I have read a lot of posts about how certain people have NO IDEA and NO appreciation for the quilts that we make. I figured something out last Christmas, to save myself some heartache.
I made 8 or 9 fleece blankets (I sewed the edges though, I didn't tie them) and gave them as gifts. I made one for my Step-dad, and he loved it, he was very appreciative. He is someone that will get a quilt from me some day, I know it will be worth the effort, and he will appreciate what I've made.
I made one for my Dad and Step-Mom, and they did not have the same reaction. It was kind of like, "Oh...this will be nice to keep us warm in the car...." Totally didn't get that I took time to MAKE them something! :lol: Clearly NOT someone that I will make a quilt for. I love them dearly, of course, but I know they just wouldn't "get" how much work goes into a quilt.
Anyways, I gave all the blankets out as gifts, and I know who will eventually get one of my quilts, based on how they reacted to the fleece blankets.... I'm glad I didn't take the time/money/effort to make a quilt for all these people!

Long story short!! :lol: :lol: (sorry I tend to ramble)
If you aren't sure if a person will appreciate a quilt, maybe think of a smaller, not so time-intensive project to make them. Like a tote, or an easy blanket, or something along those lines. Then you will know who is "quilt-worthy" :D

(I meant nothing negative by this post, I don't mean to say that people aren't worth my time, obviously! But it has saved me some hurt feelings, just thought I would pass it along) :-D

Thanks for listening! You guys are the best!

Heather, I don't think this post is negative at all! I think it's realistic and smart!! :D

I completely understand what you mean. I made a quilt for my DH and he just loved it. Well he showed it to his parents and his dad wouldn't even look at it, he just snubbed his nose at it. So Cali will freeze over before I make him anything. FIL has the attitude I got money so I can afford to go out and buy whatever i wants so we don't give him gifts.

You are so right. A very dear friend of mine was in the hospital so I took her one of my prettiest lap quilts. She seemed pleased and thanked me. Later when I visited her at home she was wrapped up in a rather dingy cheap blanket. I asked why she wasn't using the quilt and she said. That thing was too heavy for me to carry out of the hospital so I gave it to one of the nurses who helped me.
I have never made another thing for her. She is still my dear friend but she just didn't get it. She later asked me where I had purchased it,(it had my label on it). I told her I had made it from scratch. She asked if I would make one for her to give to her husbands nurse. I explained they take me 6-8 weeks to make and I generally get $300.00 for that size. WHAAAT? Yes mam. She thought I had just picked it up somewhere on the way to the hospital because "it didn't look homemade"....Oh well, live and learn!

Yes, that is a good way to tell for you. Thanks for sharing with us. You know others don't appreciate our quilting as they have no idea the time and money to make a quilt

Have a great day!

Craftybear

I learned the hard way myself. I gave a quilt to a friend , and a few months later it was being used in the dog bed. Not that I do not love dogs. I do! but not even my dog has a quilt I made!
Sometimes .. they appreciate cookies !

I completely agree , some people are more into quilts then others and some people they just don't enjoy them like we do. It is not to there taste. Quilting is very expensive and even though we enjoy making things it is just not feasible for me to make everyone I know a quilt.

That is a lovely way to discover how people feel

OMG this story takes the cake!! :(

I like what you did ! What a GREAT way to discover who will appreciate your time/ work and effort :thumbup: THANKS for sharing :lol:

I've had some questions about how I finished the edges on my blankets, so here is what I did:

Laid both layers of fleece down on the floor, right sides out (wrong sides together) I trimmed them both down to get the selvedge off. Then I trimmed 2 inches off the back all the way around. I folded the front over, pinned it, and sewed about 1/4 inch away from the edge of the top all the way around.
It is hard to explain, but I am including some pictures that I hope will help.
Please ask if there are any questions!

Some people just don't get it! Unfortunately for me my mom is one of them...she used to love to sew and was a really great seamstress, but somewhere along the way she just lost interest. When I show her one of my quilts I usually get a "that's nice" if I'm lucky. Oh well, at least my hubby loves my quilts!

