Sierra

This is for Cricket: It is hard to sew love into a quilt if you are giving it to someone who doesn't appreciate it (or some group) time after time. Why don't you google, ask around, ask at your church or guild, or.... ? and find a group that does want the quilts. You can state your own conditions - make the quilts under your own schedule. You can even write a nice note to the unappreciative group and say their time table demands and lack of "thank yous" are no longer acceptable and you will be sending your quilts elsewhere. You can do what ever you want, but you need to have some knowledge that the quilts are appreciated.

I sent 3 quilts to Japan after their tragedy and made the decision to send them to friends whose daughter had been married to our nephew instead of sending them with a big shipments organized by a quilt group. We had been very close friends long before the daughter and nephew met. They did respond in a very cold letter, saying Japan can take care of their own, but they had found a family that would take them (not any of the victims). So now I know, nothing I can do will heal the anger.

I very much like the tag "made with love especially for you" that I've seen used. I have only made a couple of quilts I didn't really like but I know tastes vary so I put a lot of love into those anyway. They went to our churches fall blanket drive. My GD (9 at the time) wanted to make one also. She worked on it while I was busy with the two younger children and the stitching was all over the place. Instead of taking it out (would have been hard, she used short, pre-set stitch and the backing was fleece) so we wrote a label that said something like "Made just for you! My first quilt. I hope you like it. (her initials and "9 yrs old") and date". Our pastor was wonderful and gave her a grand hug. She loved making a quilt for another child and love definitely was sewn it. That is the feeling that she earned, and it is a feeling you have earned too. I think the advice to slow down is important. There are probably older people in your neighborhood who are lonely and don't have much connection. Find them and make them a quilt. Maybe a young mother who has lost her husband through death or divorce, or he is overseas. There are a lot of people out there who need to know that someone cares. God bless you for your caring and hard work!!!

Also, I want to thank you for your honesty of your feelings and for describing the responses you got, good and bad. You are doing wonderful things. I suspect that people who aren't of a giving nature might presume that you are "getting something out of it" (meaning money or....?) because they simply don't understand. You can't even be sure the battered women or whoever are even getting your quilts with people like that. Make some changes that will grant you some love and appreciation. We all deserve that, you especially!