Friday, May 25, 2012

Quilting Idol

I'm quite new to the world of quilting and quilt blogs, so I am perfectly aware that I've only dipped my toe into the ocean of online chronicles that are out there. But sometimes I have to laugh at the many recurring themes or tendencies that crop up on blog after quilt blog. The one that struck me most recently is the absolute obsession many quilters have for certain designers of fabric or patterns.

OMG it's Denyse Schmidt: everybody freak out!

No exaggeration, it's like Bieber-level hysteria, just with carefully-coiffed stay-at-home mom bloggers, not screaming pre-teens. 

With the tidal wave of (much enjoyed) Quilt Market recaps this week, there has been a major dose of this idol worship. I've noticed that this takes one of two forms:

1. Fabric Idol: "_______'s newest fabric collection is TO DIE FOR!!! Like always. I have never seen orange fabric before. Well, not like this anyway. I love the stripes, the plaid, and the teeny tiny dots which are soooo cute! Also, there are narwhals, people. NARWHALS."

2. Designer Idol: "I met ____________* and she was kind enough to take a photo with me!!! I couldn't believe I was meeting her, it was a dream come true! She was so kind, considerate, and genuine. I also heard that she saved four puppies on the way to Quilt Market and that she donated a kidney to a Guatemalan orphan last week!"

*Designer's name must be in all caps and have at least three exclamation points. There are standards here.

My snark aside, I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing. Any hobby that people are passionate about (like quilting!) is going to result in passionate reactions to figures of note within the hobby. Perhaps down the road I'll have my own favorites I start to obsess over and I'll look back at this post and laugh at my naïveté.

Let's just not go down the road of tribute tattoos, mmmk? No one needs Summersville inked on their back for all time.


Ouch.

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10 comments:

  1. Wow! Those tattoos are serious! You are right though in your observation of the iconic status of some in the field, although most people outside of quilting/sewing have no idea who these folks are. I see you're already figuring it out.

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  2. LOL Holy crap this is the funniest post I've seen on a quilting blog in maybe ever. I'm new to this world too, and I don't even know who half these designers are.

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  3. This is hilarious, I am laughing out loud for real! I just joined a Denyse Schmidt!!! Charm Swap to see what all the fuss was about, so I may be a convert soon!

    I really want some narwhal fabric now.

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    1. Haha, I'm glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for stopping by, and thanks especially for properly punctuating Denyse Schmidt!!!

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  4. I'm sure I'll have my obsessions too... though now I'll look like a hypocrite when I write about them! Liberty is the stuff that's like $40 a yard or something insane, right? Ouch! Let's hope that's not the line I develop an obsession with. :)

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  5. I've been reading through all your posts and this made me crack up. I've been in the online quilting world now for about a year, and it still amazes me. What's really amusing to me is how obnoxious people get about it. Put a handful of middle-aged women/moms [the majority of the online quilting bloggers] in a room with _______ [enter designer/fabric here] and you'll have shoving and screaming and a million DSLRs whipping out faster than you can blink. It's bizarre. I guess I don't get it because I don't like the majority of the hugely popular lines and designers. Which of course means you're "weird" in the quilting world. Go figure, huh?

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    1. So true! I've never seen it happen in person yet, but I think I might be a little afraid... But I say, Viva la Weirdness! I usually only like a fabric or two from the most popular lines, which is just as well on my budget, I suppose. Maybe we'd like it more if we were middle-aged moms. ;)

      I love your blog, by the way. You've got a great sense of humor, and some great tips (I liked your photography post.)

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  6. Ooooh, dont forget pattern idol. I have seen where alot of bloggers just HAVE to make the latest thing.

    I have oftem wondered about this craze. For instance, I am a scrap quilter and pretty much anything goes - but there is one popular line that totally looks wrong to me somehow the colors and the hue just dont work together for me :)

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  7. Well, I came over from the link up because we share our favorite breakfast!!! Even if I might qualify as a middle-aged mom - what is the age to be considered middle-age???

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  8. Hysterical! Stopping by for Plum and Junes' yes, there are reoccurring themes and likes/dislikes in the blogging world just like anywhere else, it can be very competitive, for some it is obsession, some a hobby and some a business.

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