WOW -- my mouth dropped reading this -- how sad - her loss just as well as yours too! I wouldn't make her something either. I feel just like you. :(

Totally understood. It's so disheartening to put so much work into something you think someone will really love and then have them sluff it off like it's no big deal.

WOW!
I'll bet that nurse went home as happy as a clam.
I know I sure would have.

I made my person in question a small nine-patch pillow, and watched her reaction. The two of us have very different taste, and since she does not hand make anything, it is hard for her to realize the amount of work that goes into projects.

To my delight, she loved it, and even wrote me a thank you. I will now be confident in my decision to make her a throw (if I ever get good enough to complete one that is not totally crooked!) I think you are wise to check things out first.

w2ow, great idea, why didn't i think of that b4 wasting al my time and money to see people not appriciate the things i make for them. i just assume everyone will like the things i make, and they don;t know what goes into it. Some people have even sait to me, wow, you made me something, it probably didn't cost much, if they only knew. My dmil loves all things i make and i look forward to making her things.

Heather, I think your idea was inspired! If only my mom had known of that [plan of attack] a few years ago, it would have saved a lot of hurt feelings. When she saw the hand knit baby sweater for my niece under muddy ball shoes on the floor of my sisters' car, her heart broke. And mine for her. I wish I could say that it was a one time offense on my sis' part, but unfortunately it is a way of life for her. She actually has apologized to her friends for the beautiful sweaters & quilts that have been given to her!! As if handmade has less value than store bought instead of the treasure it truly is! Having a small idea of how a quilt would be received is such a great suggestion. You may have single-handedly saved many a hurt heart this holiday season!!
THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!

You have a kind and generous heart to still consider her a dear friend. Not sure I could do as well!

I have to agree..before I spend days, weeks, (most likely months) on a quilt...I would be heartbroken if the recepient did not appear truly excited...So my family members are getting kitchen "wear" this year (aprons, table runners, pot holders, etc as a test to see who is worthy.

I've got one you won't believe. I made my MIL a queen sized quilt for Christmas a number of years ago. I thought I asked all the right questions... do you like flowers?... what is you fav colour? Anyways, I never saw it on her bed, but you know, maybe she is using it to keep her closet warm. So she asked for a drive to the flea market to get rid of some junk. In the top of one of the boxes was the quilt. I asked what she was doing with the quilt and she said. Oh, I should get $10 or $15 for it. I said !!!!!! and took the quilt back. I was soooo spitting mad. I will never make her anything again. Sold the quilt on Ebay a year later.

I am so sorry. I have never had anyone give me something like a quilt, but if I did, it would not matter which color or pattern...I would love it, and it would be on my bed! I am glad that you grabbed it before it went to that market - geez!

My mouth droped open when I read that she give it away. :shock: It broke my heart I can't image how you felt. :-(

I love your idea! My SIL's sister makes quilts by hand and my SIL gave my mom a blue and yellow quilt she had made. One of my mom's friends absolutely loved it so when my mom passed we gave her the quilt, she was so appreciative and overwhelmed and we were so pleased to be able to give it to someone we knew would appreciate it.

Just to clarify-- when you sew the 1/4 inch seam of the folded over front, you are sewing this through the back side, correct?

I know exactly what you mean........the flannel quilt I made my daughter is in her dog's kennel, cause the dog just loves to cuddle up with it! That was a few years ago but the hurt is still there. But anything I give to my BFF is so well loved and appreciated. She told me that she'd be hurt if I ever gave her something that was store bought. I don't hesitate to make things for her.

Great idea, Heather! I dont think your post is negative at all, actually pretty helpful....I am sure all of us know at least some body who doesnt appreciate HM!!!!!!!!

Good thinking...and I really love your fleece blankets and thanks for sharing how you make them.

Great idea.

I will just bet everyone has a story like that. My ex MIL was my nemesis in all things.Nothing I did was ever good enough for her. When I think of all the time I wasted trying to please her . well live and learn. I spent an entire year making hand pieced and hand quilted quilts when I first started.(MIL, GMIL,loved it and step mom never used too nice) I spent the time making blocks from all the cities /states they(inlaws) had lived in. Quite a job for a new quilter . She unwrapped it held it up with 2 fingers said that's nice and dropped it on the floor. I have never forgotten that. And unless I know for sure someone is going to appreciate my work they get nada!.

