tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7302142022228564326.post2560708714845863063..comments2023-07-25T11:48:39.285-04:00Comments on The Free Motion Quilting Project: Dealing with NegativityLeahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03674869334249298532noreply@blogger.comBlogger65125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7302142022228564326.post-68304868116412083802016-06-09T05:33:09.841-04:002016-06-09T05:33:09.841-04:00You go girl - I love that you have learnt to ignor...You go girl - I love that you have learnt to ignore the ignorant. Vicious bitches who cover their vitriol in sugar. Please know that you are my inspiration - along with two or three teachers here in South Africa who have your patient and compassionate teaching methods. I refer to your book 365 FMQ Designs, I have a couple of your on-line classes and I LOVE getting your blogs. Long may you carry on just the way you areAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01952211135397997586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7302142022228564326.post-59086491648594461152015-08-10T11:32:27.887-04:002015-08-10T11:32:27.887-04:00Thank you for sharing your ideas and I hope I am a...Thank you for sharing your ideas and I hope I am able to remember this. I have a very hard time dealing with this, and from time to time ponder removing myself from the computer/online community. It's just so appalling to me that people act like this and I will never understand it.<br />I like the idea of a bubble of light protecting me from the fire/hate/anger/sickness of others.<br />Sending you love and light :)Quilter Kathyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16870660916547202929noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7302142022228564326.post-37348609715015326902015-08-06T22:26:20.777-04:002015-08-06T22:26:20.777-04:00Hello Leah, I am heart broken to read about the aw...Hello Leah, I am heart broken to read about the awful emails that you have received. You certainly do not deserve them as far as I am concerned. All I want to say to you is please remember "their are more people in the world that care about you and your quilting world than people who should go somewhere else". So thank you for your encouragement and amazing blogs and videos. Which give me new skills, designed to help me on my quilting journey. I will continue to love all that you do from my home in Adelaide Australia.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7302142022228564326.post-47727056069579720742015-08-06T13:27:51.783-04:002015-08-06T13:27:51.783-04:00I just have to say I absolutely LOVE this post.......I just have to say I absolutely LOVE this post.... and how true it is...... blows my mind how one mean comment can totally derail you if you allow it....... and the posts...... how these people can be so cruel is just beyond me.......Penny Duncanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04091831708305497360noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7302142022228564326.post-60311356798305963532015-08-06T09:23:47.535-04:002015-08-06T09:23:47.535-04:00I too am a bit shocked at how anyone could take al...I too am a bit shocked at how anyone could take all that you give and turn it into any kind of negative. Clearly, anyone doing that is a loon. I love your re-written solution. Laughter truly is the best medicine. I don't believe there are any bad words--just appropriate ones. You know how to use them appropriately in my view. Keep laughing to stay mentally healthy and physically well. I like how you ease the wrinkles in your life in much the same way you avoid them in your quilt, by skillfully easing your way through them...A forever fan!Carol Henrichshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06328038893854035269noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7302142022228564326.post-62130519241412650632015-08-05T23:58:24.334-04:002015-08-05T23:58:24.334-04:00I have no idea just how many dozens (hundreds?) o...I have no idea just how many dozens (hundreds?) of times I've read your words online or in an email, watched your lessons, watched your classes on Craftsy, read your articles in a quilting magazine, learned so very much from you and thought, "What a wonderful young woman, an excellent teacher and so kind to share this with everyone". Thank you for all of that, dear Leah.<br /><br />I worked as a teacher's assistant in public school classrooms for almost twenty years, worked with about one hundred teachers. You are right up there with the best of them, and they were taught how to teach and what to teach. Please do not let ANYONE tell you that you are not a good teacher or that you are not qualified to teach about quilting. I learn from you every time I see anything you have written or shared.