Mumto2

I give my quilts freely and believe most are in use.

There were several of my quilts in my mother’s house at the time of her death. Grands took them all which made me happy.

WesternWilson

I think it works best if you include the recipient in the fabric and design choices. Some folks just plain do not like quilts, too! And taste in colour etc. is so individual.

FWIW my mom was a weaver and would often give us really awful woven items. I know she meant well and I really appreciated the thought behind the gifts, but after 2 years of dutifully wearing a woven coat in a dark pumpkin orange, one of my least favourite colours and one I look ghastly in, I finally decided the coat and I were not soulmates, and I donated it.

I agree with tallchick that most folks have NO IDEA what goes into making a quilt, and for that I blame the "quilt in a day/weekend/3 yards" advertisings. They do not get how many hours of your time the quilt represents. Let alone the costs.

Past that, once you give a gift, let go of what happens to the gift. The recipient appreciates the gifting, if not the gift.

And...my great aunt gave me a quilt years ago made of polyester squares of dark blue and turquoise, backed in flannel. It is not a particularly beautiful quilt but I loved who gave it to me...she was notoriously thrifty but was so thrilled to hear that at 20 I was learning to make quilts, so she impulsively gave me one (even let me choose from a few). That quilt was on my bed in the hospital for the births of my three daughters. I treasure it.

So...some folks really do treasure the quilts you give. You just have to find the folks!!

Past that maybe something smaller? I find mug rugs are always appreciated.

Onebyone

I blame the "quilt in a day/weekend/3 yards" advertisings. They do not get how many hours of your time the quilt represents.

These are the only kind of quilts I make for donations, or someone asking for a quilt. The recipient doesn't know the difference if I spent six month or six days making it. They only see the colors they like. They are fun to make.

WesternWilson

You are right about that onebyone! When we make charity quilts we do stick to the simpler designs.

ElaineCovid

I grew up with an mother who was strong willed and a talented artist (painter/watercolour/oil/pastel) . We were all afraid to compliment one of the works of hers because it was gifted to you the next holiday/birthday, whether it was to your taste or not. And if it wasn't hung soon thereafter, you got questioned as to why. To give you some scope, this woman had over 150 paintings and drawings of hers on the wall of her house and many more stacked everywhere.
I vowed I would not subject my siblings or my children to this....
Fast forward to about 10 years ago and I started quilting.... my daughter said "Mom, I'm glad you like quilting, but I"m not into flowers and pastels" (Neither was I at the time....)..
So I made a few quilts, and I gifted three to her brother,who lives quite a distance away. He loves them - one was a scrappy log cabin from a block exchange I participated in, one was a strip quilt, and the final one was one he picked out with me at a quilt store, a windowed panel quilt...
Then my daughter, when I'm showing a different quilt to friends says "Yeah, Mom's made three quilts for my brother, but not one for me!" So afterwards, we talked and I said I hadn't made a bed quilt for her because of her comment about not wanting one... so long story short, we talked about what she might like, she shopped for fabric with me, and I made her a quilt.
I have since gifted her with some placemats (unsolicited but appreciated), a lap quilt themed to her hobby (hockey) and a few other things. but any further quilts will wait until she says she wants one, and she knows that.

toverly

I give my quilts freely to family and friends. If they choose to "save it", they usually don't ask for another one. I don't even mind if it turns into a dog bed. The dog likes it. The only place I draw the line is if I don't know a person. Unless I made a quilt to donate. I have this thing about giving a quilt to someone I wouldn't know if I passed them in the grocery store.

ToBoldlyQuilt

I'm trying to work out what you're referring to there. Is this the, "Ooh, could you make a quilt for my sisters boyfriend?" sort of thing?

WMUTeach

I am very fortunate that my family has a grand and deep respect for quilts. I am making a quilt for each member of the family. I started with new babies as they arrived and am now about half way through the adults. It is a bit of a tradition to discover who gets a quilt each Christmas. Each quilt comes with a brief conversation that is generally about the fact that I made this item to be used, so use it. Wash it as needed. If it needs a repair it comes with a life time, my life time, guarantee. If it becomes the toddler lovey or drag along quilt, I will replace it with a twin sized quilt at an appropriate time, but most of all it is for warmth, snuggling and comfort. Enjoy it. So far, 20 years, none have come back for repair! I do need to pick up the pace because the recipient of the first baby quilt I made will be graduating from high school this year and that means a new quilt for sure!

I also donate to Project Linus. Like others have mentioned, those as given with no expectations. They are given as a small ministry to children and adolescents who need something of their own in a difficult time.

ptquilts

I blame the cheap imported quilts that flooded the market many years ago. If they see a handmade quilt in the big box store for $29, why would they think the one you gave them is anything special? Some people think that way. Like the old saying goes, they know the cost of everything and the value of nothing.

ToBoldlyQuilt

Hah, when I get ads for those quilts, I tend to leave them comments about knowing perfectly well what materials cost and how much labour goes into a hand sewn quilt, and ask how they can possibly be paying their workers ethically if that's how much the quilt costs.

Although I confess to taking a screenshot of one from Toast, it's giving me ideas for a future quilt.

If I love someone enough to make them a quilt, then they have also heard me talk excitedly about quilting, to the point that they know very well that a lot of work, artistry and materials goes into them.