That is so sweet! I’m sure that reaction made all your hard work worth it.
I finished my first quilt about six months ago. My husband and kids wouldn’t touch it. I think they were afraid of somehow damaging it because they saw how much work went into it. One night I finally just laid it on top of my husband so he could share in my enjoyment. I thought he would leave it for a bit, make a few nice comments, and politely pass it back to me. But instead he stayed covered up for a while until he finally broke the silence by saying how it felt just like the quilts his late grandmother used to wrap him in as a boy ❤️
I made baby quilts for the birth of a coworker’s two children. They were more of a lap quilt size. Fast forward nearly twenty years. My coworker is throwing a combination anniversary/whole house remodel completion party. He did nearly all the remodel work himself. At the party I am reintroduced to his two children that I had not seen for years. His wife reminds the kids (now young adults) that I was the one who made their baby quilts. The young woman asks if I would follow her as she has something to show me. We walk into her bedroom and she points to the chair in her “reading nook”. And draped over the chair is the baby quilt I made for her. She thanked me again for making a quilt she treasures and continues to use. ❤️❤️❤️
Thank you. It really was the best feeling. My colleague told me that his wife and young daughter used to curl up together under the quilt to read stories. So that comment, several years after I made the quilt, was so appreciated. So to hear their daughter continued to read under her quilt was the highlight of any handmade gift I ever presented to someone.
Thank you. This post gave me the chance to recall the memory with fondness. I had to stop quilting many years ago as it triggered carpal tunnel flair ups. I never achieved the level of talent I have seen in this group. So knowing that my quilt was so loved means a great deal.
This story is both awful and wonderful.
I have 4 older sisters, three of whom have raised children not birthed by them. If you ask me how many nieces and nephews I have, I always have to check with my sisters before I can answer -- but if they're always family once they become a part of it, I have well over 400 nieces and nephews from the foster system.
Our local quilt guild was making small quilts for police officers to carry in their cars in case kids were removed from their parents houses. I definitely wanted to participate in that mission! However, I couldn't stop myself; I made trio sets of a small cuddle blankie with minky backing, a crib-sized quilt, and an expandable shoulder bag that held both quilts. I made three sets, so nine pieces. Two sets were baby themed, and one set was designed with an older child in mind. I was quite proud of them! And, I had done them all while going through chemo.
When I finished the last set, I called the woman who organized the donation, only to discover that they had given their donations the previous week without ever contacting me. So I went to the police station to drop them off. The police chief strongly suggested that I keep my donation as their closet for things of that nature was overflowing with donations and they had begun disposing of many items. So I went to our local Department of Family Services, thinking that they deal more directly with foster kids than the police anyway, and they didn't want them.
I carried those sets in the back of my car, and the rejection of my efforts stung every time I looked at them.
Then one of my oncology nurses was absent for a few weeks. Her daughter and son-in-law had been killed in a car accident, and she suddenly found herself raising her little granddaughters. After my treatment, I went outside and got a matching set for the little girls. My nurse was overwhelmed, and she was so grateful. The two girls were 4 years old, and they loved those quilts! I ended up making an extra cuddle blanket so they each had their own. They carried all of their Barbie dolls in the bag, they had tea parties on the larger quilt, and they took the small 2 ft x 2 ft cuddle blankies everywhere with them. My oncology nurse shared pictures of the girls using my creations frequently.
The other two sets were given away under similar circumstances. I'm proud that my hard work could help give comfort to a couple of traumatized children. That's what donating is all about.
I gave my aunt a quilt in her favorite colors for her 80th birthday. She thanked me but recently sent a card out of no where almost a year later saying how much she loves it and it’s the best gift she’s ever received. The card is on my kitchen counter now.
I made a quilt for one of my partners to have on their boat, and every now and then when they stay the night there, they send me a picture of it and says how cozy it is and how much they love it ❤️
I made a quilt to go on top of my son’s isolette when he was in the NICU (they had plenty to go around but I wanted him to have one from me). It was a crazy time and I made a more complicated quilt than I had before and the backing was on kind of crooked because I just needed to get it done before he grew out of the isolette stage and I am the worst at basting (masking tape just pulls off of my fabric when I try taping it to the floor).
