madamekelly

I will start this by saying I am a grandmother, who just recently lost her grandmother. (Yes, that is 5 generations) This is the grandmother who taught me to sew, and to love fabric. My aunt called today when she returned from Montana, where she had to go clean out grandma's house, to tell me she found a big brown paper bag full of squares that grandma had cut and set aside to send to me, but had never taken it to the mail for whatever reason. (Grandma would send me her scraps, cut into squares, for me to use in charity quilts.) My aunt has the scraps at her home in WA for me. Yippee!

This is where the selfish comes in. All of the other scraps have gone into charity quilts, but I want to use these scraps to make myself a lap quilt and to make other gifts for her other grandchildren, as a remembrance. Do you think it would be wrong to use her "charity" scraps this way? I am really torn and would love to hear your thoughts on this.

nanacc

I think she would be pleased that you wanted to keep these in her memory. I do not feel that this is selfish of you.

beaglelady

I don't think it is selfish at all. I think it is very kind of you to make gifts for her grandchildren as a remembrance of her. I can't imagine she would mind if you made a quilt for yourself in her memory. I think she would be honored and touched. I am sorry for your loss of this special lady.

Terri D.

Not at all selfish. You and other family members should hold onto those fabric memories of your grandmother.

Knitette

I don't think it's selfish at all, but I can understand why you have twinges of guilt - I probably would too. It's a funny old thing.

I don't think you need to, but if it helps you, make another quilt from your own stash for charity and label it, 'In Memory Of.........'

Or if you don't have the time, you could give a small donation to a charity she would like, as she was clearly a charitable woman.

citruscountyquilter

If I were you I could not bear to give away the last box of scraps from my grandmother to someone who couldn't care less about the sentimental meaning of the fabric. I would take your grandmother's fabric and make something for yourself and your family who would understand and cherish the meaning behind the fabric. If you're really feeling guilty about having fewer charity quilts to give then use some of your fabric to make some charity quilts but I don't think that's really necessary.

Libster

Your grandmother obviously loved you very much and showed it by teaching you to sew and sending her scraps to you. As a grandmother myself, I feel that she would love that you want to keep a remembrance of her, as well as share with her other grandchildren. Put your mind at rest, you know she loved you.
You will cherish your quilt always and it will be a little piece of her that you can hold on to.

Auntie V

First I want to say that you are not being selfish. Make your quilt and the gifts for the others. Name your quilt Grandmother's Legacy and offer to teach any of the others how to quilt. Your Grandmother passed along her talent and love of quilting to you. Now it is your turn to pass that along to another generation. To me this is a way to use her last package to you and pass along what she has already passed along to you.

Mary O

Scraps is not a dirty word.Just fabric in small pieces.....Who is going to know ?

CookyIN

I'm so sorry for your loss. You and your grandchildren will cherish the items made from these scraps as no one else could. They are special to you, and you should embrace them as a special gift from your dear grandmother to you. Have no guilt! You've both given so much to others through the years -- her with her scraps and you with your charity quilting -- that you both deserve to enjoy this last bit of scraps as a gift of love and memories between the two of you.