No photos or anything to share today. Just a little something that has been bugging me lately and I wonder if anyone else has thoughts on this topic.
You may or may not know, that for the last several weekends I have had a booth set up down at our local farmers market. I did not originally plan to take large quilts down there. I wanted to have small items (bags, small quilts, etc.) that I thought would sell better. My husband convinced me to take my big quilts as well; not because he believed they would be big sellers, but because he thought it would help advertise the things I can do.
I have a bed sized quilt that I have hung in my booth for the last 3 weekends. It is very heavily quilted, so much so that it took me nearly a month to complete JUST the quilting part on my small machine. I could only work on it a bit at a time because shoving that huge quilt through the 7" throat on my machine started giving me back and shoulder problems. I have a $400 price tag on this quilt, and to me, because I know how long it took and what I went through to finish it (and the fact that for fabric and batting alone to make it I paid over $200), it is worth even more than that. I have people who look at this quilt, comment on how gorgeous it is and how much work it must have taken to make something so lovely. Then they look at the tag and make an audible gasping noise.
Don't get me wrong. I know that most people cannot afford to spend that kind of money on a covering for their bed. What I want to know is, why is it okay for an artist who paints or sculpts to charge thousands of dollars for their work and no one bats an eye? Is painting more difficult than quilting, or is it just considered a higher art form? Maybe a person cannot afford $4500 for a painting or sculpture, but they certainly don't guffaw in the artists face and insult them by asking "why does this cost so much?" in a condescending tone of voice. It is expected that "art" costs a lot. So, is quilting not an art? Because to me and many other people who quilt, it absolutely is. It is a passion. It costs time and money. We put our heart and soul into these quilts. How are they any less artistic than splatters and colorful streaks on a canvas? (For the record, not talking down to painters, sculptors, or artists of any sort. All art is derived from a passion in the artist, and ALL art should be viewed as such.)
This goes beyond quilts as well. Anything handmade seems to be viewed as being less valuable. I had a sling bag that I made for last weekends market and a lady walked by multiple times, looking at it. I had a price tag on the bag. If she didn't want to pay what I was asking, she could have said nothing and moved on. Instead, she clears her throat and says very loudly "I just love this bag. It really is very pretty, and all the pockets are great. But really? I can't see $50 for this." and proceeded to walk away.
Why can't people be nice? I understand thinking someone's prices are more than you're willing to spend. I've been there. But I would never go out of my way to make that person feel like their work or their time is not valuable to anyone.
I have met some very nice people during my time at the market so far. I don't plan to let a few people's comments stop me from going and putting my work out there. I will continue to promote my work and I will continue to charge what I believe to be a fair price. I'd be lying if I said those things didn't upset me, but you have to shake it off and move on. This is probably something that every quilter/crafter/sewist experiences from time to time. I just wish there were a way to make people see what goes into what we do, and we could get away from the 'handmade = cheap' stigma.
On a brighter note, I am taking this weekend off and going on a camping trip with my family. I really need some down time and it will be a much deserved break! Next week though, I will have a post with some pictures because OH MAN have I ever been busy!