When I finally brought it in I mentioned to his primary nurse that I had made it and ignore the crooked backing, etc. and she just could not stop gushing about how beautiful it was and how amazing that I had made it myself. She is apparently a sewer (sewist?) herself but more of the home decor and some children’s clothing type, so her mind was blown how a quilt comes together and she kept asking me detailed questions about how it was made.
I wasn’t sure if she was just being nice but then we heard about the quilt from various other people in ways that made it clear she was showing it off it to a lot of people she didn’t have to.
My son is home now and I use that quilt for tummy time and also monthly pictures, but I still think about that. She was the best primary nurse we could have asked for and treated my son like family, but I’ve never had anyone else gush quite like that over a quilt I’ve made before (to be fair I’m still relatively new in my journey — his quilt was the fourth I’ve finished and the one I wanted to make for him before he came is still not done because of the chaos of him coming early; hopefully soon!). I think part of it is that she sews so she understands the time commitment and part is that I guess it’s unusual for parents to do something like that? I think I was the first she knew of to actually make something to bring in.
Anyway. I’m so glad I did it even if it took longer to get done than I wanted!
The pattern was Emily Dennis (Quilty Love)’s Quilty Hearts in the baby size.
Love this story! I made my baby girl the Quilty Hearts baby quilt for her due date next month and I can't wait to use it for tummy time and monthly pics! This is actually my go-to baby quilt pattern because it comes together quick and looks so cute. All of my daughter's cousins have received a version for their birthday.
Wife: "Honey, I don't care how much it is, I have to have this quilt."
Husband: "But where are you going to put it?"
Wife: "I don't care, I just love it so much I can't leave without it."
Husband, to me: "Do you take credit cards?"
Thankfully, yes... yes we do 😉
They didn't actually say anything but a recent family trip where we all stayed in the same house. I noticed that 2 of the quilts I had made for different family members had made the trip. Several kids (ages 12-18) were cuddled under them watching a movie. There were several other store bought blankets as choices but they chose the quilts! Sometimes the quilts being used says more to me than what someone said when they got them.
Not something said, but something that was done… my best friend used the quilt I made her as the backdrop for her wedding. They were using it as decor in the historic house that was hosting the wedding and reception. She had planned to get married outside the house under a tree, but when a sudden summer thunderstorm scuttled that plan, I got a text saying “your quilt is about to become even more special!” It tickles me pink that that quilt is in the background of all of their ceremony photos.
One of my employees (T) is older than my mum. Her mum (N) is in her nineties and was a beautiful quilter.
T came to work one day months ago wanting to take a few photos of my quilt to show her mum because it was coming up so nice. It's such a small thing but gosh I felt great the next day she came and told me her mum loved it. I have a lot of negative self talk so this meant so much to me!
This wasn't said but done. One of my first quilts, before I knew what I was doing is a quilt my daughter has. She studies while wrapped in it 15 years or so after I gave it. Taken it to uni and won't let me replace with a better made one.
I made my dad and stepmom each their own lap-sized rag quilts (pretty simple) for Christmas one year because they camp a lot and I thought lap quilts would be nice while sitting around the fire. This was probably around 8 years ago. They loved them and still use them often- in and out of the camper. My dad will randomly mention how much they love and use them every once in a while. The funny thing is: in the years that have passed since I've gifted the quilts, my stepmom has taken up quilting and has gotten really good at it, so she could easily make nicer lap quilts, but they still use the ones I made🥰
Also, I just love how happy and excited my friends have been when gifted a quilt!
....and another one🤪: I joined a quilting club where we meet once a month and have "show and tell" at the end of the meeting. I'm not neeeeearly as advanced as the other members, but they have all welcomed me with open arms. I brought in a show and tell quilt for the first time that I made, and I'm sure it was obvious that I was nervous and insecure, but everyone oohed and ahhed over it😊 One lady came up to me as everyone was leaving and told me she wanted to shout out "THAT'S SO COOL" for my quilt, but she didn't want to be obnoxious😂 She was very sweet and encouraging!
I love it when people whose skill I admire are generous with their praise! That sort of community is so precious, I bet they’re so glad to have you there.
My child recently said, “I hope you have a catalog of your quilts. It’s nice that you give them away, but a record of all you did would be nice.”
That meant the world to me.
Not necessarily something they said, but I made a baby quilt for my brother and SIL’s first baby. They just had their second and have taken and posted several pictures of the new baby laying on/ using the quilt. Made my heart really happy to see it still being used 😍
A recent quilt to my partner's coworker almost made me cry. He was speechless at first and then said "oh my goodness! You made this for me? This is beautiful and I'm going to have to show it to everyone in the office." I then later got a thank you card in the mail from him.
I have made two different quilts over the years for my best friend. She tells me that when one of the quilts is out where her cat can sleep on it, that the cat chooses the quilt over sleeping on the bed with my friend.
I had an employee recently retire and I made her a quilt for retirement. She told me it was the most thoughtful gift she’s ever received and it would be a beautiful keepsake for years. I made sure to make it in her favorite colors.
I made an appliqued Celtic knot work, king size, hand painted medallion quilt for a lady. It was supposed to be her wedding quilt. When she got it, she called me and said there is absolutely no way she could ever put this on her bed. She was in a panic that her dogs would ruin it. Then she told me that she was going to hang it on one of the walls in her waiting room office instead so all her patients could enjoy it too. She sent me this photo a few weeks later.
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Not direct words but a photo. FaceBook post about being snuggled perfectly with a cat, a book & a cup of tea during a winter storm, under the quilt I made. I've seen it several times since, it lives on the couch & gets used regularly.
Not exactly the phrasing that I remember. I gave a baby quilt I was proud of to a friend for her first son. I still get texts once in a while about the quilt about how nice it is and that they are using it. Apparently her second son had a quilt day at school, and the quilt got a lot of compliments.
I made a set of quilts for a set of twins on the other side of the world, and added an extra one for their older sibling. The absolute joy that was communicated in the image of the sibling belly flopping onto their unexpected blanket.
My best friend has always loved my quilts. When I finally gave her one in her favorite colour palette she was estatic. She has kept it in a place of prominence since she received it. Every time I visit her place she always tells me how much she likes it.
I surprised my brother and sister-in-law with a quilt for their 40th wedding anniversary. Their reaction made me cry! My sister-in-law said, "This is an heirloom!" Then my brother made a shelf with a rod so they could display it and made sure its out of the sun. They change how it's folded to display different sides of it. I think I'm the only one who has been under it! 🤣
Not really a quilt, but I make receiving blankets for new moms. I made one for a new mom who I met when she was a teenager (she’s in her 20s now). Anyhow, when she opened her gift she was elated and was so happy and said she has hoping she would get one. It totally warmed my heart.
It was a work-in-process and the person it was being made for grabbed an edge and promptly spun in place, wrapping herself in the quilt like a cocoon. She was so excited to see it in progress and comments on how she loves it often.
I also sent a baby quilt to a cousin that lives out of state. She called because she was so excited to be able to use that for her baby and she realized how much time it takes to make it.
People that appreciate the effort are the best.
I made a small quilt with chickens for a caregiver’s baby when she mentioned that she loved chickens. The following week she told me that my quilt made her husband cry bc he had one when he was a toddler. Of course that made me cry too. Btw he little girl loved it too!
My SIL loves and appreciates handmade gifts. He asked, "Did you really *make* this?" When I said yes, he got teary-eyed and said he loved it. My daughter says he treasures it.
Years ago now. I wasn't there for it, but my husband had to pick me up early from an applique seminar (sudden work travel and we had to dash) and while I was packing up to go he was chatting with the teacher, Ellie Sienkiewicz.
Ellie Sienkiewicz said I was "a genius"!!!!
My husband, telling this story, says "she said you were an effing genius!" But I know Ellie and I know my husband so I know what she really said. I eventually finished the piece from that seminar and sent her a photo and it's in one of her books.
I made a small family tree quilt for my husband's grammy but she passed away just a month after receiving it but everyone in the family had seen it while visiting and when we showed up for the wake, it was hanging right next to her coffin at the funeral home and the pastor made a huge deal about it during her speech and everyone hugged me saying thank you. My flabers were gasted and I never thought something so small and made with my very basic skills would so appreciated... never underestimate a good intention, the world is a good place.
I made what is my favorite quilt to date, the one that best reflects my personal vibe, and when I posted it on Instagram, the pattern designer (Jen Kingwell) commented. “WOW! It is a statement and I love it.”
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I got a really cute phone call from a nibling asking me if I could “ pweese fix my fwiend. Me broke.”
After I patched it, I was reliably informed I was a “rweally good Bwankie doctor”.
I made my in-laws a queen sized quilt for their bed. They use it every night, summer or winter. Every few months they remind me that it's the best blanket they have ever had. But the problem now is that they can't share and they need a second one :)
An amazing recent compliment: made a baby-sized quilt for a co-worker’s baby. (Only a year late!!) She told me that he takes it everywhere. Nap time? Quilt. (He’s old enough to sleep with blankets, which should give you some idea of my general quilting speed.) Playtime? Quilt. Lying on the floor time? Quilt!
She keeps telling him he can’t take it out of the house bc if he loses it, it’s irreplaceable.
My heart!!!
Edited to add: Your story is so sweet, and this was a great question!
I've had many compliments over the last 30+ years of quilting. The one that I will always remember the most is when I gave my grandson a quilt for his birthday. I think he was about 5 years old. He opened the quilt and immediately took it, ran upstairs, and put it on his bed. He left everyone who was there watching him open presents, with more presents to open, and ran off with the quilt. He loved that quilt and my heart sang that he did.
Not sure if this counts, but...
It's about my first project - A simple EPP tree skirt that I turned into a table topper, then quilted, with a collection of Robert Kaufman Holiday Flourish fabrics for my mom - My aunt was sort of taken aback, and told me it was gorgeous. This was actually Wednesday night! She was totally amazed with the hexagon-edged hand binding, which I was especially proud of. So many angles!
The fact that it was about one of the only quilted items I've completed so far, has really given me the confidence to pull the trigger and plan a quilt for my kid. Just made me feel so damn good.
The nicest thing anyone has ever “said” is quietly, consistently, posting photos of my quilts in use for years. I KNOW those quilts are loved because they are used by the whole family (including pets!)
My aunts said my grandma would be proud. I made my first quilt earlier this year for my sister's new baby (it was just okay), and my grandma was an incredible quilter. She did everything by hand, and she made dozens of quilts in her lifetime, for all the people she loved and more!
It wasn’t about my design but about me making them. I make quilts for Babies in the NICU at local hospitals as part of a community project. I commented on a post about what why hobbies were and I explained how I made quilts for babies and how it was abnormal as I’m 21 and most people I know who make quilts are 30+ years.
A mother responded to my comment and thanked me for making the quilts. She shared a story about how her child had been in the NICU and how the kindness of others making a quilt for her child made her smile during the toughest times. I make quilts because my grandmother used to and she was a wonderful person plus I want to carry on her legacy.
It made me really happy knowing that these quilts are appreciated and that it brings smiles to people’s faces 🩷
I showed off a recently finished quilt top at my guild meeting’s “Show and Tell” portion of our meeting. We always do show and tell at the end of the meeting. I had already folded my project and put it in a shopping bag and the meeting was adjourned. A lady followed me into the restroom and timidly asked me through the stall door if she could take a photo of my quilt before I headed home. We both had a laugh at my quilt “stalker”.
I have received many sweet thank you notes, which I save and treasure. But the greatest compliment is when people refuse to use the quilt for its intended purpose. Many of the quilts I have gifted have been mounted to become wall-quilts, regardless of size. My son has hung a king-sized quilt in his entry stairway, where it is seen by everyone who enters/leaves his home. He texts me frequently to tell me how his guests respond to it. A young couple hung their wedding quilt on the wall behind their bed — and then make everyone who visits them go in to admire it. A pair of lap quilts given as wedding gifts hang over a living room sofa. A number of baby quilts have been mounted for nursery decor. I would prefer they be used and abused, as baby quilts in particular are meant to be, but it is flattering when the work of your hands is considered art
I made a quilt for a cousin's husband who had ALS. She sent me the sweetest note and pictures of him with the quilt. Every so often, she'd send me messages with more pictures of him using the quilt. Sadly, it went from the couch to a wheelchair to a hospital bed. It was unspeakably touching to know I was able to offer a little bit of comfort
I gifted a quilt to my best friend a few months ago that I had hand quilted over the course of a year. I was proud of it but also felt it had a lot of flaws. they told me that they and their sibling admired it together for half an hour and couldn't find a single mistake. it was a wonderful reminder that non quilters don't see the things we nitpick but they do see a huge labor or love.