<br /><br />By the way, I bought your crib sheet pattern and our three week old granddaughter seems to really like her custom sheets, her mommy and daddy certainly do! Thank you for such clear instructions.JoAnne in southern Californiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03148803029813063934noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7302142022228564326.post-43277287626294616192015-08-05T21:17:14.864-04:002015-08-05T21:17:14.864-04:00I was so astonished about the negative comments yo...I was so astonished about the negative comments you have been receiving. You are such a pleasant and knowledgeable person and I love your blog. You have taught me how to have fun with free motion quilting through your You Tube videos. Unfortunately this world seems to have more and more angrier people dwelling on this earth and you have such a right on attitude about negativity. Thank goodness for your husband, as he seems to put things into perspective and makes things right. You be strong and ignore these crazed people. Chrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15372431137337220627noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7302142022228564326.post-28494311136699101862015-08-05T20:45:12.838-04:002015-08-05T20:45:12.838-04:00This really inspiring to read. I love your overal...This really inspiring to read. I love your overall positivity and any-one-can-do-it attitude. I have to laugh at the example email you included in your post, because, honestly, what that person is criticizing is part of what I love about your teaching style. You make mistakes, you accept them, you encourage others to accept their mistakes, and by including your mistakes in your videos you help us all to learn from and recover from our *own* mistakes. I think that because you're willing to make these mistakes visibly - you are a *better* teacher for it. It's encouraging to know that what we do doesn't need to be perfect or mistake free to be wonderful and beautiful. Keep it up!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15801679003006752112noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7302142022228564326.post-69382346607329972462015-08-05T19:34:40.973-04:002015-08-05T19:34:40.973-04:00Leah you have some good advice and have dealt with...Leah you have some good advice and have dealt with this issues very well. My thought is this: if they want to criticise and think they know better than YOU then why aren't they out there "sprouting" their knowledge? Because they don't have the same get-up-and-go as you and they're envious. I say to them "stiff bickies". People who criticise are not happy people and are usually their own worst critics and rather than focus on themselves they will use any excuse to project their unhappiness and self-loathing on to you. They are like an emotional vampire trying to suck good eneregy from you and give it to themselves because it makes them feel good. You on the other hand already feel good so not letting them rob you of your positive energy is a challenge when doing the work you do. I think you're doing a great job and I appreciate all that you do. Thank you!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7302142022228564326.post-77528345249270598142015-08-05T19:29:59.788-04:002015-08-05T19:29:59.788-04:00Since taking up patchwork in 2004 I have acquired ...Since taking up patchwork in 2004 I have acquired several shelves of patchwork and quilting books and numerous DVDs. I don't agree with everything I read or see but pick the bits and pieces that work for me. I wonder if those people who are so free with their online advice also have the same responses to authors of books and DVDs?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07030450175938152569noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7302142022228564326.post-37379004888484787202015-08-05T19:08:42.454-04:002015-08-05T19:08:42.454-04:00ALL you GIVE freely to QBL (Quilting Blog Land) an...ALL you GIVE freely to QBL (Quilting Blog Land) and you are subjected to this type of rude behaviour...I shake my head, have no words...does this person have a YouTube channel? A website that thousands of quilters visit? Several Craftsy classes? Taught all over the US? (I think) Um I'm thinking .... NOT. You helped me so much when I got my longarm secondhand and had no clue as to how to get used to it. Yep, You, on a domestic, helped me BIG time, on a longarm. I even wrote a post called "I Love Leah Day!" Recently (like end of May) I had a pattern published on Moda Bakeshop and I was CRUSHED when 3 comments (who jumped on the first troll's negativity wagon) wrote very mean things. They all knew it was my first pattern yet they chose to be exceedingly rude. I was happy to be in the new bloggers' hop and Stephanie of Late Night Quilter, a psychologist by day, helped me deal with them and see that you really have something unique when people knock it. I always think, and would teach my Junior High students, that if you can't see yourself saying the words to the person's face, then don't write it (hiding behind your computer). You do awesome work, you teach and share such great FMQ designs, and you are, as others before me have said, so open, honest, sweet and personable, that it is such a reflection on this person's lack of character to feel the need to so meanly and wrongly put you down. Love seeing the old f-bomb flying around the all-too-stuffy at times quilting world too btw. ;-)Sandra Walkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17737049269550479188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7302142022228564326.post-80629126544607614242015-08-05T18:54:05.856-04:002015-08-05T18:54:05.856-04:00Leah, I'm so sorry you have had to deal with &...Leah, I'm so sorry you have had to deal with "social misfits". Everyone is right, bad behavior does seem to be more rampant with social media. Please know that there are many who follow you because, they like how you teach. I'm in my 60's and have been quilting for some time. I go with the attitude that I can learn many things when I go to a class or watch one. I may feel like my way works better sometimes but, I still should have enough "good manners" to be willing to listen. This dog has learned many new things from you. <br />You're a sweet young lady, I admire your talent in quilting, your joy of sharing, and your enthusiasm. You have such a supportive family and a family of followers. Copy down and, print all these positive comments. Cut them apart, fold them and place each one into a bag, canister, box or, whatever you like (make it pretty). Then when you get a nasty comment delete it before even finishing. Now pull out 5 slips of positive comments from your container and read them. Your emotions will come right back where they need to be. If not read 5 more and keep doing so until you realize that individual is not worth your anger, your time, that they are only a distraction from your creativity..