This quilt that I am finishing by hand quilting, needle turn applique, old barns with silk ribbon embroidery embellishment,, has taken me one year to complete, I would hate to let someone have it and put it down to wipe muddy feet on. know haow you felt when you saw stuff in the floor board of the car.

I've also had this experience . Once when my DD laughed at the placemats I had machine embroidered with beautiful birds. Also when a couple of crocheted aphgans were used as dog beds. And she still asks me to do items for her.

I've never had anyone say anything directly to me, but I made something for my mom a few years ago (not a quilt, but it was pretty time-consuming).

A few months later, she had it out at her yard sale. She knew I was coming by (and when), but she didn't even bother to "hide" it so I wouldn't see that she was selling it. :evil:

I picked it up, and commented that I made it (which she knew). She didn't say a word.

Then I asked her how much she wanted for it, and I took it back home with me. :P

I have a similar story... I made a lone star quilt for my son and new DIL. It took me a long time to do the piecing as it was my first one. Then, it took me 5 weeks to hand quilt it. I gave it to them for Christmas and sat with both of them and told them the proper care for a handmade quilt. I said things like, "This is not a camping quilt or a picnic blanket or a quilt your children would play with. It shouldn't be washed a lot." The next time I was at their house, the kids had it on the floor and they were making forts with it. So I made the kids each a tied flannel blanket. The next time I was at their home after that, the quilt was again being used for fort building and the flannel blankets were in the top of their closets. I have also been on several camping trips with them and they have brought the quilt every time. Last year I got wise and gave them all sleeping bags for Christmas and this summer was the first time I didn't see the quilt camping with them. I must admit it's like a knife sticking in my heart every time I see that quilt being so misused. I too, love them both dearly, but I decided to protect my feelings, and they will get nothing that is handmade from me again.

I was a nurse in L&D for 20 years & never, ever got such a nice gift! Of course the hospital had a policy against such lavish gifts. Thanks for sharing the tip about giving the fleece first :lol:

My DH and went on a fabric/quilt store trip a month or so ago and on our trip we encountered a wonderful Amish woman who had some of her handemade quilts for sale. I am a full time student and I don't have all the time to quilt that I would like to have. I have 6 kids and 12 grandchildren, all but the youngest DGD (10 months) have a quilt that I made (hers is in the works, will be a birthday gift) but the kids don't have theirs yet but 5 of them have picked out their patterns and fabric. One DD lives in AZ and hasn't picked hers out yet, so on this trip my DD picked out a quilt that the Amish woman had for sale, it was just beautifully done, lots of beautiful hand stitching on it, he paid $600. for it. I mailed it to the daughter in Az and 3 days after she got it she called and said "nice blanket dad" she hadn't even taken it out of the box! My husband was heartbroken, he explained what it was and my DD was ashamed that she hadn't even looked at it. Any way he says she will never get any of the quilts that I make because if it doesn't come from a designer store it isn't good enough for her or her home.

That is a great idea. I wish I would of had that information years ago when I made, quilts, afghans, dresses and stuff that well, I would say were given to good will. Okay can't complain on the good will part at least someone will love it even if they don't know who made it.

Yes, through all the layers, with a straight stitch. Although, now that I think about it, I should probably have used a slight zigzag, to allow for the stretching of the fleece) Ours seems to be holding up fine, though!

OMG, I am flabbergasted at these stories, but not really surprised..Great idea of making a small item to gauge response...I did make fleece double-sided lap blankets for MIL, FIL and Step MIL. I do not see them out during the winter so I can guess they are not being used....That's 3 off the quilt list....
I am making a quilt now for a neighbor, older gentleman, and I have involved him in picking pattern, and took him with me to buy fabric. That worked out well, as he fell in love with a woodsy print he saw and we threw out our original pattern for this fabric....(He got bitten by the design bug!) He says he has a new appreciation for how much work goes into a quilt...I have pieced it and after several thoughts, I am quilting bear paws across it....

Good idea! Smart & cheaper way to find out! :)