Prism99

I would make a simpler quilt for her and save the finished quilt for a different special occasion. Some people really do not understand quilts until later in life; some never understand their value. A friendship can be damaged when someone mistreats a quilt! (See other posts in this thread for examples.) It's better all around to give a gift that is appropriate to the giftee, even if that means a store-bought gift.

vjengels

If I am in the mood to make a quilt to give away, I don't put alot of work into a gift for someone I don't have a strong emotional attachment to, particularly a baby quilt, I'll use a large pinwheel block,or something easy, and maybe tie it ( I prefer to hand quilt).
The people I chum around with don't do anything by hand, so they're still impressed. I get the satisfaction of passing something handmade, and no heart ache about the loss. Win, win.

dusty222

I take a picture of all my quilts and put the pictures in an album. That way the quilts are mine forever. All the quilts I have made for family members have been hung on a wall to be admired. Nice, but I would have loved to see a child dragging one of them everywhere he went. I just made a quilt for my dog and I get much more pleasure out of watching him bury himself in and under it then I do seeing a quilt hung on a wall.

thread

If you think the person will not appreciate the quilt. Buy them a baby set of bottles to use or explain to them that when the baby outgrows the quilt and they don't want it any more please pass it down to some one that can use it in their family. For example I come from a family of 13 kids and thats how I got most of my clothes was hand me downs.

Catlady

I make really simple quilts if I'm not sure how the receiver
will care for it. (i.e. 5" squares, tied not quilted and
maybe some embroidery on it). More complicated ones for
people I know will love it. Out of the 5 memory quilts I
have to make before Christmas 3 of them will be super
simple, the other 2 will be more complicated. Once they
are given I don't worrry about them, just go on to the next
one.
Catlady

davis2se

Give it to her. Put a nice label on the back, explaining who it is for, why it was made, the love that went into making it, and who you are. After that it is out of your hands. My first quilt was one for my first grandbaby - a boy who is the light of my life. Because of a broken ankle and other issues I couldn't finish it until he was 7 month old, but my daughter just cried when she first saw it. Every time I visited them for close to 2 years she would talk about how much they all loved it, and how Davis, my darlin' little grandboy, would snuggle on all the "minkee" parts. A couple of months ago I went to visit them and Davis was in a "big boy" bed (he's three in a few days), with a Thomas the Train sheet set and comforter. The quilt I made was folded over the foot board, but I just about lost my breath when I saw it. It looked like it had been washed with something dark green/dark blue. The once beautiful pastel blocks were pretty dingy. But.....he still snuggles up with it when he is cold, and he will always know that his Nom Nom (Davis speak for Grandma) made it for him!!!

sewtoo

I have been making baby quilts for our local hospital's Neo-Natal Unit for 8 years. I have seen first hand how the Mothers have cried when they realized that the quilt belonged to their baby and was going home with him. I have also given quilts to the young girls at church, I have never felt the need to worry about what would become of my gift. I make my quilts 36" X 36", or for a larger size 38" X 42".
SEWTOO

Lostn51

For me when I give a quilt I label it for them telling them who made it and what year it was made. Then I usually include a card telling them what machine(s) were used in making the quilt and that it was done on a treadle.

As soon as they hear it was done on a treadle with a 100yo machine or older they realize that it is something special and then the questions start coming in. :-D :-D

To them its like owning a piece of living history and with one made completely on a treadle it takes on a certain personality and you can actually feel and see the love that went into it.

Billy

Valerie Scherr

Just a suggestion for next time why not give her a beautiful card with a gift certificate for one baby quilt and than sit down with her and discuss color size etc..

topper1

i know that feeling----decide if you want to give it out of goodness and let it go or keep it for someone else special. either way u will find a way to let it go. u are a good person for making it.