I’m sure everyone with their ear to the ground has been hearing about this one. A certain group of quilters decided to posse up and go after what they considered “Liberal Quilters”. Well, someone broke ranks and started taking pictures of what they were posting. These things weren’t very nice. In fact, many of them were bigoted and hurtful. The quilting community has always been very kind to me, so it is very sad to see something so hurtful tied in with the art of quilting. Among the targeted were quite a few quilters I look up to. I will not stand by while these people are being targeted. This group has even tried to get people fired from their jobs. They were colluding to adversely affect certain quilter’s book sales, classes and employment, including sponsors. I decided to post the screen shots. The names have not been blurred out because these were posts on facebook, which even though they listed the group as secret, still falls under public domain. As more of them come out, I’ll update this post. I’m also working on a running roster of the people involved, and what their quilt brand is so, so I can avoid buying things they profit from. I will not support people who are hateful or vile!
Follow the jump for a blurb by one of the people affected, and some of the screen shots.
Edit.
Please know there are 2 groups on Facebook under the name Conservative Quilters. You will be able to see one group with 37 members. That group is NOT the group I am referencing. You will not be able to find the group in question because it’s secret. I hope this clears that up.
The other day I alluded to the fact that some nasty messages were being passed around by some people in my beloved quilting community. I stated that I never saw any of those messages due to the fact that my friends never came forward to share them with me. Since then everything changed and good people have come forward with the hope to make this end and to get back to what this quilting community is really all about. Some of the attributes that I love about this community are that we have people that we can share the love of quilting with one another, we can turn to each other for advice or comradery. We have each other to inspire one another, we hold up one another when we have fallen, and when we have faced heartache or loss, we are there for one another. That’s what we do and it works.
What I am about to share with you is hateful and hurtful, mean and unnecessary and none of it belongs to this industry. There are people in this industry, friends of mine and friends of yours who are out to do harm to me and several others in this community. I have been sent screenshots from several individuals of this plot to take us down both personally and professionally. The goal it appears is to attempt to interfere with book sales, teaching gigs, personal relationships and to interfere with any business affiliations we deal with.
These people hide under the pretense of ” Conservative Quilters” which I have no problem with them being. I am not a conservative, but i am human. I care about the rights of all of us, I care that we don’t get so caught up with the hate and discord of this county and turn on each other like it has. I have expressed my thoughts publically on my Facebook timeline. It’s my timeline, my thoughts, my feelings. I’ve never in any way shape or form shoved my opinion down anyone’s throat. I’ve never started a private group with the intent of tearing another person to shreds. I’ve never ever contemplated how to get them back. I’ve never ever considered provoking another person so they could watch the train wreck take place. I’ve never ever pretended to be a friend to find a way to take them down. I only have one face and it’s the face I’ve always shown and always will continue to show.
I have many screenshots of messages from this group of people. At this point I have decided not to show you these screenshots. They are ugly and spiteful and mean and filled with untruths. They will make you angry and sad and will indeed embarrass many people that you know. That’s not who I am and even though they are trying to hurt me, I’m not going to hurt them. I pray that they will wake up just by reading this message and I hope they take some time to wonder if that is truly who they chose to be.
So I’m asking that we all take a reality check and think about what we are doing. Are we standing proud and holding each other up or are we focused on the wrong things, the things that don’t matter, the things that are hurtful and hateful.
There are more of their posts here and here.
Eric The Quilter 
I understand that you may embrace the idea of the art community as an accepting and kind association of like-minded individuals. It would be nice to have an amen chorus when we espouse our beliefs. However, we are all different and have strong opinions. When Ms. Harrison shares her views in classes and online, she offends many artists. I silently stopped following her a few months back. I don’t know if she shares your ideal of acceptance, but her actions show that she wants to offend those not in her camp. It is not possible to throw bombs and not expect flak.
There’s a difference between flak and people going out of their way to harm your livelihood. Big difference and there is zero justification for what they have been doing and saying. There are some repugnant women being bitches and it’s not remotely acceptable.
I’m glad you are following up on this bc I just saw a nasty screenshot from a FB friend of mine. Unfriending and blocking her now. I appreciate you keeping it real, proof not just rumors. Amie
It’s amazing how many of these people will smile at you and talk kind words to you, and then post this.
I’d be very interested in any designers, authors that I may be unknowingly throwing my money at while they spread their hate. Quilterbee70@gmail.com I wish someone would screenshot the group member list. Why should it be a secret?
I’m making a list of people and the brands they own, so we know where not to shop!
It will post tonight.
Thank you for adding my name in this mix, and for adding my posts. As people can see for themselves from my posts, I did not post anything bigoted, homophobic, foul, or hateful. I did not attack anyone’s career by sending letters, messages, or threats. I like you posted my opinion. Mine are not slanderous or threatening anyone unlike yours on the 3 blog posts threatening mine. Whatever. FYI, I admire Jamie and his art. I admire Karen and her art. I don’t admire Frank solely because of his blanket threats to everyone in the group just because they were a member, including myself. He might be a great guy. I may never know.
Great post! Thanks for putting it out there. What they are doing is disgusting.
Ladies, it saddens me to think something like this is happening. I think those quilters in question obviously don’t have enough fabric and/or need to get busy being creative instead of spreading “hate.”
It’s what people have forgotten that is getting them in trouble. Say it – forget it. Write it – regret it. It doesn’t matter that this was a ‘private’ group, everything can be found, seen, read on the internet. Shame on anyone trying to damage another’s reputation. To damage their livelihood. The stupidity is astounding. it opens oneself up to life altering lawsuits. I’m surprised no one has made that connection yet in the posts a I’ve read.
I have to say, I was very saddened to see the names of quilters I have admired and purchased items from in the past making nasty, hateful comments—to know they are “those” type of conservatives is very disappointing. All conservatives aren’t like them—but these ladies are the type to comment that “all liberals are evil and have no morals, etc.” Those types need to be exposed. Hypocritial Christians, who call out others for what they perceive are “evil actions,” when in fact they are doing exactly what they are condemning. I will not associate with people like them, and I will check each quilting group I am in and if they are part of it, I will leave. There is enough hate in the world, I don’t want to be part of any group that would have people like them.
Rule #1 in Business 101: Don’t offend your client base! They will leave and never come back and they will tell their friends. Rule #2: The stories of bad experiences travel much faster than the stories of good. If you step back and look closely at this you will see Bulling on both sides. Grow up Quilters or go to your room without dinner.
These comments are so much fun. People are getting blown up around the world by terrorists and a bunch of nobodies get their feelings hurt. Go buy from Amazon. Leave the Christians alone.
conservative quilters is and oxymoron, have you seen the price of fabric?
I think they are very liberal with the price of a long arm machine. But I am enjoying the infighting but I think it is just a generation gap and a tech gap. Remember if it wasn’t for fighting and wars nothing would get done.
It would be like total Portlandia 24/7 365 and obama forever. Conflict is good. What happen to all the Civil War Fabric in the shops, its all bright and sunny stuff. Be happy you are alive. I better go fix dinner for my husband. If he only knew how many forequarters I have and X$ he would have me committed
What you are experiencing is bigoted it is call two-faced, or pretending to go along to get along. Remember if I only say 10% of what I am think then the other 90% could be even worse or better, why does everyone have to agree with anyone. So many immature people in the internet.