What is the nicest compliment you've received (or heard about) regarding a quilt you've made?

In my case I helped a friend make a quilt for her husband. We had taken care to find the best fabric for the top in an aviation theme (he's a pilot) and then put flannel on the back. It wasn't a fancy pattern at all. He loves the flannel best, I think, and recently told his wife that if they ever get divorced (they're not headed that way!) she can have everything else but he gets the quilt.

Wow! what a pat on the back for her and for me.

I just sandwiched and hand quilted an amish top that a girl I worked with wanted me to do to donate to the Cancer Walk and she got all teary when she saw it, That was all the thanks I needed. I get teary thinking about it!

I made an Americana sampler for my best friend who has her family room/dining room decorated in Americana. I used navy, burgundy and cream fabrics. She was so excited when she opened it and hugged me so hard... I was really happy. But the following week she told me that she took it somewhere to have it framed and it cost her $400. It hangs on her wall and I thought that was the nicest compliment I ever had.

that's an amazing pat on the back. congratulations...makes you feel good about spending time at the machine instead of mopping floors, right?

I was at my parents house showing my moms my quilts that I made for my grandchildren. My sister-in-law made a snide comment about I hope they appreciate getting another quilt. Her son stepped up and said I would take one of Aunt Kathy's quilts any day. That was a huge compliment from a 19 year old. Guess who is getting a special quilt for Christmas!!!!!!

My kids have great conversations about who will get what quilt when I'm senile!!!! I quess I will leave them a legacy as my mother did for her daughters.

I made a very manly quilt for a friend who has bone cancer. He was later found to be cancer free and he said that my quilts can cure cancer. Unfortunately he passed away a few years later. It was a very nice comment anyway.

This compliment came completely out of the blue...My Mother-in-law in the past has made it clear to me, in no uncertain terms, that she has NO interest in quilts or anything pertaining to quilts. Yesterday my Hubby got home after visiting a close family friend. She wanted me to know that despite what my MIL has said to me, everytime she talks about me to someone, she mentions my quilts and describes them as "exquisite"!! Coming from my MIL...that is an AMAZING compliment. (She is a highly talented and artistic lady.) I had planned on making her a quilt someday...but I think I might step it up!
I have to say...I am one of the fortunate few that is completely in love with my Hubby's family! My family is disfunctional but wonderful...his family is...amazing!
:)

This story will make me cry (again) but here it goes. I made a quilt for my older sister who lives in Ohio. She used it as her everyday quilt on her bed. Last year she became very ill and she told her kids she wanted that quilt to be buried with her. At the funeral home viewing the quilt was with her. I guess she liked it.

that one made me cry...what a compliment

All these stories are wonderful. I (we?) often think that folks don't appreciate the work and the love that goes into our quilts, then something like these stories pop up and give us encouragement - and make our hearts expand till the only way they can get bigger is to come out in tears...

I am trying art quilt projects and really enjoy them. Not long ago I had a "real" artist tell me that I could not exhibit my art quilts in their monthly art display since quilting was not art...how little she knows!

Which leads me to wonder how quilters would define "art"...maybe another discussion thread?

Here's to each of you who keeps on keeping on even when the kudos are not obvious.

RatherBQuilting - at least your MIL is able to verbalize her feelings to someone and I"m glad it got back to you. Have you ever thought about making a quilt for your MIL based on one of her own paintings/drawings? Might make it even more special to her.

My husband gave me the best compliment. He wants two quilts to keep in his trucks.
And today I spoke with my grandbabies other Grandmother in Oklahoma, she said the quilt I sent for the next arrival in a week and a half was simply beautiful she loved all the stitching.

I gave a quilt to my foster daughters boyfriend, Kyle. He came home and one of his roommates was covered over with the quilt. Kyle took it off him, was told "I was using that", Kyle responed "its mine"!
These are grown men out of the Army and in college LOL.
I sent two more quilts with Kyle and Aleigh for the two room mates.

I'm seeing a couple of themes in the comments here - Guys CAN get attached to something "girlie" like a quilt, and positive feedback, however obscure, can put quilters into a sewing frenzy so that more quilts are produced, creating more positive feedback, etc. Will it ever end??? Not as long as a quilter can still sit at a machine.

Thanks ladies for adding your comments and I'd love to hear more.

