I think you will be surprised how much better it looks when it's quilted. My mother hand quilted a top for my sister-in-law that was assembled by her grandmother. It was a scrap quilt, which was the true purpose of quilts years ago. I thought it was awful, but when Mom got done it was beautiful. Your mother-in-law loves you a lot to give that to you. Please don't offend her by throwing it in your trunk. If it doesn't fit your decorating scheme, just bring it out to cover up with in the evenings and tell her how much you enjoy it. Good mothers-in-law are hard to find ... keep her happy. :-)