What is the worse thing that has happened to your quilts?
04-30-2012, 09:18 AM
#62
Power Poster
Join Date: May 2009
Location: NY
Posts: 10,590
Originally Posted by BellaBoo
I never knew of so many that carried old car batteries in their vehicles. How do you end up with an old battery to drive around? And why have them? What good are they? 
I think because they are batteries they have to be specially disposed of. They can't go in the garbage or landfill, you have to take them to special recycling stations or taken to an auto repair shop so they are disposed of properly. So I can see lugging one around until you have the opportunity to take it to the proper place.
Back to the OT. These stories are shocking! JCrow, I so feel for you. What an awful thing to see happen to something you put so much time and love into, not to mention $$ for the fabric. I know once you gift something you should forget about it but if I had been in that situation, I would have gone to the dog house grabbed the quilt and taken it home to see if it could be saved. I am also a big animal lover but my dog's blankets are either crappy old blankets on their last legs or a blanket picked up at salvation army. Actually my pup prefers to lay on the ground or floor. You put a blanket down for her, she goes to great pains to NOT lay on it.
04-30-2012, 09:43 AM
#64
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Harrisburg, OR
Posts: 443
Originally Posted by DogHouseMom
Your story beats the worst that happened to me. Not a quilt, but a crocheted baby blanket and matching sweater and pants. Made for a SIL. She opened it, rifled through the box, looked at me and said "what? no money?"
I have no words...
04-30-2012, 09:45 AM
#65
Super Member
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: S C michigan
Posts: 2,118
Originally Posted by An Arm Long
I found the quilt I gave my daughter folded and pushed in between the footboard and mattress of her bed. She told me that her significant other was tall and that his feet hit the footboard so she put the quilt there to cushion his feet!. I didn't say anything at the time but later in a discussion, I inquired about the quilt and asked her if she could not find something else to cushion his feet. She apologized and said she felt that was probably not a good thing to do after I explained a little about the quilt and how much it meant to me. I am thinking that this is not the daughter to make another quilt for.
04-30-2012, 09:52 AM
#66
Super Member
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: S C michigan
Posts: 2,118
the dog chewed several small holes in a quilt owned by the youngest daughter. she felt so bad, and was afraid to tell me. 'no problem' i told her and mended it with left over scraps. i mended it a couple times for her.
the dog was a well luved member of the family that had made her feel safe in her lst several apartments, and all thru college. and enabled her to sleep by herself at nite. since she had always slept with one of the sisters since the day she was born.
I even ended up with the 'mutt' when she started having her babies. luved him till the day he died. and he even traveled all over the u.s. with us one winter in the motor home.
the dog was a well luved member of the family that had made her feel safe in her lst several apartments, and all thru college. and enabled her to sleep by herself at nite. since she had always slept with one of the sisters since the day she was born.
I even ended up with the 'mutt' when she started having her babies. luved him till the day he died. and he even traveled all over the u.s. with us one winter in the motor home.
04-30-2012, 10:00 AM
#67
Member
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 80
Originally Posted by mdall
I have made a few things for people in my family. Most have used these items with love like intended. Others, have just let them get trashed. When I asked why they replied "What difference does it make, they were just fabric that you sewed together because you had nothing better to do?" I couldn't stop myself and swiftly told them where they could put the quilts. The point isnt that they thought nothing of the quilt but that they thought nothing of my time and the love put into make a quilt to match their style and interests in life. The worst part is she then came back to me a few months later and asked if I would teach her to sew. She wants to make curtains for her living room. I should not do it but decided if she wants to learn then I'll teach her. Maybe after seeing how long its going to take her because she has enormous windows she will then think twice about the time and love that is put into the items that someome else may give her because I certainly know she will not be getting anything else handmade from me.
Another way of looking at teaching the offender what goes on with the actual process of sewing is you will either prevent or satisfy some potential problems.
She will not request you to make something for her (be it quilts or some other sewing project item) if she can do it herself. And you can direct your precious time and fabric costs to the most important person of all-yourself!
Originally Posted by missgigglewings
I made a quilt for my DD's boy friend..I hand pieced it and machine quilted it. The fabric was beautiful fall colored batiks. I was at their home one day and noticed it hanging over a window. Quartered and nailed at all 4 corners to keep out cold drafts! I offered him 50.00 for it but he said he liked it... he is still thinking about it accepting my offer!He can go buy himself another birthday present! Like maybe a new storm window!!
Many people don’t know that many-most quilts did not survive to their full potential because they were pressed into service other than being bed decorations or warm covers. The stories of how they were used like the above as a draft barrier to a moving furniture pads are no big or major surprise to me. They are there so without even a second thought are simply consumed is all-and how I hate that!
Originally Posted by charity-crafter
My inlaws are like this. Handmade means you're too cheap to buy something. You don't honor them when you make something. A real gift has to be store bought and expensive to show that you really value them. DH just sends a check every year now and let them figure out what they want.
Originally Posted by charity-crafter
One of my family said about my aunts quilts , "it's their hobby, they don't have anything esle to do and they enjoy doing this and then they dump it on the family as presents." I've never given that person anything hand made when I took up the craft.
04-30-2012, 10:16 AM
#68
Super Member
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Texas, USA
Posts: 5,896
Reading all these horror stories, makes me so thankful for the people who value hand-made gifts! Just recently, I sent some crocheted baby blankets (along with one, to the "big sister"), to a friend of my son's. My son delivered them and when his friend told him they'd take good care of them, my son told him they were meant to be used. Needless to say, this exchange made me very happy, as I know they'll be cherished and used as intended. :-)
04-30-2012, 10:17 AM
#69
Junior Member
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Gainesville, fl
Posts: 120
I would not hesitate to let her know how she made me feel, and let her know I would not ever do a thing for her again. She obviously has no idea of how much work and money you put into it. I have people say, why don't you make me one, I just laugh - or they say "oh you should sell them", they obviously have no idea of how much work you put into them. I don't care if I have 20 quilts, I have 3 bedrooms, and I can change them if I want to. I wouldn't sell them for the price a person would pay in a store.
04-30-2012, 10:53 AM
#70
Super Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Vermont
Posts: 6,998
let's see - made one for MIL, she gave it away to he daughter, but that's OK, daughter loves it.
Had a full-size, handquilted one stolen from a consignment shop and had to fight tooth and nail to get them to pay me for it.
Lost one in a car wreck, no idea where it went - maybe home with the tow truck driver. Had a car full of quilts when we wrecked, they took the least expensive one.
Had mice chew holes in some of DH's tiny piece wall quilts that were being stored, but I fixed them.
Probably the worst is the one that I have had on my bed for 30+ years - one of the first I made. I am constantly repairing it and wondering if it is worth it. Fabrics are just wearing out and so is the hand quilting.
Had a full-size, handquilted one stolen from a consignment shop and had to fight tooth and nail to get them to pay me for it.
Lost one in a car wreck, no idea where it went - maybe home with the tow truck driver. Had a car full of quilts when we wrecked, they took the least expensive one.
Had mice chew holes in some of DH's tiny piece wall quilts that were being stored, but I fixed them.
Probably the worst is the one that I have had on my bed for 30+ years - one of the first I made. I am constantly repairing it and wondering if it is worth it. Fabrics are just wearing out and so is the hand quilting.
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