I made a nap quilt for a good friend's grandson for his birthday. He hugged and thanked me as expected and I never thought to hear any more about it. This weekend my friend told me that another little boy was over at his house and wanted to use his quilt. Griffin apparently refused adamantly, telling Marcus that "Somebody made that for me and it's special. Go find another one."...awww!

that reminds me of the time a friend was having a new baby with a three year old at home. Knowing that competition can sometimes set in with a new baby, I made a quilt with one of the panels with roads, building, etc on it and included with it were two matchbox cars. The backing was strips of fabric in three colors to match the front. I explained to the three year old that the front side was his to use and the back side was for his new brother to use and that they had to share. The father reported back to me a year later that the older brother was still using the front side and made sure that Mom and Dad let the baby use it sometimes. The older brother would wake up early and go downstairs where they kept the blanket with the cars and would play on the floor until they came down...As chance would have it and totally without planning, he also told me that the strips I'd used on the back (red, yellow and green[?]) were in the exact order that when read starting with one color were in the sequence of the flag from one parent's heritage and when read starting with another color it was the colors of the flag from the other parent's heritage.

I saw my friend several years later and he said that the quilt was still around and the younger one was now the one bringing it out and playing with the same cars!

Kathy N
I hope you put your nephew's name on his quilt and specify that it is his so his tacky mom will know it doesn't belong to her! How rude of her, she could think whatever but should not make an ugly remark like that. That kind of remark would really hurt my feelings, and I don't get them hurt easily.

Ktbb: We have a special section at our annual Fall Fair in our quilt show exhibt just for art quilts. That "artist" should come see some of them! Gerbie

Gerbie - I have a feeling that this individual wouldn't even recognize the artistic aspect even then...so I moved on and now enjoy these activities thru the guild, classes, etc. I just hope I don't ever come across as being that narrow-minded!

What wonderful stories!

So far, I guess the biggest compliment I've received is that my friend won't leave her quilt at the cabin which it was made for. She hauls it back and forth so that no one will steal it. It was a quilt that we actually made together, but she had never done any quilting before, so I was in the lead. I cut, she pieced the blocks, I sewed the blocks together and did all the final quilting and binding.

I have three extra special compliments for quilts I have made for others, the first for a dear widower friend and (ex neighbor) when DH and I were first married some 40 yrs. ago. We attended Church together and he had been battling cancer for several years. I don't know why but suddenly I knew I must make Bill a quilt. I made him a log cabin quilt and rushed to finish it because he was really getting low. I did it in less than two weeks a record in itself. I gave it to him on Thurs. and he passed away on Mon. of the next week. He loved it he said. His daughter in law told me he really thought it was extra special because she said he was cold that morning and wrapped up in the quilt and passed that way. I can only think it must have been special to him. The other was a quilt that I made for my best friend for her 70th birthday. I showed her some patterns, and some fabric, she picked both out, thinking that I was making the quilt for DH. I don't know where she came up with that idea. She was kept in the loop with the quilt, we work together as retired teachers doing math tutorial classes at a local elem. She knew I was on the finishing end of the quilt a few days before her BD. When her BD came along, on one of our workdays, I had a BD card and the quilt in a box, She loved the card and when she opened the box, stated, Oh! you finished Bob's (DH) quilt, I said yes, but it isn't his, it's yours, she cried. The next was a quilt for my youngest neice. I designed and made her a quilt for Christmas her freshman year at Tx. A&M with her collegiate colors and a photo of her Sr. pic. in the center. She was almost in hysterics, she was so excited. She would not take it with her to school, because she feared someone would take it from her dorm room. Gerbie

DJ - don't you love helping someone do a quilt like that when they think they can't?

Gerbie, amazing, all three. We never know when following the leading of our heart will mean so much to someone else.

First I am very sorry for your loss.

My paternal grandmother said this when I gave her her lap quilt. She said that we can put it over her in the coffin. I don't know if she was serious but I know whe really liked it.

Kyia

Many years ago I bought a teddy bear that is made from a pink hand quilted baby quilt. The lady told me that the quilt was very old, and the lady it came from was over 80 years old. I asked her how she could cut into something so old and special. She said that the quilt was in bad shape and had been well loved. There were even worn spots all over the teddy bear, which just made it even more special.

This teddy bear was suspected to have magical powers in my house. My son was not allowed to touch it at all unless he was sick. In my mind it was not a toy, it needed protection. But he insisted it always made him feel better. I asked him why he thought that and he said that at first it was kinda stiff and cold when he held it, but somehow it seemed to warm up and get all cuddly. It was like it was alive and wanting to help him feel better. Maybe it was magical, I know it certainly was comforting and special.

I guess my biggest compliment would be that my husband can't let any of them leave the house without a picture. He really hates to see them go ;-)

As I have only made the one quilt I am not qualified to answer here really but I must share this with you, lol!

