You just have to make them for the people who love them.

When someone receives a quilt as a gift and doesn't want it to be seen on their bed, I just don't understand why they don't use it as a "blanket" under their comforter or bedspread. When I grew up we had two or three quilts on a bed to keep warm under our bedspread. (Dad had heat on at night only if there was a danger of the water pipes freezing and bursting. This winter might be a repeat of those economies if the social security checks stop coming!)

I have a friend who drops in for a cuppa each week and is a completely "non-quilt" person. Out of politeness she usually admires what I am working on. The last month it has been a Hidden Wells pattern in blue/purple/green, and at each visit she has commented on how pretty it is; last visit I told her I really didn't love it-- not my colours-- and she said "they really are my colours" "What are you going to do with it?" This week I put her our of her misery and said "It's an early Christmas present for you!" (This had not been my original intention since I knew she didn't like quilts.) Perhaps your relations need to slowly become aware of the incredible range of quilt patterns/colours and click with something that is really to their taste? Could you take some hand binding to do when you visit? or invite them over while you are finishing off a quilt that they might like? You could gauge by their comments/reaction whether they are quilt-worthy or just a lost cause. In which case at least you tried! and there are plenty of others who would appreciate a quilt.

Is it possible they haven't seen that right pattern that they would appreciate? If you really want to make them something, get them involved in the choosing of the pattern.
If they are really not interested, move on to others and try not to take it personally.
I have people in my family that think the best things come from stores, not "homemade". Oh well, it is their loss not to have something special for themselves made with love.

better that they tell you than to get no thanks after its finished (ask me how i know this)
THere are family members that will NEVER get another hand made item from me.

How CRUEL!

Not me! My family fights over who gets the next one!

not everyone sees quilts as loving works of art...nor do they appreciate what we go through to make them....sadly...but then, my sister makes Primative art dolls...and NO, I do not want one...I can appreciate what she does to make them, but Primative is NOT my style...

That's how I see it too. Not everyone likes the same things, no matter how much work and effort is put into it! I don't like ornately carved wooden furniture...my mom loves it. Some people like quilts...some don't...and some just don't know any better!

yes I wanted to make a quilt for my husband and he informed me he did not like them because they were so heavy. I told him we have come a long way baby since the stone age...HA HA but seriously he does not like them. My family and his does . So I sew for friends and family that wants them ..TO his thought though he has feet problems and they are too heavy on his feet , so I forgive him on that issue. So see you are not alone in that . Just don't let it get you down there are a lot of families and people out there that do and they would appreciate a gift of love that we have to offer....

Each year I'm making one quilt to be given to a brother or sister at Christmastime, name drawn out of a hat! One year after I'd had numerous health issues for 2 years, a SIL asked if I could just make all of them right away.................just in case I didn't make it long enough for her to get hers. It was said in fun, but showed me that someone liked what I was doing. Some are not so gracious, but I just give what I want to those who want it. I enjoy making each and every quilt, but would never give one to someone who didn't want it, or who said they didn't like quilts. That's why we find such great things at thrift shops!

My daughter will beg/steal/take anything I make but my sons really don't care. The younger son likes the quilts, yet he lets his dogs play on them. The older son tells me that when I make something he likes, he'll ask for it. In 20 years, he's never asked!

I make quilts just cause I like shopping for fabric, having lunch out while shopping, going through stacks of books and magazines looking for patterns, dreaming about, thinking about, and pondering what I'll make. I get a rush while fondling expensive fabric. I make quilts just cause!

I am sorry. It sounds like you show your love by making quilts and some of your family members are not into it. Thankfully for me my husband and most of my children love quilts. I think there are some on my husbands side who don't but to each his own. I hope your boys like your quilts. That would matter the most to me.

)))HUGS((((

Hey - I take it as an "honor" when the quilt is thrown across any piece of furniture - especially in the living room. Guests don't always get into a bedroom and by placing your quilt in the living room, she gave it a "place of honor".

Oh yeah - and I know - when you give it, you have to let it go. I gave my daughter in law a quilt. On a visit to her home, she proudly exclaimed ' look at the bed I made for the dog '. I told her I couldn't see it because the crate it was in was covered by a quilt I had made her. She hasn't received one since. Sorry.

my impulse would be to make a couple of donation quilts, and on the label note that they were made with love in honor of your mom and/or sis, and take a photo of the label for mom/sis. then, give the quilts with that love to an organization that will put them in hands that will love them. win/win! you get to create, you get to "give" them to mom/sis, and someone who could use the "hug" will get that quilt to warm them.

While visiting my aunt-by-marriage I noticed one of my DGM's hand-pieced quilts laying on her dirty carport for a doggie blanket. I was furious! DH escorted me home quickly because he knew I wouldn't keep my mouth shut!

Most of my family see it as a waste of time. When you can buy cute quilts at the store for a fraction of the costs of a hand made quilt.

Plus you don't have the guilt if you want to change your decor and donate the quilt you bought to Goodwill or use it a drop cloth while painting the house.

My sister is the only one who really appreciates hand made items. That's because she does cross stitch.

My DM made qults for my brothers years back and found 1 in the trunk of the car under his greasy tool and the other brother used it in the garage to lay on when it was working under the car to to keep the engine liquids from staining the concrete.
Mom was heartbroken and never made another quilt again.

I made a couple of photos quilts for the same 2 brothers, using the original style of transfering photocopies of photos. You used "Picure This" transfer medium where you smeared this glue like mixture on the photocopy of the picture, pressed it to the fabric and then 24hr later you soaked it with water to remove the paper backing of the photo. Each photo took along time. Never heard anything about those quilts. Never seen them in either of their homes. I don't visit often so I tend not to remember to ask when I do.

