Heirloom, I have always known is with clothing, quilts, etc., made with French laces, pin tucks, French hand sewing, pearl buttons, christening gowns, fine embroidery, etc.

I see it as a quilt that is handed down through your family. It does not have to be amazing, the love and memories attached to it and it's maker are what make it a family heirloom.

I love the idea of an heirloom quilt but for me it depends on if there is an heir that would want it. I don't think anyone in my family would appreciate my quilts like I do. My mother does but I've already made her a couple of her own that are "her."

I do have one that has a lot of appliqued blocks as well as pieced and a very detailed applique border around it where I used 1 1/2" squares as sashing, each hand placed not as strip pieced and cut into the same segments. I completely hand quilted it and have used it on my queen size bed. Took me 5 years to complete for various reasons. Anyway I did consider it an heirloom until I washed it and one of the fabrics bled and I cannot remove the excess dye from it (which is heartbreaking). My only option is to take it apart, applique a new border and replace that whole border section which is way too much work. So it stays as is. I don't feel like it's worthy of an heirloom title anymore but I do still love it for it's beauty and all the hand work in it.

This is a very nice one!

I have a quilt assembled from blocks my 89-year old Aunt embroidered some 30+ years ago. Now, my SIL, when we found these blocks cleaning out the Aunt's house, told me to "throw them away", and I said NOT JUST NO, BUT H___L NO. To me, these blocks are precious. For that reason, I squared up the blocks, and assembled them with "Blue Viney Calico, made a bed skirt from the white background fabric and put borders on the bed skirt. Then, I made a set of pinch-pleat drapes, with the same borders as the sashing and borders on the quilt, and a pinch-pleated valance made from the Blue Viney Calico. A photo of parts of that quilt is posted in the Pictures section. I truly regard this quilt as an heirloom, not because I assembled it and made the bed skirt, drapes and valance, but because my dear aunt spent an awful lot of hours doing the embroidery work. I could not bear to see these blocks thrown away. I am working on completing the quilt, the drapes, valance and bed skirt which will go to my son, not me. I won't waste space posting photos again -- they are there if you are interested. Thank you. Jeanette