Quilting: Hobby Or Not?
Quilting: Hobby Or Not?
“Quilting is not just a hobby; it is yet another way
of living life to its fullest.”
The quote above, beneath the title, is one taken from the Quilting Passion Forum Start page. This quote is one that I fully endorse and believe in with all of my heart and soul!
Wikipedia defines the term “hobby“, as, “a spare-time recreational pursuit”, that is practiced for interest and enjoyment, rather than financial gain. Examples of hobbies include: Collecting, creative and artistic pursuits, making things, etc. Engaging in any hobby can lead to acquiring substantial skill, knowledge, and experience, however, the primary objective of a hobby is simply personal fulfillment.
A hobby can be many things to many different people. Persons participating in an activity for profit is usually deemed to be a professional, versus one who participates for the enjoyment (a hobbyist). What is a hobby to one person may be a profession to another. And then there are those that fall into both categories or somewhere in-between.
Many hobbyists that continue to take their craft to new levels evolve into professionals. As far as quilting goes, there are many people (men and women) that are experts in their field, yet they choose to remain a hobbyist, versus going pro. Reasons for this vary, and include, but are not limited to: 1) Perhaps the hobbyist does not have the monetary resources to finance the hobby into a profession, 2) Perhaps the hobbyist does not want to pursue the hobby as a profession simply because it is for enjoyment, 3) Perhaps there are time constraints that prohibit a hobby from becoming a profession, or 4) Perhaps there are other circumstances (such as family obligations, etc.) that prohibit a hobby from becoming a profession.
Quilters fall into many categories, from true quilters to collectors to everything else quilt-related that you can imagine. In fact, there are quite a few quilters that have actually made very few quilts, but love the collecting of quilts (many are antique quilt collectors), patterns, and fabric. These quilters are no better, or worse, than the quilter that cranks out a lot of quilts. There could be much discussion as to whether an antique quilt collector can be deemed a “quilter” or not, but that is not for me to decide. A hobby is a hobby!
As for me, I take great pleasure in many aspects of quilting: Fabric shopping, designing, making the quilt top, and lastly, the quilting. Ironically, it is the actual quilting process that I least enjoy! I even take quilting to a different level, which some of you may not agree with, in that I count the time I spend “quilting” on my laptop designing, writing about, managing, etc. as part of my quilting hobby, too. In fact, it eats up a great deal of my time, but the joy that I derive from it is as real to me as it can be. True, I would rather hold in my hands a literal quilt that I have designed and finished over a picture of a quilt that I have designed in Electric Quilt!
Quilting is truly not just a hobby for me; I also own a commercial Web site, YOUnique Designs, in which I sell patterns and also design and/or make quilts on commission. And as if that is not enough to keep me busy, I am also the lead Staff Writer for Quilting By Design (which is where you are right now)! As you can probably see, I take away a lot from quilting: It is my outlet for many different areas in my life that I love, including writing, as well as the designing, creating, etc.
Quilting is one of the best solutions to relieve stress that I know of. And the really amazing thing about quilting is that anyone can learn how to quilt! In fact, believe this or not, I hate to sew!!! Yes, you read that correctly: I HATE TO SEW. To me, sewing a quilt top together does not equal sewing! I equate “sewing” with making garments, and garment-making is one of the most stressful things I have ever tried my hand at. Weird, I know, but that is how my brain operates! You may be asking yourself how I became hooked on quilting since I hate to sew and the answer for that is outlined in my biography.
This leads to one question: What is quilting to you? Please share your thoughts in the comments area below!
Quilting By Design Site Map.
Original article first published on Quilting Passion by Terry Crawford.
May 4th, 2007 at 1:30 am
Awesome article, Terry! It is true that there are many different “flavors” of quilters. I wear two quilting suits… I am a hobby quilter, making quilts for friends and charity, but I also have a quilting business. It is so much fun to see my clients’ quilts, I learn a lot about fabric usage and color placement. However, when I work on a client quilt instead of my own, there is definitely more of a sense of “work” to be done vs. creative play. But it all balances out for me in the end, and I earn money to put right back into my own quilts, so I think it’s a fair trade LOL.
May 4th, 2007 at 9:51 am
Quilting to me is a way to paint in fabric. If it’s put on a wall, it’s a tactile painting; used on a bed, the painting keeps you warm. *S*
Most of the quilts I make are for charity. People are always asking me why I don’t sell. Selling would make the creating too stressful, altho if someone asked to purchase an already made quilt and paid me what it’s worth, I have no qualms.
I’ve come to quilting late in life - my feelings may change. Right now, the process is mainly for my own enjoyment.
May 4th, 2007 at 10:26 am
My hobby of cooking is more than a hobby because it is an outlet for my creativity and a practical way to figure out what my kids will actually eat. Love your post, we all should be passionate about something to get the most out of lift.
May 4th, 2007 at 7:10 pm
Quilting is more than a hobby for me, it has helped me keep my sanity over the years. It gives you a good excuse to fondle and purchase all the beautiful fabric you can afford. Then the joy of planning your quilts, how do I make this, who do I make it for? Pure unadultrated pleasure.
Also am a former seamstress that hates to sew! Go figure.
May 4th, 2007 at 8:02 pm
I am loving reading these comments! Each are so true, and in some way, apply to me, also. I, too, believ that we should all be passionate about something to make life all the more enjoyable. For me, it’s several things: Quilting, Traveling, Snorkeling/Diving, Boating. Quilting is the one that I do the most!
May 6th, 2007 at 12:55 am
hmmmm….quilting is a hobby of love. Because I take the time to look for the fabrics, colors, patterns, then spend many hours putting it together just to give it away!
May 7th, 2007 at 9:01 am
Nice article Terry. I will always keep quilting as a hobby for me. I just don’t think I would enjoy it as much if it were my life support system.