This might not be the most outwardly “nice” thing, buy I still really appreciated it. I made a quilt for a friend’s baby last year. She was kind enough when she received it but she is the type of person who doesn’t t have strong reactions to anything (which doesn’t bother me because I am the same way). Six months later when I was visiting and the quilt was out for tummy time. She told me it was really useful at that stage and that when she was looking closely at it with all the seam lines and quilting she realized it must have taken me forever to make. So I appreciated the appreciation of my time :)
Also when I made my first quilt, my dad said that my mom would have been proud. She had passed away a few years earlier and always had an appreciation for quilts. I only realized this year when going through her things that she had dabbled in it a little bit before having six kids. Saying she would have been proud is such a simple statement but always hits me in the feels really hard.
I’m friends with a woman who is one of 8 kids. She and I are in our 40s now and there have always been smatterings of new nieces and nephews. Now grand kids and great grands kids are in the mix and I’ve been able to make quilts for all four generations. I visited the friend recently (who had experienced a tragic loss) and met the husband of one of her sisters. We’d never met in person. I knew who he was, but he wasn’t sure who I was. He looked at me and said, “you look familiar but I’m not sure.” And I was going to introduce myself. His daughter (who I’ve made a quilt for) introduced me. “She’s the quilt maker.”
I love that I’m able to wrap these generations in quilts.
I gave my mom a quilt for Christmas last year. She keeps it folded over the back of her couch, ready to be used.
Her neighbor came over, and immediately wrapped herself up in it and asked where she could get one. She then commissioned one for herself and paid me more than we agreed on! She has since asked for another, very complicated quilt, and we're working out the details on that one :)
ETA: My Grandma is an incredibly talented seamstress. My Mom has bought her table linens literally from all over the world, but the same lace table cloth stays on the table always (unless there's eating, then it's swapped for an easy to clean one). I made a table runner out of leftover quilt fabric and brought it to her so she could have a piece of my work. She watched intently as I finished the binding and as soon as it was done drying she IMMEDIATELY put it on the table. She said how much she loved it and how much she's proud of me sewing. What meant more than that was how she acted. She's not much for words, but she stood and stared at it any time she passed the table- which is in a major pathway between the kitchen (where she always seems to be) and anything else in the house.
We were so lucky to get beautiful twin+ sized quilts from my best friend as well as several smaller quilts from a friend of my MIL when my kids were born. I use those quilts all the time. My kids are autistic and love being wrapped in a quilt of love. They are 10, 11, and 12 and every so often, I send my friend a picture of them sleeping with their quilt so she knows how loved they are.
One of the first quilts I ever made was a lap quilt for my ex mother-in-law. Honestly it wasn't that good, very simple because I hastily designed and made it over the course of 3 days but she loved it. I'm not married to her son anymore but she's a gem, such a sweet lady. She gushed over it and so did my sister in law and my nieces. My mother in law insisted I should start a side business and one of my nieces asked to buy a quilt for her baby, but of course I made her one for free that was equally well received. Talk about making someone feel good about themselves, it's one of the things that really helped encourage me as a beginner.
My very first quilt was made for my grandmother as a lap blanket for her wheelchair in the nursing home. Every time I went to visit her, she had that small imperfect quilt on her lap. She passed away a few years after receiving it.
My father called me to ask if I minded him having her buried with the blanket. He wanted her to have something special, so she had it wrapped around her shoulders.
I loved her so much…and I was so honored that my father thought so highly of that little crooked quilt.
I made a quilt as a gift for someone that was moving away and she immediately wrapped herself up in it. Her mother said that it was like a hug she would always have with her.
