What do you do with your finished quilts? Is there a quilt your bed and do you use it (sleep under it) or is it there as bed covering/decoration during the day?

I have given all my quilts away as gifts. I am finally working on my first keeper quilt that will go on our bed. I recently asked some of the recipients of the quilts I made what they do with them and some are being used as covering across the back of the couch I was informed by my aunt "no one can use it". My mother is using the first one I gave her but refuses to use the second one because "it's to nice". :shock: I guess I am just making decoration...lol...but it's so much fun.

So how do you and your recipients use your works of creation?

All of mine have been given away. But, I do have 2 beautiful ones that I wrap myself up in.

I've given all of my quilts away as gifts. And I see that the recipients do use them. Perhaps it should be hung on the wall if you don't want to use them???? -Pat :)

Ah, you really do want to know. I will tell you.

I have 2 quilts on my bed, one of which is folded across the foot to keep my feet warm or to pull up if needed!

Hubby has a quilt on his bed. Then we "hung" Sun Bonnet Sue on the wall between the hall and kitchen. That was after I decided to hang 2 quilts over the glass door at the end of my living room. I did not want the expense of draperies (would need to be custom made) so we put up wooden drapery hangers....and uses 2 5 foot long poles. Two of my quilts now cover the glass area and block the cold air that reflects off the glass.l

Then, about every 6 months, I load my trunk and take about a dozen quilts to my favorite charity. that is the primary reason I make quilts. When I realized how much I was spending having them quilted, I bought a Bailey Home Quilter and Grace GMQ Pro frame and have been doing the job myself...for just over a year.

As hubby says, this keeps me happy "out of trouble and off the streets!"
I have friends who give me fabrics that become quilts so I really don't spend much on supplies. I buy sheets in Thrift store. All with the idea of helping someone who needs to keep warm!

June

I know a few that I have given are being used. Not sure about the rest of them. They could have thrown them away for all I know. Most of mine have gone to family members. My MIL uses hers all the time, but don't know about the rest of the inlaws. A few of them turned their noses up at them.

My very first quilt is on my bed and I sleep under it every night. I love the feel of a quilt. Very snuggly. All the others, so far, I have given away. I always tell the recipient that I want it to be used, not put away in a drawer some where. I also crochet and have made many baby afghans. One in particular I made for my cousin's granddaughter. She is a teenager and still sleeps with it. That makes me feel good.

That is so sad for you after putting all that work in them and giving from your heart and hands and not have someone appreciate that. Shame on them!

Doesn't the sunlight ruin them?

Sun is not an issue there. It opens onto a deck that has a roof over it and faces North. When Spring comes, they will come down and be stored for next winter. I am not too concerned about them fading.
They are also "lined" with a sheet for backing and batting inside. they are pastel colors so some light does filter through.

A comment about giving quilts as gifts to family members. I have only given quilts to those who have expressed their desire to have a quilt that I have made. As far as the charity quilts, I know they go to disaster areas and can be put to good use.

We give quilts out of love and I guess that counts for something. I know most of you make quilts with lots of love stitched in the seams!
June

OH...well then, I guess that really does work out well then!

Probably about 98% of mine have been lap quilts, tied not quilted, and donated, I've made 2 for dear friends. I've made 2 for my granddaughter, a Christmas one for me that's never been on the bed and I'm working on a triple irish crown for me now.

I used to give a quilt at every wedding we went to as a gift, but I have stopped that now. Now we just give cash. That seems to be what people want now.

Plus, I, like tlrnhi, have had fairly negative reactions to some of the quilts I have given as gifts. Twice when I gave them as wedding gifts, I neither recieved a thank you card OR any sort of verbal thanks or acknowledgement. So I don't have any idea what happened, to those quilts.

On the other hand, one person actually cried when she opened one, so that reaction was extremely gratifying.

One that I gave as a wedding gift- a queen size split rail fence- they had on their bed the first time we came over after the wedding, so I thought they liked it. Then not even a couple of years later their dog had puppies and they sent out pictures. THE DOG HAD THE PUPPIES ON THE QUILT FROM ME!! Not on the bed, either, like in it's corner. I can't imagine it wore out in less than 2 years, but maybe it ripped. It did sort of rankle a bit, but on the other hand, after I gave it to them, it was theirs to do with as they pleased. (I won't be giving them anymore, though, that's for sure!)

So the quilts I am making now I plan to keep. I do still make a baby quilts for all the babies in the family and also for our friends' babies if I have time.

I don't hang my quilts as they are usually pretty big. I have a couple on our bed- we have a king size bed and we each have a quilt for our own half. That way I don't wake up the hubby with my restless sleeping.

I have a glass fronted bookshelf in our living room where I keep the nicest ones and on a rare occasion we cuddle under them on the couch. I also have some "users" in there, too, that we can use even if we're eating popcorn or something. The "users" are the ones we take on picnics, etc, too. They are tied and basically just utilitarian. I would like to make us some prettier "users" and machine quilt them. I will use vintage sheets and stuff for those ones.

My boys' bed quilts were made by my mom a couple of years ago for Christmas. (Lots of quilts at our house.)

I am so impressed by those of you who donate so many quilts. That is wonderful!!

I have quilts all over the house. There is always one on my bed. I have them hangning on walls and over the backs of sofas. Our cat has shredded the upholstery on several of my chairs so they are covered with quilts. I have boxes, bags and a trunk full. Those are just the ones I kept. I also make and give away lots of Linus quilts etc. I currently have two bed size quilts in the process of being quilted. One upstairs in our TV room and one downstairs in our family room. We only use the family room in the winter when we light a fire in the woodstove.

I give all of mine away...LOL The only one I have was one I gave up on when I first started quilting. It was way to hard for a beginner. My mom finished it, hand quilted it and gave it back to me as a gift. I also have another quilt my mom gave me as a wedding gift 10 yrs ago today:) and one that a friend made me. It is huge and covers our 3 windows in the living room (over the curtains.) It looks really pretty there and keeps the cold out.

I've never had a bad reaction from anyone who received a quilt from me. I've given 3 to friends. One each to in laws and one to each of 9 of Dh nieces and nephews. Those were the best. The oldest is 9 and she takes it everywhere with her. She said it keeps the nightmares away. 2 of the other kids take theirs everywhere too.

I've also given a few to mom mostly because I make large quilts and don't like them anymore when I finally finish them. I think I just get sick of working on the same thing. and I made dad one.

all three of my boys have had two quilts at least. My oldest still uses the one I made for his 1st b-day. It has holes all over but he won't give it up.

I'm working on one now for one of DH cousins who is going through a rough time. And I have at least 3 more planned for his family. I also have a baby quilt to make. She has requested a valance and bumper to match, but I really can't sew anything but quilts, so we'll see.

Lynette

All of mine are used.

I make most of my tops to be quilted at church for raffle quilts, so I don't know what use they currently have.
I gift most wall hangings, and they have been hung and are appreciated.
Years ago, I made a grandmother's quilt for a co worker's first grandchild, and she still has it on display for use when ever a child comes over to play. It was a bisquit quilt that was really squishy and we called it "Little women". It is well loved! I feel honored each time I see it! :lol:
I have critters, so I don't have any of my quilts on my beds. I do have one over the couch in the living room. It is one that gets laundered fairly often. but was an early attempt at machine quilting, and not an heirloom!