We are about to put our house on the market and when MDH and I were discussing how we should present our home for selling etc, when it came to the master bedroom he said,'Id put your nice quilt on the bed, it makes the room look nice!' I guess that is the seal of approval from him as the quilt is in pastel pinks and blues and the room is all olive greens and browns,it would not colour co-ordinate at all! Obviously he thinks the potential buyers of the house will be busy admiring the quilt and might not notice the peeling paint!!

Gal

I just made a baby quilt for a girl at church. When she saw it, I think she was in shock, she just said...looks good. I know she loves it, she hadn't even seen the fabric.

Sounds like a winner to me Gal! If Hubby thinks it looks nice other men probably will to, as well as lots of ladies! Go for it! Gerbie

I showed my FIL one of the baby puff quilts that I had made from flannel and he said, "Oh, that's nice" and then he touched it and said,"OHHHH, THAT'S NICE. I don't suppose you could make a full-size one like that." I made him a larger version out of golf flannel. We called it his "post-golf quilt" instead of a baby quilt. He kept it on the sofa in his living room and I think napped with it most days. He's been gone a year now, but I have the quilt back. Sometimes I just go hold it for a while and it seems like he's still very close (which I believe). He was a very special man.

Gerber, one of your stories reminds me of one of my co-workers. Three of us went to Curves 3 days a week and worked together. Anne was diagnosed with breast cancer (she is now fine), I made her a scrappy log cabin, with lots of pink(for breast cancer) and flowered fabrics, she loves to garden. Gail supplied the $$ for the backing, a very nice pink heavy flannel. Gail said no to flannel, but I knew Anne like me was always cold. We took Anne to lunch and at the table gave her a gift bag with the quilt. She cried as I thought she would.

The nicest compliment I have received - every time I go to my mil's house and see the table runner STILL on her table!! :) After 21 years of marriaged I FINALLY did something right ;)

In the first year I quilted, one of the teachers in my group was retiring. She was a quilter also. I got fabric together and each member of our teacher group picked two fabrics and on off-white fabric wrote something to the teacher. I put each set together as a square-in-a-square. When I gave it to her at her retirement party, she cried! It made me feel so great.

Just this last January I gave my granddaughter a quilt. I had made curtains for her bedroom in her new house during the summer. I used that fabric and other matching fabrics and made her a bed quilt for her birthday. She called me the night of her birthday and screamed "I LOVE my quilt!" She's eight. It was the best reception a quilt of mine has ever gotten!

I gave my SIL a simple flannel quilt, 5x7 6" or 8" blocks, I can't remember...

Anyway, about a week later my BIL had to go into the hospital for a couple of days. They took the quilt with them and used it all the time. They said there were several comments. The hospital was cold in the areas of x-ray, etc. where he had to be.

They take it everywhere with them now...

(Pictures on Picassa below)

The first quilt I made my son after basic training has been to Iraq, Afganistan, and to the hospital when his first daughter was born.
His wife is now sleeping on another quilt I made her, while her husband (my son) is in Iraq again.

That happened just yesterday and it was my DH. We were eating lunch at an IHOP and he was reading the paper. He saw they were going to have a quilt show in the state capitol here, and stated, "You should enter one of your quilts." To which I replied, "That was sweet, but my quilts aren't good enough. " To which he said, "I beg to differ. Your quilts are beautiful." To which I said, " Besides I keep giving them all away. I don't have one." He said, "Make one." DUH!
The show is the second week in April. I thought that was very sweet of him.

Brushandthinble,
You have actually made a Quilt Around the World, then since your sons quilt has been around the world. I love it. Please tell your son and his family, especially you mom, that we thank him and his family so much for serving to protect our country. I know it must be harder on the families not knowing daily how things are going. I pray daily for all of our service personnel whever they might be and will continue to do so. They can not receive enough THANKS for all they do!!! God's blessings and love to all of you!!

WVDEK,
So you are going to make one aren't you? You will have to rush and burn the candle at both ends at this date!! What a compliment. Gerbie

I have two sisters. One sister received a belated birthday quilt as a present. On her birthday, I sent her a text message with a picture of it saying it wasn't quite finished, but I wanted her to see what I had made for her. She never responded. Of course, I was quite hurt. I never thought my other sister would be interested in my quilts, but she oohed and aahed at the quilt I made for our younger sister. In any case, she made my day when I asked her what her favorite colors were and she knew she was next in line for a birthday quilt and she said she would cherish it forever.