Thursday, September 30, 2021

Gift giving dilemma

 I gave a quilt to my cousins yesterday.  On the way back home she sent me this picture.



You can see the red and white backing showing through and she said, "It looks like a stained glass window."  She seemed pleased.

I thought, " this was supposed to be a bed quilt. . . sigh"

I texted back, "if you safety pin a sheet on the back it will protect the quilt from the sunlight."

"Great idea," she said.

Once you give a quilt away it is no longer yours and you just have to be happy that the recipient wants to use it.  But, if I'd known it was going up to a window I probably wouldn't have hand quilted it. 

Robin 

13 comments:

Janet O. said...

It is hard to send our babies out into the cold, hard world and have people mistreat them, isn't it?
It is a lovely quilt, and so good of you to gift it. I hope my cousins don't hear what you do for your cousins and get any ideas. ;)

Quilting Babcia said...

We can only hope that she will soon reconsider how best to use and display this beauty. Still, I suppose this is better than gifting a quilt to someone and watching as it's immediately thrown into a closet never to be seen again (and we visit the offending party often).

Jocelyn is Canadian Needle Nana said...

That quilt is stunning and there is a stained glass beautiful effect there. At least they have it out and enjoying it unlike some I hear they give a quilt to family and never see it again.
Jo's quilts are so suited for autumn, must be the browns and golds she uses. I just got her second book of Little Quilts from the library. Your Pomegranate block is also a beauty. Happy Stitching from me.

Kathy E. said...

Oh my goodness. It would break my heart to know that all that work is being hung in front of a sunny window as a curtain. Recently, I made a lovely large table mat for a friend and she folded it up and laid it over a chair back. Oh well! The gift is made and given with love...even though it might make us cringe and shake our heads.

Julierose said...

Oh my goodness--well, you are right--once they leave your care there is not much you can do...they are like the children and grands you send out into the world;)))It is a lovely bed quilt-- hugs, Julierose

Cynthia@wabi-sabi-quilts said...

It is a beautiful quilt. Giving our quilts away is often so fraught!

Wendy Caton Reed said...

I feel your frustration! I learned a long time ago to never give a quilt with strings attached, but that doesn't mean I don't cringe when I see how some of mine are used. That being said, I think it is wonderful that she loves it enough to hang it in full view and in fact she will probably see it much more this way. It is a wonderful gift for sure.

marina said...

what a stunning quilt, don't know if a curtain is what you had in mind or how I would use it but there you go.
So much work in it and all that hand quilting!

Ann said...

It's beautiful. I'm sorry. It won't last long in a window. Many of the ones I give aren't treated very well either. Mostly used on the grass and/or washed with detergent. At least they are using and enjoying it. Unlike you, I don't hand quilt

audrey said...

Your quilt looks so fantastic and I had to wince that they are hanging it in a window! ACk!! You did the best you could, suggesting pinning a sheet behind and at least they are enjoying it!:)

Kaja said...

It's a beautiful quilt and, I have to agree with her, it does look fabulous hanging like that, even though the poor thing will suffer for it. I guess at least it's being appreciated, though I'm with you on the hand quilting!

Nancy said...

You're so right--when it's out of your hands you have accept however a quilt is used. How I wish I could control how my gifted quilts are used and cared for. But it does still make one sad to see this beautiful quilt in front of a window.

Denice Barker said...

Oh, dear. And it didn't even take her long to hang it, like she knew all along that was what she was going to do with it. My sister-in-law gave a quilt to her daughter and the daughter soon gave it to Goodwill! We deem some people "not quilt worthy." It is beautiful, though and you have a good photo of it in it's glory so you can savor that.

Ongoing progress

I finished the center with the gifts and put on a double star border.  It now measure 48" square. Now I'm at a standstill. . .  I&#...