I made one recently and was told it would be hung on the nursery wall. I personally hope the recipient changes her mind, I did make a comment that it was made to be used and constructed so that it could function as a working quilt. I did reason with myself that I had enjoyed making it, enjoyed gifting it and, now it was not mine, I have to accept that the recipient should enjoy the freedom to do as she wishes with it.

When I gift a baby quilt, I send along a little poem called "It's Your Quilt". I didn't write it, but found it somewhere on the internet. I hope that it is used.

Absolutely. I tell people I make quilts for if they want to hang it on the wall I'll make it a wall hanging. Let the kidlets wear out the quilt then I'll make another. The best memories coming out of the closet are the worn out quilts; you know they were loved.

Cari

Well used and loved!

perhaps the folks whose quilts got packed away will get them out and treasure them as adults, and hand them down to their children. The ones worn to death may not make another generation of use! I know I treasure everything that got handed down to me by my mother and grandmother, and DH's family too. Some of it - embroidered table linens was one thing I recall - had never even been used. Well, I have made valences and curtains with them and they are adorable, and some of them I have simply worn out! You may be long gone and some descendent will be saying what a cute quilt!

The highest praise i ever got was from my niece. I made her a flannel blanket/quilt when she was 6....12 years later all that was left of it was a square about 18x18". It had been dragged everywhere and washed goodness knows how many times. My mom mentioned that she still (at age 18) slept with the "rag" under her pillow. I made her another - with much better flannel as close to the original as i could find - and she screamed walked around the house with it wrapped around her.
BUT....i have another friend who hung the quilt i made on the wall of her son's room - it's been there for 7 years - even though his decor has changed, he wants the quilt there.
Both make me happy.

I want them to be well-loved, whatever form that takes. If they end up in the mud, I am sure they will survive the wash.

My DD had a simple quilt from my mom. She wore that thing out but kept it. After she had her first child, she passed on to him. Her DH said boys should not have blankies. So, I cut it up and made Spike, a stuffed dinosaur. At 20 yrs he still has it in his closet. No longer red and blue. Kinda of drab yuck. Still loved. Those are the kind of quilts I make now.

I made a quilt for my niece that I'm pretty sure never got used. I assume it's tucked away in her closet, but I haven't seen it since I gave it to my sister; although I love her dearly, I'm still a bit hurt, 9ish years later. On the other hand, I made a quilt for my cousin's baby, and got a note saying how much they liked it, along with a picture of his little girl playing with it.

That's my philosophy too. That's how quilts have always been treated in my family - I have a whole bunch of memories of my favorite childhood quilt often serving as a cape or a tree-branch tent; it was quicksand or lava, it was part of forts, it was the scene of many tea parties and picnics... The backing and bindings got replaced, the embroidery mostly vanished, and finally at some point in my early teens it got put up and I didn't see it again until I was an adult.

I have it now, in its tattered and stained glory, and it's amazing the memories that flood back when I spread it out to look at it and refold it periodically. I'm really glad my mom hung onto it for me.

I'm flattered when people say my quilts are "too good" to use...but also a little crestfallen. I (gently) argued my sister into letting herself and the kids use the quilts I made for them for Christmas a couple years ago. It was finally telling her that keeping them folded and tightly stuffed into pillowcases was going to eventually ruin them anyway that did it. So now they all drag my quilts around and I couldn't be happier. :)

Besides, if they never use them, they'll never use them UP and then how will I find an excuse to make them another?