I have a very small family, there's just my brother and me and my SIL is a gifted quilter so I obviously don't make quilts for them. If I make a quilt and a friend likes it enough to want it, I gift it to them. When I end up with a bunch of "homeless" quilts, I send them to my husband's nephew's wife. My DH has a huge family so she offers the quilts to family members first, then she finds homes for the rest through her church and her work. She loves getting my packages of quilts, and often other fun projects I've made, and working together we know the projects are going to to homes where they are wanted and appreciated.

My whole family loves my quilts, wether it be scrappy or planned. They are always asking who gets the next one. They all have several so I have been doing charity quilts and quilts for people with terminal cancer. Some people even ask if they can be on my Christmas List LOL as that is when I give most of them away.

My Sister says if she wants something "hand made",she'll buy it...LOL Doesn't bother me....one less to quilt for. My DDs & Grkids have enough quilts, so mine are for myself now.That's ok.I like knowing they're home to stay :)

Yes. We may be related! Make quilts for yourself & for the ones that appreciate your hard work. There was a song that had soemthing along these lines.... can't please everyone so you have to please yourself. We put a lot of time, money, energy and ourselves in things we make so make things for the ones that understand.

I think you have to find out what type of quilt a person likes, even when I look at all the beautiful quilts on here, there are some that don't fit my style. I don't give presents to people that don't appreciate them.

My mother in law hates them. She thinks they are oldfashioned and ugly.

I mentioned making a new quilt for my son, and he said they have too many blankets.

He still uses one I made for him 15 years ago.

It hurt at first, but then I just accepted it.

He does appreciate all the work I put into them, tho.

I have a good friend who sews but doesn't quilt and picks everything apart that I make. Guess what?? She wonders why other people get my quilts. Duh! She is the Captain of the Quilt Police"

The only thing I can say about that reaction is that they have no idea of the time and thought that goes into making a quilt.

There is a person is know who has commented that no one has ever made her a quilt. (I made 3 for her babies) Well, she moves around too much and leaves stuff behind. So who would want to. I don't even ask if the kids still have the quilts I made. They loved them, and mostly because of that, I would feel awful if they've been left in a storage locker somewhere that they couldn't pay for.

Sad but too often so

I had made a Granny's Flower Garden all by hand some years ago. I offered it to my oldest daughter, who graciously declined it. I made what I call cuddle quilts (fleece backed) for her three daughters for last Christmas - they loved them and insist on using them every night! I then embarked on a king-sized quilt for my younger daughter. The older one looked very wistfully at it. I asked her whether she would like me to make her a quilt which she could choose the colours and design. She jumped at it! Maybe she has learnt over time to appreciate quilts! Perhaps your family need to be 'taught' about quilts......

Here's the obverse side of the coin. Even though my ex-dil and son have been divorced for 16 years and she lives in Germany, she and I are still "in love" with each other. So, for her daughter's (not my son's child) 12th birthday this Spring I made her a garden quilt. My dil's family apparently has absolutely NO craft talent, but you would have thought I'd given them a treasure from the Taj Mahal. Now I've made a quilt for her son's upcoming 7th birthday. I feel like the luckiest, most loved "ex" mil in the universe!

My younger sister does not like quilts.

Everyone else loves them. BIL just had my older sister check out the price of the one in the local quilt shop window. He did not think $300 was very high. Guess I know what's on their bed now. LOL

I make quilts and table toppers for those who appreciate home made items. My mom will not even wash her table topper - I even put that heat reflective padding in it. She is afraid it will get wrecked.

Last year when my niece got married I made them a quilt and I think they really liked it. When her sister got engaged I told her I would like to make a quilt for them also. I then caught myself and said that is if you want one. I was so happy she said Yes, we would love to have you make a quilt. Don't give up lots of people want a quilt you just have to find those people.

I've made my BIL a quilt, and his wife didn't like it. I made it the colors he wanted. I've know him since he was 12 yrs old, and I figured if that was the colors he wanted, he got it.

I have 2 living daughters (1 passed away, she would have loved anything I did) and 1 son, 8 grandsons, and 4 grand-dtrs. Two of the gr-dtrs are tom boys. It boils down to 1 daughter and perhaps 1 gr-dtr that truly enjoy my quilts, esp. wallhangings. Hopefully some of my grandsons will marry girls who will enjoy my creations. Until then, I guess I am just doing it FOR MY OWN ENJOYMENT!!!!

When I give a "quilt" many times I get a thank you for the "blanket"................ ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! But, no use trying to explain the difference; they just don't understand - so be it - even when I tried it still came back blanket!

They just don't "GET IT"! I have to chuckle, the remark, "no thank you", reminds me of the mother on TV's Raymond.

At first my daughter was not interested in my quilts. Said: "Quilting is not my thing." Now, she will accept/take anything that comes off my needle. She now has 3 lap robes, and took all my excess wallhangings when I moved from my house to a retirement apartment. They are all prominently displayed in her house. Times bring change.

My friend just bought a new home and I planned to make her a quilt as a housewarming gift. I was talking with her and she was talking about buying a comforter for her room because she had always had "just ole quilts" before. I'm glad I found out she didn't want an "ole quilt" before I spent the time and money on one for her.

My Family do not want my quilts right now either. I just keep making them for my own enjoyment and when I am dead and gone I am hoping they will like them then, and if not; where ever they would decide to donate them will be happy. I am not going to stop doing what I love to do because my family isn't ready for them. they are into the Spa LOOK LOL
I have a friend who told me" if you make a quilt for a gift for someone just give it to them and let them keep it."
I should add my family does think they are beautiful just not their style for now.
I give them away when we visit friends or if they are sad or just because.