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Quote:

Originally Posted by SweatyPie (Post 6899950)

So many of the young mothers are urged not to use quilts in the crib with young babes as a precaution against SIDS. I feel that may be why baby quilts are often stored away or hung on the wall rather than used. Thus, I prefer to make my gifted quilts either smaller, suitable for use in the car over a car seat, or larger, suitable for the toddler who is finally moving to the "big kid bed".

I doubt the "no blanket in the crib" has much to do with storing quilts. My grands have blankets/quilts for the floor, for the couch, for the car, for outside, for where ever a blanket can be place to play or sleep ON> Oh and for the boat! LOL, that one has anchors on it.

My personal quilts are meant to be used and loved. When I give a quilt that is up to the person receiving it if they feel its meant to be a preserved one then so be it .

Use them. You can pack away a well loved quilt just as easy as a just for show quilt

Quote:

Originally Posted by jbud2 (Post 6899299)

I have made a number of baby quilts for babies born in my family, and there are two I made for babies that I was paid to make. The grandmother told me that her grandson loves his quilt and drags it everywhere - I am glad I machine quilted it! I just made her another one for a soon to be granddaughter, and I feel good knowing these quilts are really loved. My nephew's wife has packed away the baby quilts I made for their children. When the children are grown, they'll probably say to Mom, what do I need this for, and even maybe - who is this lady? And the quilts will end up in a thrift shop, or as a rag.

Which quilts do you make that make you feel good - the preserved ones, or the wore to the nubs ones??

I make my quilts to be used and loved. I tell everyone that they need to be "LOVED" if they love the quilts so much that they wear out I'll make them a new one.
One if my sons and DIL love their to death then they get loved by their dogs. By the time they are done there is almost nothing left.
I am making a new one for their bed. It will be Nightmare Before Christmas themed.
I would be very upset if they were put away and not used.

I make my quilts to be used. I feel insulted when someone says they want to put the quilt away to preserve it. :shock:

I have made 4 quilts so far for my 5 y/o dgs and he uses all of them. They live on a low shelf in his room and he chooses which one he wants on any given night. They are all well loved and now he has asked me for a Lego quilt for Christmas. Might take some imagination on my part, but he will happily use that one, too. :-)

I gave a baby quilt to a friend who became new mother last year. I live in a country without much/any quilt culture (comforters and duvets from IKEA are standard). She asked what to do with it and I told her to use it however she wanted! I told her it was very washable and fine as a blanket. She seemed confused. Not sure how or if it gets used now. But I know I spent some hours thinking happy thoughts for the baby and mother as I worked on it! As a gift, its out of my hands and I can't determine the role of it in their lives. It truly is the thought that counts! To me, making a quilt for someone is a such a lovely meditation or prayer for them-- excluding the time spent ripping out seams and cursing like a sailor over mistaken measurements.

As a child "my" quilt was something I rescued out of the back of the family van. Sun-bleached, it lined the back-back of the Suburban, making it a play-pin for my sister and I on road trips. Probably not a very safe idea now, having kids tumble around untethered in the backend of a van, but I have fond memories. I became very attached to it and as the thinner fabric wore and tore through, I still dragged it around and snuggled it to bits. Though I want it to last forever-- I can't imagine repairing all the "memories." I just want to love it until it completely disintegrates.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sewnoma (Post 6901909)

I actually am surprised at how many quilts I see in thrift shops. One I go to seems to always have at least 5 or 6 quilts - sometimes even ones I'd consider antiques or near antiques; hand-quilted and worn soft.

I always look at them but I can't imagine what I'd do with them so I never buy them. I have a lot of my grandmothers' quilts packed away that I already feel a little busy with, since I make sure to open them up and re-fold them regularly. (No spare bed to keep them on anymore.) Adding strangers' quilts to the pile just doesn't make sense to me.

A lot of those are cheap imports. If someone only paid $25 for a "handmade" quilt from China, yeah, it is going to wind up in a thrift store someday.

I have 4 grandchildren. When each was born, I made them 2 small flannel quilts that were identical. One quilt I gave to them for home and one I kept at my house. I know the ones they had at home were completely worn out. But when they came to my house they used the copy I had kept. Even when they were still teenagers, they wanted to get out their copy quilt and snuggle with it. The copies are in great condition and when they have children or get married or ????, I will give them their copy quilts for their first born. They are simple quilts but each child's quilt is unique. I am so glad they liked them.