How to know when to quit giving "quilty" items to friends and family?
 

I've seen posts where someone asks "what else can I make to give to ____?"

"I've already made her three quilts,, eight table runners, 20 potholders, three totes, 8 pairs of pillowcases, 10 bowl hot pads, 10 potato bags, etc."

"Can you help me think of something else I can make her??

Much as some of us dislike admitting it - not everyone wants something handmade - or they really do have lots and lots and lots of whatever -

Are we really doing someone a favor when they have suggested "enough already" - and we insist on making and giving them some more "stuff"?

I've seen lovely (and some not so lovely) new or newish knitted afghans at yard sales - priced for something like $3.00. Do we really want our loving efforts to end up in a yard sale?

I bought a lovely chevron afghan at a garage sale for $5.00. My win!!! I didn't need it but it looked like one my girlfriend gave me many years before that had bit the dust. I don't do much for gifts but will make something once in awhile i do not really need and my son gives those to his in-laws. they seem happy.

That's why I love to give to charity. The quilts and "stuff" goes where it's needed, and I get to keep "making".

I came to quilting very late in life and have a lot of children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and some deserving friends so I doubt if if I'll ever overwhelm anyone.

Most of the people I know have way too much stuff and are trying to get rid it. For those people they get food or flowers as gifts. I don't even give them gift cards anymore because we were just passing them around to each other.

I give things I make to my family and close friends but mostly I donate and that gives me a lot of pleasure. Oust of my friends are like me and we really have more than we need so we just wish each other a nice holiday with a card and a lunch! Makes us happy. We also haunt estate sales and garage sales! Lol

Donations to favorite charities, especially local charities is always a plus. Gift cards to favorite restaurants, movie theater, hair salons, stores, wherever they frequent - even grocery stores. We are in the same boat; at our age we have everything we need so our kids give us gift certificates for birthdays, anniversary, holidays, etc. They even gave my DH gift certificates for car washes. You could even make little gift bags to put them in and then they could re-gift the bags. Hope this helps.

I agree that we Americans have abundance. I stopped giving certain homemade gifts a long time ago. I’ve also seen beautiful Afghans for really cheap prices.

i have relatives i was recently reintroduced to. they love my work, and get things for the holidays. one just had a baby in Decembr. I'm making her gifts for her first holidays. this way when she gets older, she have decorations for her room.