  I have some really nice quilts that I loved making but really I do not need them!  Why is it so easy to give them away but not sell? I have gifted many quilts and even donated a few to charities so I might do more of that.   How many quilts do you have in your house!  Is this normal?   I have even more quilts scatters at different quilt shops on display and some with a few sale tags so I am trying to control this issue!   So maybe that is why I don’t have the drive to make more right now, I have too many.  

“Hi, my name is Kathy and I’m a Quiltaholic”

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Any other Quiltaholics out there?  How many quilts are in your house?

32 comments:

  1. OMG! You certainly do have a lot of beautiful quilts in your home. I started counting them in the first photo, but as I scrolled down the page and more photos popped up with yet more quilts - I gave up! But each one is special isn't it? Although I consider myself a quiltaholic, I have a way to go to catch up to you!

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  2. Love how you teased us with more in each picture right up to the last one! I have probably that many or more but I am counting wall hangings in there too. And then if I counted all the ones in the sale pile for the craft shows-that might get scary!! I just sent 6 baby quilts out last night to our neonatal unit so that felt good. Have 3 more for sure that need to go to Ronald McDonald house. What can we say we love what we do!!

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  3. Oh My Gosh - that is hilarious sequence of photos!!! I won't count, but I have a feeling my piles might look similar .. I LOVE all your quilts!!!

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  4. Well, I only have six and two of those are set aside for when the grand kids come to visit. So far this year I have gifted three.

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  5. I am also one of the rare quilters that makes a quilt start to finish. I don't have any UFOs, not even one. Sometimes I have 2 and even 3 in process; but I will be actrively working on all of them, I make them start to finish. I am cutting one right now, there is a finished quilt top loaded on the long arm frame to quilt but waiting for the backing fabric to be delivered on Wednesday. I buy fabric for the current project only. I will quilt and bind the one on the frame this weekend. In the meantime, I'll start cutting the next one. I have 18 quilts in the house, but one is going to my daughter, so that's 17 in my stash. And I don't want to give a single one of them away, lol.

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  6. At first I didn't think I had that many but I have 14 bed quilts (2 for every bed), 7 quilts hanging on walls, 3 TV quilts, 2 quilts waiting to be gifted and a few others. It was more than I thought!

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  7. So many quilts and SOOOO many kits to do sitting under my midarm machine. And I, too can say, "My name is Kathy and I am a Quiltaholic." But if you want to get Metro Hoops off your hands...... Just kidding! I have the fabric and pattern and rulers!

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  8. I don't make a lot of bed quilts but I do have a whole bunch of little ones! I am still trying to find places in the house to put them! For me, the enjoyment is in making them, but I can't see selling them for a price that doesn't reflect their value to me, so I'd rather keep them or give them away instead of selling them cheaply.

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  9. We are having a charity quilt drive for a local nursing home and would be happy to take any quilts for this cause! :0) We are trying to get 62 quilts in time for Christmas 60 inches square or bigger...

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  10. Your quilts are gorgeous, Kathy and its not hard to see what kind of fabrics that you like! I've given away way more than I have kept in my 14 years or so of quilting. I have less than ten in my house (off the top of my head, my best count without physically counting) and I have given away probably in the neighborhood of 40! Things are gonna change, though because making quilts is getting very expensive. I guess that I have 30 projects squirreled away downstairs, so if I keep all of these for my family, it'll be even. Sounds like a great plan to me!!! Ha, ha!!!
    Let me know when I can meet you to go hiking, ok??

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  11. Guilty! Let's say I have as many wall hangings as throw/bed size quilts.....and I match your number. I do give a lot to charity and family, but I am on quilt over load. I can't part with some of them. I am a Quiltaholic.

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  12. Too funny!! Nope I am not going there...haha :o)))

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  13. OH My what fun that is, you have enough for your own quilt show. I'm just imagining how much space you would have to clear off the ice to lay all those out!! What a sight that would be. I love them all. How wonderful is that to have so many choices for quilts. Someday I hope to have that many at my house.

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  14. hahahaha! and you probably think you are all alone in this addiction…funny girl

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  15. No way I'm going to count them. But I hope I get to watch from heaven when my daughter starts giving them away!!!!!

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  16. Kathy, you have a problem. No UFOs, not much of a fabric stash, but definitely a stash of completed quilts. A little bit the opposite of most of us. I think you need to do a trunk show (program?) and then gently find those treasures a loving home either by gifting or selling them. I am sure the empty closets would help you would find your quilting mojo again real soon. Some of us joke about finding fabric tucked into unusual places.....hmmmm.....I think this quilting addiction takes many forms. May I suggest hand work. It might take you years to complete a quilt. :)

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  17. Hi My name is Leeanne in New Zealand and I am a Quiltaholic too! I'm too scared to count how many, not as many as you, I'm sure :-/ There are worse addictions you know!

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  18. I confess that I am a Quiltaholic too...I would have around 60 or more completed bed size and lap quilts piled high on a single bed and must admit they are there because I find it hard to part with them. Just as many quilt tops waiting to be quilted and UFOs are too numerous to be counted. You are a tease though, first pic I thought oh that's not many and then there's more and more and more LOL What an enjoyable 'hobby' we have !

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  19. You are too funny! I kept scrolling down only to see more and more quilts. LOL You do have a lot of quilts! I can see why you need a break.
    I haven't been quilting as long as you have and have only made 11 finished quilts and have 1 top finished and another almost finished. I only have 3 of the above for my home, 4 others are baby quilts waiting for little bundles of joy, and the rest have been gifted. I have many, many quilts on my to do list. Too many for me to make in my life time, so I'll just have to make my very favorites.
    Hope you get your groove on soon. I love seeing your quilts (and the ones you quilt for others).

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  20. I'm with Audrey in suggesting hand work. For about the past ten years I have done some hand piecing quilts and projects and also always have some hand embroidery blocks in session that later get made into quilts.Sure slows down the progress but keeps the creative juices flowing.

    I have gifted and donated far more quilts than I have on hand plus sold a few. My theory for quilting is that it is not necessarily less expensive than prescription drugs but far more fulfilling. If I just sat and brooded my aches and pains would send me the "woe is me" stage and the physical and mental issues would take over. Quilting is #1 on my SANITY SAVER list and therefore I do not see myself as a Quiltoholic. I only have a total of about ten quilts and throws. I have quilted over 20 years.

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  21. Yes, what Agnes said: "Sanity Saver" :-)
    Quilting for charity gives great/warm satisfaction for each and every quilt that is finished/gifted.
    I only have the one quilt in our house...it is on our bed.
    Galveston, TX is warm...one doesn't need as many quilts! :-)
    Thank you, Kathy for all the inspiration that you give to us...YOU ARE A BLESSING ! ! !

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  22. When you put the first photo up I decided you did not have many,... but then more and more. I think I could say I have about 70, (including wall hangings) and lots of WIP. I had a cleanup and sort out last week and found lots of projects. I even photographed then and put it "out there" on my blog. Now if only I could find more time to go with it. And I have given lots away over the years, but don't need to count them now. Much as I love being a longarm quilter, it just does not give me time to work on my own things anymore. Maybe I need to find a good quilter??

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  23. I could take a few off your hands...lol. They are all beautiful!

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  24. Repetition is how we perfect our craft. I don't consider the cost of making a quilt - or any other of my hobbies - other than the cost of entertainment. The joy of planning, shopping for materials and making a quilt is all entertainment for me; and entertainment that doesn't have calories like going out for dinner or baking cookies. Your entertainment results in quilts. That's a good thing, it means you have balance in your life.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks you Colleen, you worded that beautifully!

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  25. Hi Kathy, I believe that we shouldn't feel guilty of having lots of quilts. I love giving them as gifts and also love keeping some at home for others to use when they visit. I hope when I pass that family members will keep the ones they like and think of me.

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  26. I'm with you. I'm a quiltaholic. Way too many ideas that want to be made. I don't have that many in my house though. I have donated a couple, given many away. I'm also with Agnes. It is my #1 sanity saver as well, and has given me a place to cope & survive through some very stressful times. Now I have an Etsy shop and it's been a slow but fairly steady way of sending some of my excess quilts out into the world. Do I make a lot of money? Nearly what they're worth? Lol.. of course not. But it pays for what I put into them, plus some extra, and feeds my fabric habit. And it's gratifying to have someone want to buy one.

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  27. I, too, seem to be a Quiltaholic . . . maybe not quite as much as you ;) - but I am always thinking about that next quilt . . . that I do not need! I've made a commitment to stick to "intentional quilting" - meaning I'll only make a quilt if I have a specific purpose for it. I am not sure if I will be able to do it, but I will try! Always love looking at your creative projects! Bev

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  28. Wow that is a lot of quilt and I will admit that I don't have nearly that many. I'm sure you will find homes for some of them.

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  29. What a fun post Kathy and when I saw the first photo I thought oh boy.......I have way too many quilts!! I have a feeling I have as many as you and I'm not even going to count the pillows and runners! I guess I just love quilting :)

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  30. A little late to the game here, but I too am a bad quiltabolic. I have about 9-10 I rotate through for our bed, but I have animals, and wash them about once every couple of weeks, so I don't feel bad, then they are not getting too wore out too fast. BUT, I just threw out my very first one, which was used as a dog quilt on the couch for the last 5-6 years, washed quite often and I believe it was done in 2000, so, I guess it lasted. All of mine are utilitarian, so I don't expect any to last for 15
    years or more! I do have a cupboard full, but I have 7 beds to cover and couches, (dogs) and the truck and car have them in the back seat (again, dogs). I DO have about 50 UFO's going, and have no idea where I will put them when I finish them! But my favorite part is to cut and kit...ugh.
    My dream is to have as many as you do to give away for exactly that reason you gave with the girls ( later post). My aunt did this for me, when we went and visited in Quebec. They weave, and my mom, neice and I all got to pick out a full size blanket she made from her stash. From then on, I wanted to be able to do that, but haven't been able to yet! I keep having to make them for someone specificily. So, I wouldn't worry about it. There is ALWAYS someone in need, and now you are ready...and don't have to stress about it!

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  31. Also 'late to the game' as Deb says, because I have only just discovered your blog. Apart from admiring your fabulous quilting, and location, and envying the views of Aurora Borealis from your deck, I found myself howling with laughter when I came across this post. . . . I think over the years I have given away more quilts than I have kept, but it looks like you win on the number still in the house. Thank you for a lovely blog, I am enjoying looking at some of your older posts.



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