A question out of curiosity: what is your main purpose when you make a quilt? Is it meant for daily use? For quilt shows? For decoration in your house? Or just because it's fun?

My quilts would NEVER make it into a show. But they are all made with love and are to be used.

Mostly because it is fun.

Because when I'm quilting I am in the zone,I am relaxed,mind body and soul.As for the quilts I make ,I usually give them to family and friends.

Fun and the joy they bring others.

Great fun, much joy, immense happiness, pure pleasure, really relaxing, very creative, sheer satisfaction and because I LOVE IT !!!!

Quilting does take me to a wonderful, peaceful place away from the chaos of the "real world"

My last 2 quilts have been UFOs that my aunt made 50 yrs ago - the look on her face when they were returned to her completed!!

The look on the faces are the best and the high I get is indescribable!!!

Fun and relaxation, mostly. Anything else is an added benefit.

Janet

I make functional quilts. I want them to be used and loved.

HA, HA on the quilt show comment. Never happen here. Not even striving for it.

Daily use. I make them so someone can crawl under them and feel someone really cares about them.

My sanity, lol, I absolutely MUST have a creative outlet.
:lol: And mine are meant to be used.

ME TOO!!!

Fun, to be used, and keeping my sanity - that's why I quilt.

Mine are just every day quilts, wouldnt be good enough for a show. I also do charity quilts, try my best, but I just do simple and easy ones.

I am in the process of making my first quilt, which is mostly a tribute to my grandma and mom, and it's for me. I have bought material to make my dad a quilt, and my MIL.

I HOPE some day I will make a quilt that I can put in a show, but I don't know....seems very unlikely at this time!

to keep me sane!!!! I quilt as a creative outlet, to give gifts, and just because I enjoy it. I don't need a reason beyond that.

Because I am compelled to quilt! Some are for my family, some for gifts, some for church family, but all are for using!

I want them to be used & well-loved. I would rather it fall to pieces because it did everything than hang up on a wall.

I do it for fun. And to see the creation come together.

I just like to sew them. Dont think i would ever want to put them in a show. Even if they were good enough. As long as I like them thats all that matters to me. They are all ribbon winners as far as I'm concerned. Ive sold one baby quilt. It made me feel guilty. I like to give them away.

Oh, and it is cheaper than therapy. LOL.

Janet

I quilt to show my family I love them and because I like the warmth it adds to my home. I love the way my youngest daughter latches on to her quilt, even at the age of 11 and the way all of my children eagerly wait for their next quilt. It's also a HUGE stress relief for me. Many prayers go into each quilt.

I quilt for the joy of creating. But I have entered into my local non-juried show. Maybe some day my skills will be good enough that I could enter a juried show but showing is down the list. First is the joy of creating, second is to create something that is beautiful and functional. I tend to only want to make bed size quilts. I rarely make wall hangings but do make table toppers, placemats and such. Occasionally a wall hanging.

All of my quilts are made because it's fun. Some are for decoration, like the first quilt I made and the Christmas Quilt I'm working on right now. Others are for daily use, like the Irish Chain quilt I'm working on that's going to go on my bed. It basically depends on the pattern what I do with it and I pick my patterns because they look fun to make :)

:thumbup: Just for fun and to give away I seen some of them they get lots use .Sewned a corner on one I made 20yrs ago for my sil she was so upset because she hooked it on end bed tore a hole.

I love to make quilts for my family and friends to be USED and loved as much as I loved making it for them. It is my stress reliever in this BUSY & caotic world we live in!!

Today all of my quilts have been made to use. However, I will soon be starting on an heirloom quilt for my Son and future DIL as they will be getting married 2012. I cannot wait to do this one. I will be hand quilting the entire quilt, thanks to the inspiration YOU have given me Andrea! Some day I hope to be good enough to enter a quilt in a show. But for now, its so much fun. I wished I didnt have to work, it cuts into my quilting time. LOL

I quilt because I love it. I find it relaxing and refreshing. Most of my quilts are given to people who are facing hardships, some for family, some for fundraisers. They would never make it into a show, but are full of love and prayers and intended to be used.