<br />By the way put those 5 positive comments back into the bottom of the container - you just may want to reread them again. Thank you again for being you.CJhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13626660556669850369noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7302142022228564326.post-54492836538747191232015-08-05T18:44:30.436-04:002015-08-05T18:44:30.436-04:00Please continue sharing your thoughts, trials &...Please continue sharing your thoughts, trials & lessons learned as you travel the path of creativity, growth and fulfillment. You've not been traveling alone. I look forward to continuing the journey with you! Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02416985530682047497noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7302142022228564326.post-846080174510060582015-08-05T18:10:17.291-04:002015-08-05T18:10:17.291-04:00Leah, You are wise beyond your years (I believe th...Leah, You are wise beyond your years (I believe this as I am so much older than you, lol). In the midst of negativity, it is difficult, but I try to stay positive by creating pretty things, sharing of myself, and finding the beauty in people and world.<br />Thank you for your gifts of sharing your talent as these gifts are of far greater measure than any attempts to bring negativity into your life. Love is the answer. MarieMartinsCAhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04550472549061693294noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7302142022228564326.post-37351406319253065002015-08-05T17:02:45.557-04:002015-08-05T17:02:45.557-04:00Andrea, you "hit the nail on the head!" ...Andrea, you "hit the nail on the head!" Face to face would never happen with those mean people. Their self esteem is so bad that for them to survive the day they need to "take another down," to build them up. Leah, you go girl! Please keep up the great work but most of all, thank you for giving to us a part of you. As long as I've been quilting I will never know it all or wish to because, then the learning stops and one stagnates and gets an ego the size of Texas.......those people are no fun to be around and I wouldn't take a class from them until "hell froze!" Taking a new quilter under my wing is the most fun I've had in years. I'm more creative and can share techniques that work for me. Also, I'm sharing some of my "stash." ;*) oh yes......which makes room for adding new fabrics. Being a "fabri-holic" makes me a happy quilter. Now I must go quilt! "Make it a good day."Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13189561975920189149noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7302142022228564326.post-1498575566758519782015-08-05T14:51:39.152-04:002015-08-05T14:51:39.152-04:00I needed to hear this today. I just lost my best ...I needed to hear this today. I just lost my best friend of 19 years because she was mean to me. I don't need her negativity or belittling. I am sad she is out of my life, but glad she's not there to make me feel bad anymore. Now if I can just quit thinking about it.....it's like a worm in my head...Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04465592280995322526noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7302142022228564326.post-74068941466047528782015-08-05T14:50:28.277-04:002015-08-05T14:50:28.277-04:00Most of the petty and mean girls we all knew as ki...Most of the petty and mean girls we all knew as kids turn into petty and mean women. They're just more stealthy with age. Good for you, eject that garbage!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12558525292248251571noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7302142022228564326.post-22269012720169839282015-08-05T14:42:54.658-04:002015-08-05T14:42:54.658-04:00amen, sista!amen, sista!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04465592280995322526noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7302142022228564326.post-12347139019246351402015-08-05T14:40:21.739-04:002015-08-05T14:40:21.739-04:00I just love this post, & really needed to see ...I just love this post, & really needed to see this today. My Husband has an incredible way of perceiving & being nonreactive to negative, asshole behavior. His view is: "If I allow them to get to me, they win; I refuse to let a jerk have that much control or power over me". He has been able to do this since he was a teenager. How? He had a rough childhood & has seen how pain, anger and resentment have controlled & nearly ruined the lives of his Mom & siblings from his father leaving them... decades ago. I haven't reached this point of enlightenment yet, so I continue to learn from my wonderful husband of 33 years. Leah, thanks so much for sharing not only your beautiful quilting, but your life experiences and feelings too.