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People do dumb things but that was just plain cruel. So glad you found a great guy after that one. You deserve it ;)

What horrifies me is when people comment that a quilt is not a quilt because it was: tied, machine pieced, machine quilted, etc...

Just my 2 cents.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bneighbor (Post 7839604)

I was helping clean out a friends mothers house. She had a few quilts rolled up and in bags in the closet. She was saving them for "good". What "good" did she get? Saving it for what?
If you give someone something, it belongs to them. They use it and enjoy it in a way that makes them happy.
If the only memories associated with the quilt are your memories that you made it and how much you spent....it has no importance, except to you. Just because it is important to you, does not make it life changing to someone else.
If it bothers you so much, either ask for it back or just let it go.
Sometimes the stark reality stings, and we hurt when things like this happen, but we have to get past it.
Not every quilt is historic.

saving nice things for "someday" is one reason we never wanted china when we got married, my grandmother's china sat in the cabinet untouched for 54 years, waiting on "someday." A couple that we're close to, the lady inherited her great grandmother's china and they use it everyday and yes, it goes in the dishwasher and it comes out fine and yes, a few pieces have been dropped and broken but the crystal and china that's decades old is being used for the first time!

reading about quilts used as oil-change rags vs. put up in closets and kept for "best" - at least the ones that are preserved may someday be passed on to someone who will love them and use them. The ones that are trashed, will stay trashed.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Watson (Post 7895248)

I made a queen sized, hand quilted white work for a wedding gift. Took me over a year to do it.
The marriage lasted less than a year.
I felt like asking for it back.
Watson

I had the same experience... made a quilt for the wedding of a young man we knew who was getting married. About a month after the wedding, the 'wife' left him, taking all the gifts. Turns out she had only married him to arouse jealousy in her ex, who she then went back to. Our poor friend... I wanted the quilt back in the worst way!

Quote:

Originally Posted by tranum (Post 7845014)

I made our granddaughter a baby quilt to give at a baby shower. The new dad has horses so I made the quilt with 9 horse appliqués in the colors of the baby's room.... I watched as my gift bag was handed to her and she pulled the tissue paper away and peered into the bag, not even taking the quilt out.

Years ago I was going to the local dental school, to get my many broken teeth taken care of. My first "student dentist" was a sweet young lady who was just 4 months married. She got pregnant unexpectedly with another year of dental school still to complete. I made her a beautiful classic Winnie the Pooh quilt for the baby. When I gave it to her she only peeked in the bag. That really hurt! Who does that?!

Quote:

Originally Posted by berrynice (Post 8538087)

Anyhow, long story short, I came home one day and noticed that the quilt wasn't on the bed anymore and I asked him where it was. -- He heartlessly told me he didn't want to lay on the muddy ground when he changed the oil in his truck, so he used it and if I wanted it, I could dig it out of the trash heap behind the barn. When I went to get it, I was so heartbroken as apparently he had dumped the entire pan of old oil on it before he rolled the muddy quilt up in a ball and tossed it into the heap.

All of us are mad after reading this... Maybe you should have washed that quilt but left the oil stains on it, then placed it right back on the bed where it was originally. Let the jerk lie under oil stains. SO GLAD you are rid of him!

About "saving for later"... I made my son and DIL a wedding quilt out of beautiful Kaffe Fassett fabrics in blues and greens. Anyone would have loved that quilt. When we visited them at their house later, she had it folded up on a shelf in the guest room closet. Not even on a bed. It took me so long to figure out what that girl liked and didn't like, and I'm still learning. Got to love her tho, for giving me two beautiful grandchildren.

I think all of these experiences make us tougher and wiser as quilters. It's good to share them tho, and know we all have had similar experiences.

I was once horrified at what I had done. Too much bleach on a quilt, yep, I now have a solid white quilt. Oops.

As for others, I do get a little horrified when they aren't used. I can't stand the thought of an "heirloom" sitting in the closet not being enjoyed. I would rather them be used than stored.

Quote:

Originally Posted by marge954 (Post 7836857)

3rd quilt I made was given to a friends 10 yr. old daughter as a birthday gift. Walked into their home a month later and the quilt had been nailed over a large window to "keep the sunlight out". Didn't gift another quilt for 20 years!

Yikes, why give them another one even if 20 years later?

I can't tell you how many quilts I've seen while collecting that were made beautifully and then never used. They were designated "for good", whatever that means. They weren't enjoyed and that's sad to me.
SBG, Maybe your kids are afraid to "hurt" the quilt by using it. Who knows what people think?

I just gifted my SIL a quilt she loves. When I brought Paul home from the hospital I took a picture of him in his chair with that quilt on him. She went wild over it. So right then and there I decided to gift it to her. She told me she'd take good care of it. My reply? "Use it and enjoy it!!!! " Whatever she does though, I don't mind. She loves it and that's all I care about.

The first time I saw a brightly re-painted vintage Singer I was horrified. Now I'm getting used to seeing them. So many people like them. I still don't think I would ever own one. I love black Singers.