Fabric-Store Employee Patronizes a “Newbie Quilter” in Front of Her Mother—Then Turns Ghostly White When Mom Reveals the Young Woman Has 16 Years of Experience and Is Creating a Notoriously Difficult Masterpiece

Hey y’all! I’ve been itching to share this story for a while, and I think it’s the perfect place to do it. It happened a few years ago, shortly after Covid hit, and it perfectly encapsulates the ageism that sometimes rears its ugly head in the quilting community.

So, let me set the scene. My mom and I have been quilting together for about 19 or 20 years. She mainly focuses on quilts, while I dabble in everything—sewing, patchwork, you name it. In our hometown, we were practically celebrities at our local fabric stores, well-known for our skills and creativity. Fast forward to moving about 30 miles away from our old home, and now we only get to visit our favorite shops once every few months. Typically, we’d go for bulk buys, stocking up on fabric for the upcoming seasons.

It was during one of these trips that we encountered a new employee at one of our go-to stores. This woman looked to be in her 60s, and honestly, we had never seen her before. On this particular day, I was browsing through the discount fabric, which I knew was cheap for a reason—it was thin and not the best quality. Still, I found a really cute print and held it up to show my mom across the store. Just then, this new employee chimed in, saying, “Oh, that’s not really good fabric. You should put it down.”

Now, here’s where things got a little awkward. At the time, I was about 30 but had a youthful appearance that often led people to underestimate my experience. My mom, in her early 50s, was standing nearby and clearly heard this lady’s comment. I put the fabric back on the shelf, rolled my eyes behind the display, and prepared to move on. However, the employee wasn’t finished. She leaned toward my mom and, with a smug look, stage whispered, “When you’ve been sewing for ten years, sometimes you have to help our little newbie quilters,” all while giving her a condescending wink.

Luckily, I had no clue about this exchange at the time. But my mom certainly did, and she wasn’t going to let it slide. Just moments later, after I returned the fabric, she called me over and said, “Hey, you should show her the Judy Niemeyer quilt you’re working on.” Now, for those who might not know, Judy Niemeyer is known for creating notoriously intricate quilt patterns, often requiring advanced techniques like paper piecing. It’s definitely not considered a beginner-friendly project.

Excited, I pulled out my phone to show the quilt I was working on—full of curves, sharp points, and complex designs. As soon as I showed it to the older lady, her face went completely pale. I mean, she looked like she had just seen a ghost. All she could manage to say was, “Oh. Pretty.”

But my mom wasn’t done with her, not by a long shot. She shot back with a very sarcastic, “How long have we been quilting?” I replied, somewhat confused, “Almost 16 years now?” And it was like the air left the room. The woman looked like she was about to faint; the blood drained from her face in a way that was almost comical.

After we checked out, my mom filled me in on everything that had gone down. I was both horrified and thrilled at her fierce defense. It’s not every day you see someone get schooled in such a public way, especially over something as silly as ageism in a fabric store.

This experience has stuck with me since. We still encounter people who make assumptions based on our ages, but thankfully, those who know us usually give us a roll of the eyes and cut our fabric with a smile instead. In fact, we’re heading to a quilt retreat today, and this incident popped back into my mind, serving as a reminder of how the quilting community can sometimes be a place of unexpected hilarity and lessons.