Well I have read almost all the way through this thread and have to add my part. One year for Mother's Day I made my mother and MIL both quillows to fit each bed, one king and the other full. I machine emb. LARGE roses in their favorite colors on the pockets. I still have my mothers after her passing, and when my MIL passed, ask MBIL who was taking care of things if he knew where hers might be, his wife sewed and quilted so he knew the value of quilting. He had no idea. Our daughter is currently living the MIL's house in another town We were visiting and DD's dog was a puppy at the time and had been in one of the storage buildings dragging things out to chew on and play with. Well guess what one of the things happened to be - the pocket section of the quillow I had made several years before. The pocket had been CUT off and crudely I might add, where the rest of the quillow was who knows. When I found this part I took it in the house and ask my daughter about it, (she appreciates quilts) and she had no idea. My DH knew I had been checking on this quillow, and saw what it was. I don't know who was the angriest, of the three of us. For a more positive note, I had a dear widower friend who had once been a close neighbor. Bill was a wood carver and made things by hand. He was very ill with cancer. I don't know what possessed me but I knew I just had to make Bill a quilt. I got busy and worked steady to make a log cabin in less than two weeks. When I took the quilt to him, his son was there and commented and ask if this was a log cabin. I was impressed. Bill passed away 5 days later. His DIL told me he loved that quilt, and had used it every day since I gave it to him. The morning he passed he was cold and was wrapped up in the quilt. She had washed it afterwards and wanted to know if I wanted it back, if not they would like to keep it. I was so pleased to know that my work and love I had put into the quilt was really appreciated by the recipient and his family.
There will always be those who really appreciate hand made gifts and know the time and love put into them, then there will be others who could care less.