[QUOTE=Peckish;8558459]I've read about people who find a quilt with a label in a quilt store, hunt down the family, and return it to them. I dread that happening to me some day. I don't want the quilt back and I don't want to know that's where it was found.
/QUOTE]

This one of the reasons that on my quilt labels that I've made for family, I sign it with (Love Nana and the year) They know who Nana is and if it is handed down, they can pass the word. Otherwise, if given away, I don't have a surprise later from a searcher.

But if it was stolen, the family will want it back. Quite often in a house burglary, a quilt or other bedding item is used to haul out stolen goods.

I would simply use that as an excuse to make another quilt to give to them. 😊

Though we know that our quilts are unique, irreplaceable, priceless works of art, there are those who do not differentiate between them and a mass produced, made in China blanket they can buy in Walmart for $19.99.

And that’s how a Project Linus quilt can end up in a thrift store.

Hopefully, someone who knows it’s true value will recognize the hidden gem that it is, give it a new home, and treat it with the respect it deserves.

Exactly.
If I had a house break in, the last thing I would worry about would be the quilt. Keepsakes are nice and mean a lot, but all the love I put into the quilt that got taken, would be put right back into another. There would be no way to keep every single quilt I have made, including the numerous quilts given to family. That's what memories are for!

Where's the upvote button? This is exactly the situation. It's why so often people who do sell quilts hear "why so expensive? I can get the same for $30 at Walmart."

My son spent a lot of time in hospitals as a child. More than once we saw room mates (or their families) throw a project linus quilt into the trash as they were checking out. Who knows why. Maybe they didn't particularly like it or it had bad memories associated with it. Maybe they had limited space at home. Maybe it was soiled and they didn't want to take home hospital germs. One of the nurses would take them out of the trash, wash them in a laundromat, and donate them to animal shelters, which I think is better than a landfill, but I did wonder how a quilter would feel potentially seeing a quilt they made being used for an animal shelter.

The bottom line is, you have to give a gift and release your sense of control. The recipient will do what they do.

Project Linus quilts are given to children in traumatic situations. I can understand the possible bad memories. The future of quilts I donate to PL doesn't stop me from making them.

Like fishing
 

This is a reminder that quilting for charity is similar to catch and release in fishing. For those of us who have been making charity quilts exclusively long term, we learn early to make and release. We are motivated by the stories we hear like I did from my physical therapist.

Our guild gives a quilt to every pediatric patient in the local hospital. My PT’s four year old had to have surgery. At eight years old he slept with his quilt every night. It went with him if they traveled even. That story alone fuels my commitment.

So sad. I quilt for Project Linus.. and sadly yes, sometimes the quilts are discarded. But the intent is always pure in heart.