I know how you feel. I started one once, actually with enough pieces for two queen-sized quilts. Took over two years to complete one (all hand pieced, hand-quilted) and ended up LOVING it. Not only that, but both my kids loved it so much its the only thing they ever argued about as to inheiritance. I have now been working on the second one for about 10 years, and at this rate will only take another 3 to finish piecing the top; not telling how long to hand quilt the dang thing. But, since these are the only things I'm leaving to the kids (not really, that's just what I told THEM) I do work on it once in a while.
The other alternative is to donate it to a quilt guild/club for the purpose of a raffle or some sort of fund raiser that you and the quilt quild both like.