I know exactly how you feel. I once made a KING_SIZED quilt for a dear friend of mine for her and her husband. It was actually large enough to use as a bedspread on their Califonia King(larger than a regular king) and although it was machine pieced, it was all hand quilted. I was just sick when I went over one day and saw they were using it as a couch cover in the room where the little kids played and romped around.

It was very hard for me to accept that it was hers, no longer mine, and if that was how she valued something so lovingly hand made, it was still hers to toss aside if that's what she wanted to do with it. It really hurt my feelings that she thought so little of it and the time/effort factor; I felt like she thought so little of me that she didn't care how I felt.

It took me a few years to realize that she, and many people, who have had things handed to them or been able to purchase anything they wanted and had not been graced with heirloom treasures, just don't realize what they have when they have things like this given to them. She was a bit self-centered but mostly just lived her life with rose-colored glasses on and never thought much about the feelings of others.

So, any future gift for her or her family was purchased, not hand made.

You never know about the younger generation (throw away mentality) My worst nightmare would be if they would do what your daughter in law did - put my quilts on a garage sale. I haven't given them very much - mostly table runners and pillows - I'm waiting until they mature and can appreciate the time involved in making a quilt. When I was 16 years old - 47 years ago - my grandma gave me a set of rhinestone jewelry. When I was young - in my 20's - I foolishly sold it on a garage sale. Now - I wish I had it- when a person is in their teens and 20's they do not have an appreciation for heirlooms - maybe some do - but most of them are only concerned with the here and now. Judy

Not everyone appreciates the many hours that are put into quilting. My wonderful sister-in-law put a beautiful quilt down and let her dog deliver puppies on it. Another sister-in-law put a beautiful quilt down in a greasy uhaul and put all of their "prized posessions" on it! ugh, the nerve. Both of these quilts were hand quilted by my mother. It has to be something special for me to even let my hand quilted quilts lay on a bed made by my mother! Glad you saved it!

As I was growing up my mother made all of the quilts on the beds,I didn't know you could buy them in the store.Now I make them and I understand the labor and time she invested in them and how she never let anything go to waste,she cut the buttons off old shirts and cut the fabric up for quilts or rag rugs,I appreciate her efforts more than ever.I tell any one I give a quilt to you must use it,not save it ,if not I keep the quilt I don't make heirlooms I make quilts to be used everyday, I tell my kids my collection of ginghers is their inheritince.

I guess there is only one that I don't let just lay on any bed. It has a beautiful temple quilted on it and it is made out of tricot, I think. If you jump on the bed with the quilt on it, it snaps the stitches and all the quilting comes undone. The other ones I have on beds to display proudly, but have rules that go with them...........no greasy husbands laying on beds, and no children eating chocolate on them, etc. Sorry for the misleading statement. My mind goes 100 different directions with 4 children 5 years and younger!

I am so glad this beautiful, meaningful quilt has found it's home!

wow... what non quilters will do with our quilts....

Beautiful! Love Bowtie pattern!

For Crying Out Loud Anyway!! This is beautiful! I would like to come over there and slap the silly right out of them. People just don't get it. We have a similar story in our family about heirlooms being sold at a garage sale too. I was fortunate enough to get to the sale the night before and grab a ton of stuff that was my mother's (yup-had to pay my sister for it) before someone else got the beautiful afghans and intricately crocheted doilies and tablecloths. I ended up giving items to another sister and my brother. My sister was totally clueless as to what she was doing by selling items that should have been offered to family first. I hope your DIL (and your son) learns the value of family heirlooms as the marriage matures. Handing over your most treasured gift-your grandchild-and then leaving with the quilt surely should have given her a clue. Thank goodness that beautiful quilt is where it will be treasured.

Oh boy, I know how you feel. Sometimes when I give quilts I worry that their now thought of in the same way. People don't realize all of the hard work and love that goes into making them. I made my brother and SIL a king-size quilt and my SIL had the nerve to say, "I don't care for quilts". how rude!!! Give it back then.....

So glad you were able to save this treasure...this was made with love and consider it priceless if someone gave that to me!!!! and to be HAND STITCHED as well!!!! This quilt is beautiful and well loved now!!!!

As a younger quilter, some of the posts in this thread are making me FURIOUS. Why must you blame everything on the "younger generation?" I have news for you, there are people like that of all ages. It isn't right or fair to blame anything like that type of callousness on age.

