ckcowl

I am of the mind that when i give a quilt it is most important to me that the recipient actually uses the quilt...a few years ago we kind of got into this (making beach quilts) sold a few, people LOVED them, they were fun, summery with appliques and bigger than a big beach towel...on the 4th of july at the park i thought it was way cool to be walking along and see 5 of the quilts i had made spread out and being enjoyed by generations together...at one point though a person (a caring quilter who couldn't stand it) walked up to a family very proud of their quilt and was so incredibly RUDE it amazed me...she jumped all over these people and even threatened to take the quilt away from them!!!one of the kids ran and found me, i came on the run...
this woman was soooo indignant, and let me know how it's "People like me" who causes this type of 'mis-use'...

seriously...if you do not want the quilt you give to be used...make a wall hanging. the first quilt i hand quilted is a red and white embroidered quilt...my granddaughters consider it their PICNIC Quilt, and LOVE it...it is used and loved , isn't that why we do this. if you are going to make an heirloom that you do not want used, tell the recipient when you give it..."oh, yes, heres a gift for you, i spent hundreds of hours creating it for you but don't you dare use it...hide it, i have too much into it for you to really put it out, someone may sit on it...heaven forbid..."
sorry for the rant but .......................

ckcowl

are your quilts not washable? mine fluff up, get incredibly soft and are just better and better with each wash

thismomquilts

I love the thought of the quilts I make being used - no, not necessarily for dog quilts or for cats to give birth on, but for children/families to enjoy their picnics on - yes! for a cuddly 'blanket' on the back of a couch - yes!, for a child to drag around as his/her 'blankie' - yes! To be packed away in a trunk or box or the back of the closet - no!! BUT it IS the recipient's quilt and he/she can do with them as they please. I made one for my sister as she was going through a really hard time - she LOVES it and uses it all the time, her son, who HAD :) lymphoma LOVES his - he took it with him for chemo every time - her daughter - does not like hers - never have heard fo her using it even one time... :) - different strokes for different folks!

vicki reno

I have been quilting for a long time. My quilts are not show stoppers but they were created with love, both for the recipient and just the love of the process. When my siblings were younger, I used to make baby blankets for my nieces and nephews when they arrived. On niece arrived and I promptly sent a quilt. I never heard a word from my brother nor sister-in-law until a year later when we were at a get together at my mom's. I didn't expect an earth shattering thank you, but did want at least an acknowledgment that the thing was even received in the mail. They went on to have two more daughters, but never got another quilt from me. It is only good manners to treat the quilt with respect after all the work that went in to it and to thank the person that made it. This has always been a sore point with me because so many people don't appreciate what they have when they have been given a quilt. Another sister-in-law told me that it was almost tempting to try for child no. 5 just to see what new beautiful quilt I'd produce. They stopped at 4 boys, but she has a warm place in my heart for saying something that sweet.

daesy3

I just saw you online and was going to reply, but now you are gone. I was wondering where in SW Iowa you are from. I am from Avoca. Guess I don't know how to send a private message yet. I hope you are cozy and warm this snowy day!

daesy3

I replied to your posting but didn't put the quote. Just wondering where in SW Iowa you are from. I am from Avoca.

EagarBeez

Wow, all these stories remind me of the one quilt I made for my granddaughter. It was a queen size as that is the size her mom says they were buying for her. I even embroidered her name on the front. It took me almost a year and a half. Once given, I told my step daughter how to care for it. When my husband and I went to visit, I was in my grandaughters room and saw this quilt with torn squares and all dirty and half off the bed. The big german shepherd slept with my granddaugter or used it for a nap and it looked awful. I wanted to cry. I mentioned this to my step daughter and she asked if I could fix it. I thought and thought how would I fix this 'puff quilt". I thought of a possible way without pulling much apart. I did not fix it that time. The next time I saw it, it was tossed in the bottom of my granddaughters closet with all toys on top of it. The kids played hide and seek in the closet and were all over it. I was sick, sick, sick. I decided then and there if they treat this quilt this way, I am not going to take hours to fix it if that is all they think of it.
My step daughter asked me to make her and american/americana out of the scraps I have from another quilt. I had to think this over for about 6 mths. I could just picture it being used as an animal or kids romper room item. The thought scared me. Someone said once you give a gift it is no longer yours.
I talked it over with my husband, and I am currently working on it although my heart still isn't in it sometimes. Once it leaves my hands that is it. I told my daughter in law, you don't realize the expense and numerous hours to make a quilt. If you let the dog or the kids play on it and it gets torn, I will give you some extra fabric to fix it yourself. Maybe then you would realize just what goes into making one

judithb

This is a line of conversation that I could have started! We have a large extended combined family. My goal was to make the 3 children, 9 grandchildren, and 9 great grandchildren each a quilt. Well, I received 1 actual thank you letter and that was from the 7 y/o daughter of a second cousin. I have even called some of the adults to make sure they got the quilt since I hadn't heard from them.The last quilt for gg daughter is ready to mail for this Christmas. And yes, the dogs get on the beds where the quilt are...

The kids quilts are smaller and I can quilt them myself. The adults receive Queen size quilts cost about $200 to just for the quilting!

From this forum I learned of the downy.com quilts for kids foundation. Now I quilt and know the quilts will be used and enjoyed by the kids who receive them. And yes, you receive a thank you note for each quilt! I will continue to make quilts for others, but I will be keeping a total of hours I work on them! Thanks for that suggestion/idea.

I do receive thank you notes from friends for whom I make quilts.

sawsan

EagarBeez : I feel how much u feel sick. I pictured as it happened 2me
and that what make me Iffffffffffffffffffff i made a quilt as a gift will be only wall hanging (( small))
What u think every body??????????????????

kmohan

I recently made a baby quilt for a friend of mine who is pregnant. It was a simple rail fence quilt with lots of neutral colours that really didnt take too long to make, but it was still a significant effort, as any quilt is.

I sent it to her and got back a letter (a hand written letter!) thanking me. In this letter she gushed how beautiful the quilt was and how she almost didnt want the baby playing wit it because it would get ruined.

I called her a few days later. I explained that I would be much happier if she brought the quilt back to me in few year to fix it because it was used and loved so much that it was falling apart than if it sat in a closet and ever got used. I told her that nothing would please me more than this quilt becomming the "blankie" for her child that would never want to part with it. To me, that's the kind of quilt that shows that it has been loved and cherished.

If I wanted to give something to someone that would remain pristine, it would be a wall quilt and not something like a baby quilt.