<br /> Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12558525292248251571noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7302142022228564326.post-8915493640934906272015-08-05T14:31:46.946-04:002015-08-05T14:31:46.946-04:00I felt sad that you had to deal with such terrible...I felt sad that you had to deal with such terrible, negetave comments.. It's difficult to learn that people can be so mean and cruel...a person like that is a bully. Their bullying can be subtle, brash, vulgar (as in that XXX rated post) and sometimes it is presented in a humorous manner, with underlying meaness and "digs". Life is way to short to allow that kind of negativity. "They" are among us! There is no getting away from that kind of nonsense because "they" are everwhere ,and so the best way to cope is with humor - smile, and keep a safe distance when you can. : )) Keep a happy heart and look around at your life, your good friends and family...that is all that matters! Bless you!Ann in PAhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09069487088270019142noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7302142022228564326.post-9031900679620002352015-08-05T14:29:16.702-04:002015-08-05T14:29:16.702-04:00I think I have more of a Teflon personality when i...I think I have more of a Teflon personality when it comes to social media. I look at something negative and say either to myself or sometimes out loud, what a f%^&*() a@# h@#$. And then I hit the delete button. I belive that they weren't raised well and their moms should be ashamed. You need to be true to yourself and the rest of us will back you 100%tink's momhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00446955920191946432noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7302142022228564326.post-51561336215153181602015-08-05T14:24:52.764-04:002015-08-05T14:24:52.764-04:00Thanks for sharing this ... I never imagined that ...Thanks for sharing this ... I never imagined that you would receive nasty or negative comments. Your husband is a real keeper for all he does with/for you. I thoroughly enjoyed this video... blessings to you and your husband.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7302142022228564326.post-76210152535074657302015-08-05T13:51:38.668-04:002015-08-05T13:51:38.668-04:00I am so sorry (and appalled!) to learn about the n...I am so sorry (and appalled!) to learn about the negativity you have had to deal with! But thank you for shedding some light on the problem. It's a sick, lion killing, world out there. I'm in the grateful gang who love your posts, and have learned so much from the wonderful videos you provide FOR FREE! Please don't be discouraged, and keep on with your fantastic teaching.PDQuilthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02937824609419549937noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7302142022228564326.post-91287876372797848352015-08-05T12:57:51.960-04:002015-08-05T12:57:51.960-04:00LOL--thanks 4 putting up this article--I was absol...LOL--thanks 4 putting up this article--I was absolutely stunned to find out that folks would actually send you negative emails. Quilting ? Nice young mom quilting ? Like there is absolutely nothing negative about you. quilting is so gentle--its hard to imagine--but I guess folks can be jealous of almost anyone & I really think its jealousy & envy that prompts so much negativity. Of course, I'm like you in that I have an online business & get lots of positive feedback--but that one or two creeps who criticize or make mean comments do kind of spoil your mood for a minute or two. I think you are on the right track--having you husband triage messages for you & finding the humor. :) Most of the time I try to keep a sense of humor at weird comments--it helps to withdraw or omit folks from your online forums who seem to be chronically negative & I have occasionally taken an aggressive stance with folks who have attacked me to my face because that seems the only way to get them to back down--they want you to slink away and feel bad.<br />I have to admit the most humorous comments I've had lately on FB is on some promo pix I had made for a calendar--a few folks have asked me to cover my legs (I'm wearing a modest dress) & someone even wrote they didn't like to see me move on stage (in jeans & a long sleeve shirt) Oh please. Someone even wrote my husband that he should force me to close & cover my legs--we do laugh over this--I mean like what do they think? That we are a Taliban family or something where the husband dresses the wife for promo pix ? LOL :) But thanks 4 your posts--it helps me see that there are some jerks out there that even take swings at totally innocnet and sweet folks & to know that its nothing you have done--its just their problem :)Mary Z. Cox/A Secret Life of Banjohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09427605084027695684noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7302142022228564326.post-13395177399508172292015-08-05T12:23:55.453-04:002015-08-05T12:23:55.453-04:00I, too, am shocked that you of all people would re...I, too, am shocked that you of all people would receive negative and hateful comments. Leah, you were my first quilting instructor. I found your voice so sweet and soothing that I just had to follow you. You made it OK to make mistakes in my quilting, and you gave me confidence to free motion quilt. I have an only daughter who sends me negative and hateful emails that cut my heart out. I haven't spoken to her for a year because of this. I refuse to stoop to her level. I have been comforted by the advice given to you by many of the above comments. I know you are a sensitive person like me by just listening to you. I'm sorry you have been the subject of these hateful comments and wish you peace in your heart. Like someone else said here, Leah...we all LOVE YOU!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10648706381202472203noreply@blogger.com