I never ever gift a quilt without the input of the recipient unless it is a baby quilt. I would also never ever put a quilt into a garage sale. If it wasn't my taste, I would make sure it went to a family member who would use and appreciate it. I'm the first quilter in the family since my great-grandmother, although my grandmothers both sewed other things. The older members of the family assumed that we younger people would never want any of granny's sewing things, including her treadle machine and scrap bag, and got rid of them. Thankfully one of the aunts took her button box, so I have that now as none of her children or grandchildren sew. I went through boxes of my grandmother's things a few winters ago, and was astounded to find several plastic wrapped bundles in a cardboard box in a basement storage closet - unbeknownst to me, my great grandmother's quilts had been sitting in our basement since the 1980's!


Our quilt guild president recently brought a quilt to show us that she found when an elderly neigbor moved to assisted living. This woman's children are old enough to be my parents, and they dumped the quilt into the driveway for someone to take, cedar chest and all.

And yes, I have had some of my quilts not be treasured like they should be - those people don't get them again. My best friend is so upset because the quilt that I made for her sister's baby isn't treasured by the sister, but she knows that the daughter will want her baby quilt. It's in the storage unit where J can't get at it, and she is heartbroken that she can't get to the quilt and save it for Lillie. So I'm making J a quilt of her own, and she is going to get me the info from the storage space. I'm going to see if I can talk to the people when they clean out the space for nonpayment to sell everything, and possibly buy back the quilt. If I can't, i'm hoping it goes to someone who will love and appreciate it.

So please, please please put the blame where it is due on the people that do these things and do not paint my generation and younger as a bunch of inconsiderate people who are not worthy of being gifted quilts or anything nice because we don't know/care enough to take care of them. It simply isn't true.

Appreciation: Having gratitude for something done or made for you or someone else, to the point that you love and use what I have given you. In terms of a quilt, I will be the happiest quilter in the world if you ask me to make you another quilt because you or your children have worn it out. I made matching quilts for a set of twins my friend had, and she was worried that they are going to wear them out. I told her that is the best reason, and nothing would make me sadder to see them not be used at all because she was afraid they would misuse or be too rough with them. They are on their toddler beds now, get washed at least twice a week, but my current plan is that I will finish their bigger kid quilts before they totally wear them out so they have them when they are older.

Nice save. And before it ended up being lost forever. At least it's new owner will take care of it. Glad you got it. And hand quilted!!!!

God had you at the right place at the right time, I am glad you
rescued your Aunt's quilt, it is beautiful. We have to realize
that some people don't realize what goes into making a quilt;
money, time and lots of love. Sorry your DIL doesn't know
these things. Have a blessed Christmas!!

You were lucky to be there when you were. It is beautiful!

Oh I am so glad you were there!.... and I love it! I imagine it would be hard to that girl anything now, knowing that she must be mighty hard to satisfy. I think it's beautiful.

Maybe sometime in the far distant future one of them will realize their terrible error. I have an old lumpy tied quilt from my grandmother that has been loved in the family for years and had other covers put on and tied. It is a mess but so revered here than no one uses it but me if needed. It is fragle and I will not forgive misuse.

Why is everyone blaming the daughter n law. The quilt was made by the son's family member. He played a part in this too. "Oh no, hon. My great aunt made that, no way we're getting rid of it"

It's a lovely quilt. I'm glad you were able to save it.

DIL just didn't know the value of the love and work put into this quilt. i love how your Aunt boxed the bow ties! This would also be delightful in Christmas fabrics! So glad you were able to save it!

I am so glad the quilt wll be with someone who will truely appreciate it. I think people who don't quilt, don't fully understand the value in either time or money or love that goes into making a quilt.

My sister is trying to farm out 'family heirlooms' my mother made. No one wants them, but she is smarter than most of us...she's wrapping them up for Christmas presents and giving them away! That way none of us can say we didn't know...

You're 100% right. There are thoughtless people of all ages. How could it be otherwise?

Remember that this young woman has no emotional attachment to the Great Aunt...but her husband did. He's just as responsible for trying to sell it as his wife...maybe more!

If I see a 'treasure' at Goodwill for a few $, I buy it and give it to "Fostering Hope", a private charitable organization I volunteer for. I am 100% sure that the 'treasure' will be chosen by some child in foster care to love and cuddle because I've seen them pick them out!

