heir·loom (ârlm) n.
1. A valued possession passed down in a family through succeeding generations.
2. An article of personal property included in an inherited estate.
1. an object that has been in a family for generations
2. (Law) Property law a chattel inherited by special custom or in accordance with the terms of a will
source:
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/heirloom
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notice, if you will, the complete LACK of any mention regarding:
- the skill with which an item was made;
- the tools used to achieve that level of skill;
- [in the specific case of a quilt] the price of the fabric, thread, batting, machine or any of the other supplies for that matter
it matters not what the item is ... it ain't no heirloom unless somebody loves it, takes care of it, and passes it on when they shuffle off this mortal coil.
WalMartians, DitchStitchers and GadgetJunkies UNITE!!!!!
P.S. - buy the dear his own machine. better yet ... buy yourself a new machine and lovingly offer him the use of the one you have now.
:wink: