quilttiger

I used to think it would be difficult to give quilts away as gifts, but that is not the case. My grandson calls my quilts "love quilts." Both my adult children and their spouses truly appreciate what I have made for them. And it is a REAL joy to make things for them as well as Quilts of Valor for our veterans.

Michelekolt

My quilts have done so much for me and for those that have received them. I have read every post here and some of them made me cry. So I guess your quilts that I haven't even seen have touched my heart.

maviskw

I, too, read every post, and cried! And sometimes you make me laugh. That's why I love this board. It gives me an emotional lift every morning. And night, too.

hairquilt

My DD has hung all the quilts I have given her on her walls until she has no more walls to cover!! She loves to walk by them & feel the love pouring out to her and thinking about me!! What a blessing quilts have brought to me!

Pat625

My little grandaughter called me the morning after she first slept with her quilt..She told me she felt like she was covered with love all night..THATS what it'a all about!

Amythyst02

Oh my goodness, all these lovely sentiments. I only hope mine do the same for the folks I have given them to. Ya all made me cry and smile too.

MargeD

I feel that I am blessed that I can make something that gives others comfort and pleasure, from a baby quilt to a king-bed quilt. When my son was in grade school (I think, can't remember that far back) I made him a bright blue and black Irish chain quilt. When he moved out the quilt went with him, then when a relationship failed, he came home and the quilt came with him, he wouldn't leave it with "her". I don't know about you, but I have "boomerang" kids, they kept coming back. LOL. The very first quilt I made was for my daughter, she picked out the pattern and the fabric. it is the only quilt that I hand quilted - carpal tunnel dictated that I learn to machine quilt, and she is now considering giving it to our darling GD Zoe, since she cannot have children. Our DD is going through a very tough time now,2 accidents within a month of each other, whiplash, bulging disks in her neck, losing time off from work and now they are threatening to terminate her employment because she was had to take time off because of her fairly severe injuries. The last time I talked to her we talked about the one-patch quilt she made in her Sr. year of HS when she was home with chicken pox - somehow she escaped getting it when her brother had it in grade school and how she was curled up with it while we were talking. She had insisted on each square being different, a scrap from doll clothes I made her, clothes I made for her, etc. I did finish quilting it shortly after she started college. Maybe I shouldn't have told her that when I machine quilted it I found 2 fabrics alike, but she had never figured it out. She's now 35, so the quilt has been around a long time, but she still finds comfort in it. Love, comfort and more are what I give when I make a quilt as a gift, it's a great feeling to know that.

wildyard

Another thing that is so awesome about this board is being with people who understand. You all have experienced the same feelings and blessings as I when making and gifting our quilts. To explain this to non-quilters and have them understand is difficult, to say the least. To have them understand about putting love into every stitch seems impossible, at times. But you all get it!

cricket_iscute

I appreciate this thread. For 17 years, I've made quilts for homeless families, and have delivered more than 400 quilts of all sizes, but mostly adult. I spend most of my free time doing this, and litter the house with quilting stuff. The quilts take from 70 to 300 hours to do each, with most in the lower category. This takes hundreds of hours a year, actually thousands of hours, and maybe that's too much. (I don't have time to make quilts for me.) I keep the quality high. I spend hundreds of dollars a year on batting, backing, borders, storage, thread, etc., and people who know what I'm doing donate scraps and sometimes yardage. I make a lot of scrap and string quilts. I've had about ten thank you notes in 17 years. (I make sure to always send thank you notes.) This year I'm covering two shelters of boys with no families, ages 6 to 18. They need 30 quilts. I am struggling to get them done by Christmas.

I seldom have any feedback or thanks, and getting a receipt from last year's shelter turned into a marathon event with me needing to call them four times. (They will be surprised when they do not get quilts this year, the 13th year, having received close to 200 quilts so far. They seem to believe they are entitled to quilts now, and called me to see when I was delivering "their" quilts.) I was discouraged as I have been many times, but kept going, considering it to be God's work. Still, when deadlines loom -- and I do not find deadline sewing fun -- and there seems to be so much work to do, I wonder if I'm crazy. Recently, I've asked a couple friends why I do it, what's wrong with me. One said it seems to be universal among quilters to make quilts for others. I suspect many of you are not making this many quilts, doing a sort of production line. Is this the difference in the level of satisfaction? Also, I am giving almost exclusively to homeless people; could that be it? When I tried to give quilts to people whose homes were destroyed in tornadoes, the city agency involved didn't even bother to call back. If I gave to QOV or another organization, would the quilts be appreciated more?

Twice, but only twice, I have received feedback that told me the quilts did matter. Two years ago, I delivered to two different shelters. One shelter (20 adult quilts) was for young women who were trying to kick substance addiction. They hugged me and cried, and I was amazed, since the year before that, at another shelter (24 quilts), I was told to drop the quilts on the table and get out, no appreciation, no thanks, not even a glance at the quilts. I received a letter this week from that shelter asking for money for Christmas gifts for the residents, by the way, but not quilts. Those quilts weren't valued, and these, at the addicted women's shelter, were. I asked what they meant. I was told that everyone treats those young women "like trash" and I was treating them as human beings and giving Christmas gifts to them. At the next shelter (17 quilts), a shelter I had been to many times for many years, I asked the women receiving the quilts what they meant. One woman told me that I was one of the few people to treat her as though she were a human being. Another said the quilts were "like gold", that not only did her quilt mean beauty and warmth to her, but she had been burned out of her home and it was literally her only possession in addition to the clothing on her body. I had never known the quilts had this meaning; homeless people are very protective of "their story" of how they became homeless. Also, there is a perception in the homeless shelters that anyone who donates or tries to help does so only to make themselves feel better. (I assure you, I could feel better in a lot less time and without being buried in stuff.)

Every now and then, I get help from other quilters. I appreciate that greatly. I have sewed with others from time to time. The woman who partnered with me and helped me the most helped me last year isn't as available this year due to family, etc. I am the only person I know who has kept this up year in and year out. I really don't know what drives me, other than the fact that, after a serious injury and inability to work for several years, I was on the brink of losing my home and had to give serious thought to how we would survive, eat, sleep, get medical attention, etc, if homeless. Maybe making so many quilts does not allow the kind of enjoyment you are all describing, although I do like making quilts, any quilts. I guess I'd like some appreciation. Should I donate somewhere else? Should I stop making charity quilts and make quilts to sell? Should I make one or two quilts a year for QOV or another organization, pat myself on the back, and be done with it? Why do I continue with this project? I actually asked a psychologist if I'm mentally ill, and I'm not. Is something wrong with me? I know I'm discouraged, and I'm sorry to be negative. I would appreciate your feedback.

Cricket

wildyard

cricket, I'm not an expert by any means but my feedback would be this: Perhaps you are trying to do too much and burning yourself out. Deadline sewing is indeed a major bummer for a lot of people, myself included. In fact, I do not allow that kind of pressure to be put on myself. I always let everyone know that I do not sew to deadlines. They get them when they get them. I have physical reasons that I just can't put that stress in my life.
I don't need thanks or recognition from the recipients, but then I am not draining myself like you seem to be by doing so very much.
Another thing I like to do is keep my gifting in my local community where I feel my first responsibility lies. Then if I have time after that, I reach out to others outside my area. I do not like supporting large anonymous groups like QOV, tho I have when there has been a special need announced. I also like assisting others here on the board when I can. I just find these more personally gratifying. As far as homeless shelters not appreciating your efforts. Another thing you might consider is your local police dept. I understand that some will accept quilts to carry in their trunks and give out to homeless they see who are cold or to use for trauma victims that need warmth. Just some thoughts that might help you rethink or refocus your efforts for a while. Hugggggs and smilesss. Don't give up tho, what you are doing is good and needed.