joe'smom

'A little more tactful' indeed! I suppose she wouldn't have wanted you to find out some other way, that she'd gotten rid of it. I'm sure whoever ends up with it will love it!

beaglelady

I really like your way of thinking. Sometimes I do worry that the person I am making a quilt for will not like it, but so far everyone seems to like what I made for them (at least they say they do. ha ha) From now on I am going to adopt your attitude - because it is a good one!

franc36

Right now, I am making quilts for my daughter's three foster children. The oldest child likes purple so I try to make her quilts that have purple and lavender in them, the middle child is autistic and she likes anything I make for her. I make her quilts with children's fabrics like The Three Bears, ABCs, Russian dolls, etc. for the 5 year old, I love making story book quilts like Green Eggs and Ham and the Very a Hungry Caterpillar. I have a quilt for her, with a children's fish design and one with snowmen, ready to send to the LAQ. I want the girls to have lots of quilts so that they can change them frequently. One of my daughters lives here. She comes over and looks at my quilts. I know that she likes only traditional quilts. Any modern quilts I make, I know I can give to my sister. My other daughter likes any quilt I give her. I know the colors my grandsons like. I make them quilts with golf fabric and some with fishing fabric. I give most of the quilts I like best to my granddaughter. I make most of my quilts for these people. As a gift to anyone else, I find out the colors they want. I made a quilt for my best friend who said she liked pink and green. I thought it was one of the prettiest quilts I had ever made. She has never said anything about it. I wonder if she even uses it. On the other hand, I made a quilt with music fabric for my granddaughter to give her piano teacher. That lady really appreciated her quilt.

TexasSunshine

When I am making a quilt for a specific person, I try to find out what colors or style they like. If for a baby, I ask what color they are doing for the baby and what theme but generally I pick the pattern I will do. Everyone so far has liked what I have done for them.

Mousie

asking them might not solve all your problems.
I have grown and married kids that I have asked about colors etc. and then went and bought
fabrics, only to hear, "Oh, our room isn't that color anymore...OR...well, when i said red, I meant a dark red like that new car that's out...fiesta sunrise fireglow...see what I mean?

SlightlyOffQuilter

For me it is a mixture of many things. Sometimes I have a specific person in mind that I would like to make a quilt for ( a birthday , anniversary, major surgery , etc ) and I choose a pattern that I like and suits that person ( modern or traditional ), and do it in colors I think they would like. Sometimes I just see a pattern or a fabric that I just LOVE and start making it, usually as I am working on it someone will be in my thoughts alot, and I take it as the quilt telling me who it wants to go to, and that is where it goes ! Other times I just make whatever makes ME happy, and when its finished either it goes on my bed, or it goes in the " Emergency Gift Box " for those occasions that pop up unexpectedly , or that I simply did not have time to make something specific for ( unexpected surgery, last minue birthday gifts ect ) The box has not just quilts but bags and pillows as I make them , and I grab something suitable from the box as the need arrives !

Mousie

emergency gift box...great idea!

DonnaPBradshaw

I mostly make quilts for family, I have had 4 daughters and 3 sons. All of my daughter's have received a specific quilt to their licking. I try hard not to accept orders from outside the family for quilts for hire! They are just too hard to satisfy in my opinion.

AngeliaNR

"...usually as I am working on it someone will be in my thoughts alot, and I take it as the quilt telling me who it wants to go to, and that is where it goes !"

This happens to me, too.

QuiltMom2

I love making (and giving away!) baby quilts. Babies are so uncritical and they can spit up, cry into, and do those less than desirable things that babies do without fear on their quilt ( and I make sure to tell the mom so.) I sew primarily for family and they get what they get and I know that they are used, and I'm right there with whoever said if the dog is warm, I've done my job. I occasionally will give a full-size quilt as a wedding gift in which case I generally try to find out if the recipient(s) would like a quilt and I need a hint as to lifestyle/house/interests.