I loved the explanation of the "walmart mentality"... you are much nicer than I am because I call them "twits". Please don't climb down just yet, let us cheer you on!

Oh my, could never put a quilt in a garage sale like that. she just didn't realize what it could mean years from now.

We have to remember that many non-quilters, don't get it. They have no idea about the time, love, work, etc. that goes into quilts. Ignorance is not bliss.

That is the most beautiful quilt. How could anyone think of giving it away.. So glad you were able to rescue it.

Such a bittersweet story. Given with love and discarded without a thought. I agree with MelissaK that if a recipient has never done anything of the scale of quilting (especially hand quilted), they have NO clue as to the time and effort involved. And this one in particular must have been difficult for the aunt to do with her health condition. Still it seems that DIL should have been humbled by the gift of love, particularly when she has had so little of it in her life. Thankfully Ducky was in the right place at the right time and will cherish this beautiful quilt. It was meant to be.

Beautiful quilt, terrific job and thanks for sharing, glad you saved the treasure GOD Bless you
Have a Blessed day
Ellen

What a great find!

Young ones have no idea, and unless you are quilter/sewer people have no understanding of the money, time and love that goes into it

ONe beautiful quilt, glad you saved it. Barb

I am so sorry that this happened. How sad :( I am the caretaker of a quilt that was made by my great, great grandmother (I'm 66). It is over 150 years old. It is a Lone Star, hand-quilted, and vegetable died. It has 2 holes that may be mouse holes from the looks of them. It was kept in tact by storing it between cotton mattresses. It has been passed down from daughter to daughter all these years.

I plan to pass it to my daughter when the time comes. I have a great fear that someday it will be passed down to someone who doesn't understand it's significance and it will wind up as a 'cast off.' Scares me just to think that. So I understand your being upset.

I agree, don't give it back to her and don't make her one either! You might see it in another garage sale. Glad you saved it!!

How lucky you were there...that is such a lovely quilt..save it for your granddaughter...

This quilt is so beautiful. I am so glad you rescued it. Give the DIL a chance to mature into knowing what a treasure is.

how sad....I know that a lot of the younger people are not into home made (some older folks as well). I'm glad that you found it....

It's beautiful! So happy you rescued it.

Reminds me of a quilt I bought at a garage sale in the 1970's for $1 (yep -- one dollar). It is a hand-pieced, hand-quilted fan quilt made with feedsacks. It had never been used and was in absolutely pristine condition. I didn't know what a treasure I had for many years (until I started quilting), but I've always loved it. I've always been curious about its maker, and what would make someone toss away a beautiful creation such as that.
Betty

I found it interesting that the original post and those up to page 13 were in 2009, and the rest were from this month.
But it is NOT just young people that lack appreciation.
My FIL was having garage sales about 6 months after my DMIL passed away. He had had some already and was getting ready for another one one day when my SIL stopped by (she was an hour away-we are several states away) he was taking photos out of frames and plastic pockets of photo albums to sell the frames and albums for 5 cents at his sale. He was tossing the photos into the trash. He was in his late 60's and not medically feeble minded. He just didn't care about the pictures. She scooped up what was there and divided them up among her siblings. One of the ones my DH got was his kindergarten class picture. The pictures she had rescued were all from the 50's and maybe early 60's. All the later pics were long gone. I'm sure he sold her hand work for next to nothing; she had needlework that she had won awards for as well as other things and several quilts, I'm sure were made by herself and other family members such as her sisters and mother. Ironically, this daughter that saved the pictures-when she was in college she took 2 of the family quilts with her for her dorm room and when my MIL found out she gave them away to others down the hall she told her she couldn't take any other quilts. I'm sure they were sold at one of his previous garage sales too, as they didn't show up anywhere. I don't think it is the age of the person-it is the personality.
Seeing heirloom quilts for $10 at a garage sale may be why some think $30 to $50 is a good price to offer when asking someone to make a quilt. We all know the cost and work involved, but if that is their experience it maybe why they don't understand.

That is the very reason i am reluctant to give some of my quilts.......... never really know how people feel about them.
There is to much time and effort and love that go into quilts........... I am so glad you rescued the quilt. Brakes my heart when I go into shops and see hand made doilies and quilts with a price that wouldn't even cover the cost of the materials.

You either understand quilts and quilters or you don't. Sad to say it sounds like your DIL is more of a store bought comforter gal. So glad you saved it. Maybe one of their children will love it in the future.

Good thing you spied the quilt in time to save it! Glad it's in a good home now. Best wishes. :)

Good thing you spied the quilt in time to save it! Glad it's in a good home now. Best wishes. :)

what a wonderful quilt to good to tossed away without a second thought, good save on your part, I hope you didn't pay her the $10.00 price tag, it is priceless. my mother did tapestries and was so upset when she could no longer hold the neadles becased of athritus

Somewhere we have lost the appreciation for gifts. As a society we have shifted the value of a gift to be a perfect match or the size of the price tag from the value from the sentiment behind the gift and the time to choose or make the gift. For many, we except the gifts to totally match what we desire. Just think how many gifts are returned, because they did not suit our ideals!

We need to remind ourselves and teach others the true value of a gift.

it may be scrappy, but she used all jewel tones and they 'match' each other in intensity. yes, its a treasure. so glad you 'found' it!

I think that those of you who think that someone will start loving handmade quilts or other items because someone explains the time, effort and perhaps love that went into the making of them are probably deluding yourselves. Appreciation comes from the heart, not the brain. Many of the quilts that we dislike from Walmart as being cheaply made are frequently made by hand, by thimble and needle in very poor working conditions for pitiful wages and should be appreciated for the work these women and children do to support themselves. But we don't appreciate them because they are usually supplied with poor quality fabric and thread and time constraints make them use large stitches, etc. But they deserve better respect . Our hearts feel for them and our brains know this; we still don't like their quilts. This is similar to someone who puts a family quilt in a garage sale. They will probably never truly appreciate a quilteven if they know how many hours it took to make it. At best they may be forced to keep it from family pressure. It will probably be referred to as old fashioned, ugly, made with bad color combinations, etc. I doubt if it is used that it will be treated with respect. It may even make trouble in a marriage, becoming "That old quilt your mother (or aunt, etc.) forced on us." I don't think many people change in their likes and dislikes when changing will make you more like your in-laws, or more like "old relatives". Boy, I've got a pessimistic view of some people, don't I? LOL! It's based on experience.