Most of my quilts are to be used. Most are for beds. I have made some for wall art for specific people. All of them are for my enjoyment of making them.

What else am I going to go shopping for? Shopping for quilting is as much fun as making the quilt.

I sew for relaxation. After working all day, it helps me get my mind of my patients. And my main purpose is to use up stash. I have tons of scraps from making Operating room hats, so there is a huge selection. But I want it to be sewn into fanciful quilttops before I die. My goal is zero scraps and stash to pass to my daughter. I buy only enough to set things together.

The reasons vary so much with each quilt -- yes, yes, yes, and yes. Sometimes also to give away or sell.

because they call me...as a creative outlet and therapy...to play with colors...to gift love...to send love into our world...for fun...to keep me sane (or as close as I can get to there--

all of my quilts are *usable* quilts..some have been heirloom quality, but all are used, and loved....if one wears out i either fix it or make a new one...i seriously have never understood getting something to pack away for ever...what is the point...so someone some day can find it and Maybe be happy with the find, or maybe just toss it to the goodwill...seems like a waste of my time to me. i never understood my grandma...she had a couple linens that were NEVER used...not allowed...she would really get (testy) if one of us kids pulled out a certain table cloth when setting the table....not allowed...well ya know what...when she passed away, not one of her 7 adult children had any interest in that table cloth...and it was set out beside the trash...all those years she protected it so...and for what ? i just don't get it...it has no meaning to me when i 'm gone, so why not enjoy it while i'm here? i've made a couple kids quilts that parents have (tried) to not let the kids use...i take them back and tell them...if that one isn't *good-enough* i'll just take it and try again...my thought on that is...the kid should be able to use the quilt as much as they want, if they love it and want to have picnics in the yard, or build forts in their room...it is WONDERFUL! when the child out-grows the quilt, that is when it is ok to put it away for them to share with their children in the future.,,,but they should be used...and i've entered plenty of them in shows and contests and have a wall full of ribbons...that does not change anything... pictures go with the ribbons...the quilts go on beds...in cars/trucks, what ever.
yup-i'm crabby ;-)

80-90% of mine have been gifts. I don't think I'm saving any money, but Christmas is so much easier when you have a stash of quilts made up and ready to go!

First because I enjoy making them, and second to be used, loved and worn out :D:D:D I doubt that any of mine will ever be entered in any form of competition LOL

My quilts are made to be used. Stitching has always been my sanity saver so it's wonderful to have a "useful" hobby as my dear MIL would say. If an object can't be used, she doesn't want it in her house and I think she probably has the right idea about quilts. Who and what are we saving them for? Not all people love or appreciate quilts so we who love them should use them and enjoy them and share them with others who feel the same.

Just for fun. Although a few of them are used for warmth too. My daughter keeps an "I LOVE YOU" quilt on her bed and she sleeps under it. I think she has a couple of other quilts that get used for various purposes from time to time. She recently made a bed for her American Girl dolls and I think the "mattress" was a folded quilt.

Ditto, I just love making them and giving them away, the look on the receivers face is wonderful.

Quilting is both my passion and addiction. From the traditional to the crazy, to the weird and wonky, I'll try anything, LOL it's my drug. Mostly I do it because it is my hobby, but I also teach. When I am doing it as my hobby - the quilts are just for me, friends, family, charity etc as homemade gifts from the heart made with a lot of love which gives me a tremendous sense of satisfaction and purpose. I spend the whole time making a quilt visualizing how much my intended recipient will find it special and useful imagining a smile across their face and it's that - which is the food that keeps my spirit going. I know quilting is apart of my purpose with others, to make them smile and laugh!

Someday I'd like to enter some traditional and art quilts into a show and/or contest, but I figure that won't happen for awhile given my whacky work schedule. Right now I have a specific idea for what I think would be a really neat art quilt project, and if I chose to go forward with it, I think it may be the first I endeavor to enter into a show and/or contest.

Explosive blessings, abundance and inspiration to you all!
- The Creative Seamstress