I'm so glad you saved this, maybe G-D will later love this.

So glad you got that quilt!! It is so sad how some people don't have a clue as to how much love and work goes into a quilt.

I understand completely, only a few of my relatives get more than one quilt from me. The quilt you saved is beautiful.

Judging from the number of responses to this thread. you hit a nerve with this thread. I'm so glad you were able to rescue this quilt. I only have one quilt from the stitchers that went before me and I wish I had been around to rescue more. Yours is lovely and I'll bet one of these days your grandchildren will be glad you have it.

How sad and i would be ropeable and also wonder what she has done with the things you made - but as you say you found a treasure - I would flaunt it now and bring it up every time she come round!

Gld the quilts where shes appreciated! Im lucky my kids chrish the quilts i made! Too bad like jj sais its a disposible society! I knew a person. i gave him am expensive. feather comforter, their cat threw up on it, insta d of cleaning it he was going to throw it away! Luckily my son found out and rescued it and cleaned it! Another time i gave a friends child a winter hat i made- she looked at it and said " but I wanted something from the store!! " lol. wow!!!

A very nice quilt. Glad you saved it. Perhaps your grandchildren (after learning from you) will aprreciate it later. Glad you saved it to keep in the family. Perhaps you could put a label on it with the story of the maker.
My kids appreciate all of mine.
We have an award winning lady in our guild who donated a beautiful queen size quilt to our charity because no one in her family wanted it because it "didn't go" with their decor. The lady accepting it for the charity said even if her mother made an ugly quilt she would treasure it. Just goes to show.

WOW!! Is about all I can say.
I have had a very small amount of quilts gifted to me from my grandma and a few great aunts and the colors have NEVER mattered. I actually have one that my mother gave me when I got married that was made by my great aunt and I used it and washed it so much its pretty much falling apart and worthless but I still cannot bare to part with it. The great aunt that made it passed away 5 years ago :( I took care of it but kept it on the bed we sleep in and covered up with it every night for years so of course it was always washed on sheet day and put back on the bed. Maybe my great aunt would appreciate the fact it was used and very much enjoyed.
I think its great that you found it before it left your family.

I don't think it's just the 20's group...I think up until almost the 40's as well. Depends on how hoitie toitie the youngin's are. If they make very good money, don't be surprised, that this is not "good enuff" for them. doesn't show elegance, but someday they will realize when it's too late. I had a DIL like that. Didn't even take it out once in 10 years of their marriage! Broke my heart especially since it was a CA King! But here nor there now, all my nieces and nephews get a wedding quilt and they have been warned... I come over and it is a doggie blanket or laying in the garage or on the floor, I will be ungifting their gift and take it home with me!!!! And BELIEVE ME they know I am serious! I find many quilt tops, linens etc at sales and it breaks my heart. Someone has put in blood sweat and tears and it breaks my heart. WHEW!! can you tell I'm a bit bitter yet? sorry. You did the right thing and don't ever feel bad about it! I applaud you.

ditto.......

As a young person I sat on a hand pieced and hand quilted quilt on the sand at the beach. It belonged to my sis and bil and had been made as a wedding gift to them by his grandmother. I had no idea what it was until I got much older. Now I look back and wonder what was my sis and bil thinking of bring that beautiful quilt to the beach???? I often wonder what they did with it. I don't believe they would even remember it since it was so unimportant to them. I am so glad that you rescued that quilt. Only wish I would have been able to do the same.

Helen

It sounds like your DIL just didn't have a clue. But it also sounds like you two have a great relationship. I can see that your son didn't know the quilt was in the garage sale. You did the right thing to rescue the quilt. Your granddaughter will love it later. Especially if you teach her how to quilt. The quilt is beautiful and you can tell your great aunt made it with love.

I agree with all the other posts!!!!!

Sadly too many young people do not appreciate the time, effort, and love that goes into a handmade gift. They are from a "buy another at Walmart world". I go to yard sales and garage sale all the time and often I find wonderful handmade baby quilts with lovely labels, crocheted baby blankets, and other gifts made with love being sold for a dollar or two. I rescue them as well, so I am very happy you were able to rescue a family heirloom.

These young kids make me so upset. They don't have any idea what is going on in this world. I sent a quilt i made a yr ago to my granddaughter and never even got a thank you. I wonder where it went to. So Sad, I am glad you saw it. Glad you saved it.