Teresa, you said: >>>...Well... the way things are is that you post On Topic threads in Discussion and Off Topic threads in Conversations. That is the way GW set up these forums all the way back to the olden days...Other forums on the GW seem to follow this plan just fine, so why can't we?...I've used other forums and been very careful to try to post in the right places. One reason I resist here is because the layout/navigation is annoying but I think that's be hashed over 1000 times already. The other big thing to me is this: I came to the forum after the days of Spike. About 2.5 years ago, I think. And there was NO conversations folder (that I was aware of?) until more recently. Maybe less than a year? From my perspective it seemed like everyone was really happy and respectfully posting OT or a topic title you could tell was OT. And then ONE PERSON (I don't remember who) got uptight about it. A small minority agreed with that person but the vast majority did not. THEN the "conversations" folder appeared. So while other forums on GW may have had a special OT folder all along, I am pretty sure the quilting did not. So it felt like ONE crotchety quilter got to change everything which caused resentment and resistance from most others. (Perhaps not the most MATURE response, but I certainly did not feel like changing to humor one or two cranks.) I've worked places where there are a lot of WRITTEN rules that get ignored, but everyone is productive and the environment is harmonious until one rigid person starts crying to management so they put the hammer down to appease that one person and suddenly the entire atmosphere shifts to the negative. It may have been "the rule" but things were much better before the "rigid" person came into the situation. ---- ALSO --- (sorry so long...) Obviously GW does not do it this way but most other forum sites have moderators -- usually a couple active members who are not paid, but are on the site a lot -- and they simply move posts into the appropriate folder. (Like GW did here but it is done constantly). So it's not a PERSONAL thing like poster ABC complained about poster XYZ. It's often inadvertant when people post to the wrong folder. A moderator just moves the thread. No big deal. Since GW doesn't actively monitor the discussion board, here things go along one way for months and then when suddenly everything gets moved around you know someone was snitching.

I think people in your Grandmother's generation like to keep their 'special items' in pristine condition and not use them, because they lived in a time when 'special things' were not abundant. To have a quilt you made her, that she could display proudly, was an honor and brought her much joy. I am so happy this quilt has come home to you Mary. I also would keep it out in an area you see often , use it when you get chilly, and thing fondly of your Grandmother. Very sweet :)

Yes it is true there are very few sewing shows on TV. They have been few and far between at any time that I know of. Any that would be on are usually carried on PBS. While watching a show on TV may be interesting how much of that knowledge will you keep in your head. It is in the doing that you learn. Find some good books and read, and then practice what you read. The books will be there for referral when you need to know. Most of us older, long time sewers learned from family or friends, books or trial and error. The downturn in the economy isn't going to make any more people sewers than in good times. If you are out of work, you are not about to shell out money for a sewing machine when you can shop at thrift shops, the Salvation Army and Walmart. People on this forum can only answer questions that are asked. If you want to know and learn. Pick a project and ask questions, when you don't understand--you will get answers. You may even get walked through your entire project.

Here it is. I'm pretty excited. I learned a lot on this one. I quilted it using the computer software. The pattern is not quite as perfect as I had hoped, but it's a lot better than if I had tried a panto by hand. Sometimes a curve isn't a perfect curve; it's flattened a bit, or a leaf is a little misshapen. You don't notice it too much on the front, but the back is the color of the binding and the thread is off-white, so you can see the imperfections more clearly on the back. I'll try a simpler pattern next time. There were a lot of stops and starts in this one. Overall, I'm happy!