We have 2 children with 7 grandchildren between them. I welcomed our son in law and daughter in law into the family with a hand quilted throw. Each of our my children have what I call their college quilt which they used on their beds in college and then each has 4 or 5 queen sized quilts (all hand quilted and took 2- 4 years each to complete.) Each grandchild came home from the hospital wrapped in a Grammy's hand quilted baby quilt and I've just completed the last twin quilt for each of our 7 grandchildren. My goal was to completed a twin for each for high school graduation and to use when they go to college and then ran into some serious illness issues where I doubted I'd ever get them completed so went to work and just completed the last one and thus far am also strong and healthy. Now the question is what to make next but my quilts all will eventually be divided up between our 2 children and their children. Now that the twin quilts are completed I just plain plan to enjoy quilting and try new things with it but as a hand quilter who prefers to do bed sized quilts - they take time. Since joining my quilt guild though, I've been doing quite a few throw sized quilts which are very nice and many of you have seen photos of them on this board. Finding homes for my quilts has never been a challenge. Getting to keep one for us has been the challenge. I do have 3 queen sized quilts that only come out for show or when company comes - they have to be passed on to the kids you know. I do definitely want to be sure to have another queen for each of my children but that's in the future, God willing. My next big queen is for my husband and I'll be beginnign it in January 2011. We're doing the Underground Rail Road for our block of the month and I've decided to use patriotic fabrics for it as he loved the patriotic quilts that I made for our children years ago. I have so many quilt ideas and goals in my head and doubt there will be time to complete all of them but I'm never bored.
Many ladies in my chapters (machine quilters) are so prolific that their families say they have enough quilts so they focus on donating to charities and they do such lovely work. I wish I could be as prolific as they are but my passion truly is hand quilting. I applaud the ladies who have the time and ability to turn out so many lovely quilts so quickly! You are doing so much good for those who receive them.
The important thing is to keep quilting and to enjoy doing it.