Our guild's "charity" quilts (we call them community quilts) are all made and donated by committee. On very rare occasions we acquire one that is larger than our usual donation and we, as a group, make the decision where it will go...maybe Habitat for Humanity, or the church where we meet for raffle purposes.
If I knew a quilt I had made specifically for these purposes was taken by someone 'who liked it', you can bet I'd go get it back from her, immediately. And the episode would be mentioned (without names) during a meeting as a warning to others of like nefarious mind.
As another option, I might have strongly suggested she pay for that quilt, perhaps for less than I might usually ask, and then donate the $$ to our batting fund, as an option to taking it back from her.
Jan in VA