quilts in the snow
February 16, 2015In Dublin’s fair city, where the quilts are so pretty…
March 1, 2015Hello all, Mary Ellen here.
Do you consider yourself to be a dedicated quilter? Every 2 years or so the organization Quilts in America funds a survey of quilters across the US to find what a dedicated quilter is about. I’m sure that manufacturers and retailers find this information useful in planning their focus. The amount of money spent on quilting is comparable to, (and I’ve heard but can’t find the citation for you) and has been at times more than, the money spent on golf!
Have a look at this summary of the survey results to see where you fit. In many aspects, but not all, I fit the profile. My one concern about this, if you can call it that, is the average age of dedicated quilters. I won’t go into the math of averaging data, but it does tell us that we are an aging group. The fact that the number of quilters in the US, according to this survey, has dropped so significantly since 2010 is surprising to me. How can we get more young quilters hooked on this hobby? I suspect that this data is skewed a bit by the methods used for collecting it. I’m guessing that many of the new younger quilters were missed by the data collection and thereby aren’t included. But in a very informal way of analyzing this, think about the quilt guild meetings and quilt shows that you attend. Not very many young faces are seen there.
What part(s) of these survey results caught your attention? Click on summary link below to view.
QIA_summary Share your thoughts in a comment!
0 Comments
Less than $6,000 in fabric? Really?
I think the most curious part of the results is that while the number of quilters decreased by nearly 23%, the total dollars spent increased by 36%. There doesn’t appear to be a corresponding increase in dollars spent per year per quilter since the last published study, either. Price increases of material, etc., couldn’t possible account for all of it. So, I wonder how that happened?
Very interesting. I think part of the reason the quilters are older is that there is more time for them to sew after retirement. Also, they can afford the hobby more since their families are raised.
Wow, I think I’m way above average!
In a couple of categories I’m not just above average, I’m downright gifted!! And I know some of my quilty friends are too!