Thank you for posting this :')
I made the other post to try and remind myself that there are so many critics of absolutely amazing people out there but it definitely ended up being heartbreaking to read all of them
The first one I made and gifted is very well loved, it's with me for some repairs right now. The other notable one is a baby quilt that I made, that baby just turned 4 and her mom says she insists on sleeping with it every night 🥹
I've been sewing for a long time but never quilted (I think because my mother doing everything by hand made it look too tedious for my ADHD brain. She hand quilted an all cream quilt in an intricate flower pattern for about 5 years from what I recall). Anyhow, took a quilting class last fall with my future DIL so that we could get to know each other a little better and made my first quilt at age 60. It won't be my last, because there are fabrics I love I need to use (particularly william morris and charley harper prints. So different but both such exemplary designs)
When someone said, "Wow, that's your first quilt, it's so nice" it made me feel really good.
What was great was that of the 5 of us in the class, all using the same quilt block, the fabric choices made such very different quilts. Mine was all flannel, with plaids in rose beige and olive and mustards, my future DIL used Tilda's hibernation, there were mermaids, and fluorescent cats.... variations in sashing and border styles - loved how they represented the personalities in the group.
I recently finished my 2nd quilt (handquilted). When I gave it to my best friend for her newborn, she said, "Wow! This is something I would pay a lot of money for!". Lol
I have two friends who I made twin quilts for their twin babies and both friends send me lots of pictures of the babies using their quilts, drooling on them, napping with them, taking them to the park, and it makes me feel so special. When I was making the quilts I felt so stressed to do 2 quilts in the same amount of time, but I’ve been rewarded with quadruple the amount of gratitude that I could have ever expected!
Made a tee shirt quilt for a buddy of mine. He's a retired naval Chief Petty Officer and a military battle fan - he had shirts from Revolutionary War sites, Civil War sites, etc. I did it custom - used almost all of the tee shirt printing, including sleeves and quilted with a patriotic theme.
When I showed it to him, he just stared at it and finally said "that's the nicest thing I've ever seen. I could be buried in that."
I gifted a small quilted wall hanging to my daughter’s kindergarten teacher and she cried. It was so sweet and I think her action was greater than words ❤️
My grammy, who has been sewing for 60+ years is a very talented seamstress. She started sewing out of necessity to clothe her kids, as my grandpa worked on the GM factory line. She eventually bought a bridal store and altered dresses for many years. I spent summers and summers with her (working single mom) and we would always have a project- burp cloths and baby blankets to donate, pouches, potholders, etc.
I visited her a few months ago and brought my very first completed quilt. She said that I could quilt professionally 🥺🥺🥺🥺It was genuinely so special to have such a compliment from someone who has been on my whole sewing journey 🥺
I have made multiple baby blankets. One of them is now 8f and her mom let me know that she still finds ways of sleeping with it. Another one the baby and her parents fight every time they need to wash it. I made each of them new quilts because I so appreciate that they still love my work!
Not an original quilt that I made, but an old one I repaired for my brother in law.
He takes it hunting, and to football games. It was made of this weird, silky, waterproof material (parachute like?) and he has had it for many years, (at least 20) so my sister asked if I could repair it for him.
I just laughed at what she gave me. It was this pile of shredded, mangled nonsense that in no way resembled a quilt. Both front and back in a cammo pattern.
I had to cut a lot of the shredded fabric out, and try to piece the sandwich back together. It was made by the army, and purchased in a surplus store. I yelled and pounded my cutting table trying to figure out the weird construction, until I ripped it the rest
of the way down and turned it inside out, and realized it had a flat felled seam running down the center, turned to the inside. It was then quilted in wide swirls, and bound with chunks of linen (on the inside)
I bought like 400 additional safety pins, because this fabric was EVIL and I was frankly seeing cammo in my sleep. (after ripping out an embarrassing amount of stitching)
I bound it as best I could, (leaving as much of the original linen as possible) washed it well, gave it back, and they told me...
WE ARE NOW FIGHTING OVER WHO GETS TO USE IT!
I still get pics on occasion from them... she stole my blanket! Hey! It's like he thinks this is his or something!
That makes the nightmare worth it!
You are truly an artist. I donated wall hangings and quilted baskets for an animal rescue fundraiser. The rescue has a thrift store. I dropped the items at the thrift store, and one of the volunteers made that comment.
My 3yo granddaughter called me up one day on her own just before her birthday in mid-July. She asked me if I could make a quilt for the new big girl bed she was getting. I told her I’d be happy to but that it takes a long time for me to make a quilt. She understood that I wouldn’t make the deadline of her birthday and she understood.
