Would you give your first quilt...
 

As a gift?

Here are is my dilemma: I am still finishing my first quilt that is not a rag quilt. My intention was to gift it to my husband's co-worker who just found out they were expecting. I am not too thrilled with the results... I used a few cheap fabrics, which in turn stretched and also ironed it a few times before learning you are to press the pieces, not iron. So some squares are off, my straight line quilting is a little wonky and I haven't even started binding. I feel it looks okay for a first quilt, just not sure how I feel about it being a gift.

What would you do? Give it or keep it for practice?

I would keep it to practice. Also, you will be able to look back at it one day and see how far you have come. :)

i wouldn't. just keep it and if you still like quilting and the person is still a friend, make a quilt for their kid at a year or 5 years or whenever it strikes you as a good idea.

aileen

I gave my first, second, and third quilts, but they were to my mom, and my daughters. They've had to mail them back to me over the years when I needed to display them in "First quilts to Masters" demonstrations, so I know they feel like they were a sort of back-handed gift! :D

Jan in VA

After you're finished, wash it, and then decide.

If they just found out they were expecting, you should have plenty of time to do another--with all you've learned on this one, the next will be much better.
That said, it is possible that you are the only one who sees the shortcomings on this first one.

I agree with CraftyRainRain, keep this one for future reference. If you have indicated they can expect to receive a quilt from you, I'd like to suggest you check out some of Jenny Doan's tutorials at MSQC.com or just put in Missouri star quilt company in the search box. She has some simple, cute quilts that are ideal for baby gift. Also there are many adorable baby/children's panels that would be great with 1 or 2 borders and very simple quilting.

I would wait. I kept my first quilt but gave my second quilt to my mom as a Christmas gift. The second one was way better than the first, although I learn something new on each quilt! I feel like I need to make a new quilt for myself, I sometimes laugh when I look at my first quilt compared to where I am now 4 quilts later :)

My 1st quilt turned out far better than I thought it would so I gave my niece as a baby gift. However, I really
wish I had kept it just because it was the 1st one I made.

I gave my first, second, third...in fact I gave them all away for the first 20+ years of quilting about 6 years ago my hubby asked me---'are you ever going to make one for us?' *now we have 3* :) it is up to you- if you are not happy with it- concerned about those *cheap fabrics* that may not hold up- and feel you could do something better for this person ---make that choice- if you decide when it's done it's not so bad & want to give it- go ahead- (often we are our worst critics- what we see as 'bad' is actually just fine in other's eyes)