OH MY !!!!!! That is why i CAREFULLY choose who i give one. Some people just don't understand the concept od hand stitched and hand quilting !!!!!

I learned a long time ago when making things for my family (mostly mother and sister) that our tastes were so different that it was difficulty to make something they truly appreciated. So, from then on we started what I call the "I get it back" gifts. Whatever we give one another, if for any reason they no longer want it, I get it back. They've begun the same kind of routines between themselves, too and it is really working out well. I must admit, I have a tendency to make things with fabric I love more than they might, but after all, if I may ever get back, why not? And they have become more thankful and appreciative of the crafting and time that goes into my gifts. I cannot keep up with them financially and they'd rather pay big bucks to send something than take the time to make it. So in my estimation, we're even. Like the author Debbie Macomber says, "make every stitch count as a prayer, a good thought or just plain fun and whatever you're making will be worth the effort." Go for it!!!

maybe it was just the fleece they didn't like? Did you use a panel?

Amazing stories....I will remember these stories as my quilting progresses. I am only on the 4th one and have given the 1st 3 away. I would be very hurt and am sure you were too.

I totally understand your pain at your hard work unappreciated. I've sort of decided to hone my quilting skills by giving everyone I know a potholder I've made. It's such a good, fast,easy way to use scraps and not invest a lot of money.

I'm working on my very first quilt, baby-size and boy have I learned a lot from all my booboos.

Could someone comment on the best quilt designs for beginners or baby quilts. I tried my first FMQ on a potholder and it will be a long time til I do that again.

You are so right! This needed to be said. No offense intended, but there are just some folks who don't appreciate the effort and love that go into making a homemade gift, especially a quilt. They should go out to Anna's and buy themselves a quilt from China.

Oh dear, that is just an awful thing to have happen. I am so sorry to read this. You are right though, often people just don't realize how much time and effort (let alone cost) has gone into making our quilts.
I belong to a quilting group (a couple of them actually) and one of the groups the ladies each made a block and signed it then put the quilt together. The leader of the group brought it to me when I was in hospital having my cancer treatment. I thought it was so sweet of them all to think of me this way. Love the quilt. Of course the following weeks went past in a blur and I forgot about the quilt. I had it with me in hospital for a couple of weeks but then sent it home as I was worried something terrible would happen to it. Several weeks after coming home I suddenly remembered that quilt and couldn't find it. What panic occurred as I imagined all sorts of scenarios for what had happened to it. To make it worse I had looked at the wrapped quilt twice while searching for it and yet not seen it. Anyways to make a long story short, it is now on our bed with another (it is winter here).

I have given away all except 2 of the quilts I have made so far and with out fail all of them have been put away and are not in use (well 2 I don't know about). I have just accepted that this is the way some people are and I don't really mind as I make the quilts because I enjoy doing this. Apart from two (and I have kept one) of them all of the others have been smaller quilts.

Cheers
Maybe1day

I guess I could love any quilt.
Hubby and I were in Sears just browsing when we seen these big boxes of "Hand made quilts" just $29.95. These were made in a 3rd world country.
Two of those quilts caught my fancy, so we bought them.
One was very well made, the other not so good on the hand quilting. Actually, it was because the quilting thread seem to rot away in a year. I am going to re-stitch it. It has a lot of hand applique. The bottom line of this story is how I stroked the quilt thinking about the hours that had gone into it and how few pennies the worker had been paid for her time.

If I had been the nurse, I would have said "how can you give this away, it's hand made!" I would have read the tag to the patient and made sure she knew who made it for her and told her it was too valuable for me to take, that she needed to take it home. After all, it was made for HER by a FRIEND. Then I would have offered to drop it off for her if she couldn't manage it that day. Guess I appreciate handmade items as I know the work that goes into it and to me it would have been like STEALING to accept it, especially since the chick didn't have a clue. Do I live in a small town area? Yes, but I'd like to think that even if I didn't, I'd do the same.

Judy, there are probably some good threads on her about that subject. A couple of tried and true beginner patterns are just setting 5" blocks together, a rail fence pattern (very quick and simple, yet looks interesting) another is a four patch with solid/contrasing setting squares. If you look on downy.com's website, there are some patterns there for their charity quilts. The patterns are super simple.