GrannieAnnie

If I'd spent the time and energy some do on their award winning quilts, you can bet your bottom dollar they'd be used. Your closet doesn't care if it's contents are purple ribbon quilts or smelly shoes.

ckcowl

some quilts are made just for show entries- they 'travel' around & enter lots of different shows & are kept for display. some quilts are made to be used- entered in a show or 2- then used. I have 2 that have won a number of awards in different shows- but live on my bed- I tend to 'switch out' the quilts on my bed- my fall quilt is one that is pretty spectacular & a Winner- but I still put it on the bed every October & it stays till after Thanksgiving. it's beautiful, warm, and looks great on the bed- it was made to be on the bed. same with my winter quilt, spring quilt & summer quilt...it always depends on what the person made the quilt for- who they may give it to- there are all kinds in shows. I've always felt- what's the point if most of the time it is hidden away- I make my quilts to be used....regardless of how fabulous they are. even the bargellos are used bed quilts. when I am 'gifting or selling' quilts I do ask the recipient if they want a hanging sleeve attached. my daughter's wedding quilt has a sleeve- the quilt is on the bed in the winter time- during the warm season she runs a drapery rod through the sleeve & it hangs across their sliding glass doors. it won quite a few awards the first year- when I entered it in shows.

kyquiltlover1942

The blue ribbon quilt (my avatar) is on my bed daily. I do take it off at night. Several baby quilts that have won ribbons are the spit on, wet on and I hope used and enjoyed until they outgrow them.

Mariah

Everyone I talked to at our quilt show who made the most elaborate quilts said they used them. I think they are careful of when they use them, but they do get used.
I use mine and give away a lot of my work.
Mariah.

lfletcher

I use mine. Mainly for display. My guest room is my "quilt room" and I have a quilt ladder and a glass fronted bedside table that I store and display some of my quilts. Others are wall hangings. My 4 year old grandson stays with us frequently and I always let him pick the quilt that he wants to sleep under. He usually picks the ones that have won the most ribbons. The boy has good taste!

bigsister63

It seems that there are more and ore "ART" quits being shown in quilt shows. They are really lovely and are probably being hung on the wall. I like my quilts soft and use them on the bed.

quilterpurpledog

I make my quilts to be used. If I enter them in a show-so others can see them, I still intend them to be used when they come back to me. I would love to have enough quilts for the beds to interchange them a couple of times a year. I am not there yet, but I do have enough fabric stash to do it. It is the time stash that is missing! I think it would be fun to enter them all in shows just to have them seen and enjoyed by others. I love to go to shows and see the creativity of others.

LITTLEOLDME

I use mine as a bed spread, why make them if you don't use them,unless it is a wall hanging?

BuzzinBumble

That's something I always wondered too Dina. So glad you asked.
At a local quilt show this Autumn there was a gorgeous quilt with several thousand pieces that looked like it had already been used. I loved that.
I'm slowly working on a quilt that will probably take almost a year to make. For quilts with so much time and effort, it would be a shame to keep it in a closet. At the same time, they should be used wisely and with great care.

It really struck me how true this was that Lisa said:


Lisa, you should make that your signature quote!

justme CA

Some of mine have been in our local quilt guild's annual show and all mine are to be used and are given away to friends and family HOWEVER I have friends who make quilts for entry in the big shows like Houston and Road to California and theirs are for show only. I make mine for fun working with the colors and usually have them long arm quilted by professionals. Right now I am tying one to see how I like it and to save money. The last two quilts bill was 350 as I make large useful ones. Cats and dogs enjoy them and so do regular non-fur people!