Pagzz

another thought -- This hobby we love produces beautiful and useful things. It doesn't matter if everyone doesn't appreciate them. I don't begrudge a card player their games, a fan their sporting events etc. I am grateful that the time I spend on my hobby gives me such wonderful byproducts.

Mariposa

Please don't give up your passion! Do projects that you love, and enjoy the process. My quilting is my therapy. I make things that I like, and participate in swaps here on the board, etc. My family mostly does not appreciate my quilts, so I give mine to friends, and donate to local charities or groups in need. Surely, you will find some local folks that will be very happy to have your pretty quilts. I'd suggest checking domestic abuse shelters, pregnancy homes for new moms, nursing homes, foster care programs, fire/flood victims, hospice/cancer patients, schools needing items for a fundraising event, etc. Hope you find a few possibilities.
DO what you enjoy. Make your world beautiful. Quilty hugs!!

osewme

Please don't let anyone steal your joy. I would suggest you make as many quilts as your heart desires regardless if close family members don't appreciate them. You don't have to feel obligated to pass them on to family members. As stated in the above posts there are many, many people & organizations who would love to receive your gifts of love. Not only do I love quilting but also small quilty/sewing stuff like walker totes, koozies for water bottles, small bags for your purse, pillow cases, etc, etc, etc. I say to continue doing what makes you happy. In this world today with so much doom & gloom it's sometimes hard to find happiness & peace. We all need an outlet ... something that we can do that takes us to a happy place.

quiltingcandy

I love making quilts. My favorite quilts are for children - mine are now 31 and 34, no grandchildren. My niece had twins 7 years ago (boy and girl) so I quilt for them, and usually make a matching pillow case. They are getting too old for the kids fabrics (and my niece has declined to have more kids) so they will be donated. Actually my niece is an Emergency room RN, so she may have a good use for them.
It used to bother me when people would tell me they let their animals get on the quilts. But then I read the Dorky Homemade Quilt Look book and it kind of put it all in perspective. I want the quilts used and enjoyed and how they do it is not my business. And if they wear them out, I can make more. I don't want them displayed or "preserved" - I want them used. If they don't like what I make that is okay too. After all, I have not been thrilled with every gift I was given either. Usually people have no idea the time and money involved in making a quilt, but even if they did, if they don't like it, the cost really doesn't matter. Our church gave me a prayer quilt when I went thru cancer treatment - it was the first time anyone had ever given me a quilt of any kind or anything hand made. I love it! It is not complicated, fabric is not the prettiest in my opinion but I love it because it was made for me. (They ask the parishioners to tie the knots and say prayers while doing it for the person receiving the quilt.)

So make the quilts you want to make, enjoy the process - keep them or give them away. Don't worry about what happens to them. People that love us will more than likely want them when we are gone - but if they don't, there is nothing we can do about it so why worry? Neither of my daughters sew, and they will not want my sewing machines, or fabric or thread or anything else but they know they are of value so will try and sell it.

Genden

I make quilts because it is therapy and I enjoy it. I know that right now family members are not going to appreciate my quilts. That may change with time. In the meantime, I am accumulating quilts that I display and enjoy. Because I pick challenging patterns and so far have been hand quilting, my output isn't prolific. People ask me what I am going to do with my quilts and I tell them I will wrap up in them in "the home." I don't worry about what will happen with them when I am gone. I have no control over that, so why worry. A dear friend of mine passed away. Her husband let their two grown children have what they wanted of her things, then the rest ended up in the driveway in a garage sale. Right now I am going to indulge myself in some pleasures,quilting being one of them.

Jeanne S

I quilt for the pleasure/fun of the process and for a creative outlet. If I really like the final result I keep it. I make many for donations---just about any charity or church love to get them. I do gift a few to family, but like you do not think they are really appreciated that much. But I don't really care all that much what happens to them once I part with it---usually already looking forward to starting the next one!

BluegrassGurl

One of the beautiful trademarks of a quilter is that we have a deep desire to share our creations with others. We put our heart and soul into our work and sharing that with others is a way for us to demonstrate our love for them. Unfortunately, not everyone understands our passion and can appreciate why we do what we do. It is very easy to take the rejection "personal" due to the thought, creativity, time and money that we have invested in the finished product. I believe this can also be true for any "hand made" item. We are forced to accept the fact that some folks just are not interested in "hand made" anything. The good news is that there are many, many organizations and groups that truly do appreciate hand made quilts. Thankfully, we have the internet that empowers us to connect to those people. Start searching.... find an organization that you believe in and is in need. They will sincerely appreciate your work! Chin up buttercup! Turn those lemons into lemonade!!! Good luck!

Tiggersmom

I agree. I do a lot for Project Linus......our local chapter. I've done QOV. Lots of local groups need and appreciate them. My family all have a quilt. I will leave a list of who gets what.....both of quilts and quilting tools etc.

lisalovesquilting

A guild I belong to donates to the county Children's Home. They are very appreciative.

Prism99

My family members do not properly appreciate quilts, so I understand what you are saying about inspiration. I decided awhile ago to simply make quilts for my own enjoyment of making quilts. Only when I get to the very end of a quilt do I need to decide what to do with it -- keep it for myself, place it in the family room, put it into storage, give away to someone, or give away to charity. On my bucket list are a couple of "masterpiece" applique quilts that I intend to leave for my daughter, but I haven't started on those yet. In the meantime I am simply making a quilt or two at a time that interests me. Currently I'm working on a red and gray churn dash quilt from stash, because I had the Go! die for it and I've never made a churn dash before. Don't even know how big it will end up. I kind of like the colors, so I am thinking I may make it for myself to curl up in on the sofa during winter tv sessions. Meanwhile, I have a number of UFO's in plastic boxes that I will finish as the mood hits me. Except for the masterpiece quilts, I am not worrying anymore about where my quilts end up.

Some people find their passion making charity quilts. I find that doing charity quilts long-distance, where I do not personally interact with the people who receive the quilts, does not work for me. Years ago I used to tutor reading for free (I am trained and certified in two very good methodologies) and discovered that something that is free is often not valued. So, for me, it is very difficult to send quilts off into the great unknown of charitable giving. I would rather pack a quilt into the car and offer it to a panhandler I have seen multiple times on a street corner. Maybe it would get traded for cigarettes or booze, but at least I would have the personal interaction involved in giving.

It ***is*** possible to quilt simply for your own enjoyment. It was a transition for me to go from quilting for others to quilting for my own enjoyment, but I find that it works. If I thought my family would throw away my quilts, I would leave them all in my will to a good friend to dispose of as she sees fit. While she may not understand quilts, she would understand what they meant to me, so she would take care that they were not thrown away. Worst case, she would give them away. And chances are *someone* would appreciate one of my quilts. I do think it's important to put my name and date somewhere in the quilt in case years from now they want to find out more about the quilt maker. That is enough for me to keep quilting, since I enjoy the process anyway.