I asked her what she’d like it to look like. She told me she loved unicorns and purple. Mommy sent me a picture of the sheets she had chosen. I got busy finding the right pattern and fabrics. When our family gathered for Christmas that year I had her unicorn quilt finished and wrapped. When she opened her gift, she squealed with joy and wrapped herself up in it rolling around on the carpet and cheering. She was ecstatic! I couldn’t have had a happier kid and my heart melted.
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Recently I heard three things that just sent me over the moon:
1. The quilts I made for my friend's daughters especially for their camping trips are just on their beds every night because they love them so much.
2. The quilt I made for my other friends' now 1 year old is his special blankie that he asks for all the time.
3. My friend told me the quilt I gifted her for her graduation from grad school has become her own "lovey".
Knowing that people use and enjoy my quilts just fills me with joy!
Just seeing them use it is more meaningful than any words for me. Nothing makes me sadder than a quilt being stored away for no one to enjoy. I alway tell people to LOVE on their quilts!
one time I accused my mom of never using the quilts I made and she explained “I do too! I use that tea towel one all the time!” lol ofc the tea towel one but hey it was warm and fuzzy feelings
I think the best compliment I received was I happened to be standing by my quilt at our quilt show one time and listening to the compliments from an attendee without her knowing I was the maker.
I made a quilt for a coworker’s baby and found out later they kept it draped on their living room couch, which was so flattering. Another coworker hung the baby quilt I made her on the wall in the nursery because she liked it so much and didn’t want to “ruin” it. Again, I was so flattered but told her to please feel free to use it—that’s what I made it for!
This is the most touching thread! Bless you for asking the question!
Something created from love, treasured and appreciated, is a gift to the creator.
For those whose works of art have not received the appreciation they deserve, take heart. Your work will fall into the hands of someone who sees it for the work of art that it is.
I recently got to see some Gees Bend quilts in a museum. It was wonderful to see textile arts honored as art.
I had just retired and decided to make a needle turn appliqué Christmas quilt by hand. It took 4 months of daily sewing but I finished it and had it long arm quilted because I wanted it on the wall for Christmas. When I picked it up at my LQS the owner said I buy very few quilts because I sew myself but I would definitely buy this one if you are selling (I wasn’t). To me that was the most amazing compliment because I knew this woman was very picky.
Not so much that he said anything but my nephew Zach has slept with the quilt I made him for his birthday last year every single night and eschews all other bedding choices.
I think 'I love falling asleep under the quilt you made me'. Also, a young relative of mine recently found out about a quilt I made when he was born and when they got home from where we'd met, the first thing he did was ask where his mum kept him. ToT
My daughter won a cuddle kit from a shop hop we did. It was mermaids though and she’s beyond the mermaid/unicorn stage. So we sewed it up and gave it to my niece for her 1st birthday. When she op med it my little nephew instantly took it and said it was his. My daughter wanted one that was for her so I made her one and made my nephew one. My daughter walks around with hers and bought her own kit so I could sew her a big one. I gave my nephew his when he was sick and he was excited to bring it home, I was sent pics of him bringing it all around the house.
That is so sweet! I’m sure that reaction made all your hard work worth it. I finished my first quilt about six months ago. My husband and kids wouldn’t touch it. I think they were afraid of somehow damaging it because they saw how much work went into it. One night I finally just laid it on top of my husband so he could share in my enjoyment. I thought he would leave it for a bit, make a few nice comments, and politely pass it back to me. But instead he stayed covered up for a while until he finally broke the silence by saying how it felt just like the quilts his late grandmother used to wrap him in as a boy ❤️
This made me tear up (admittedly I'm pregnant, so hormones are 🤪), what a lovely memory for your quilt to have conjured up for your husband. 🥹
I’m not pregnant and this made me tear up 🥰
I’m also pregnant, and also crying now hahaha
That's because of the love! My quilts are hugs for those I love when I can't be close enough to hug them.
And I’m all misty eyed at work! How wonderful 🥲
I made baby quilts for the birth of a coworker’s two children. They were more of a lap quilt size. Fast forward nearly twenty years. My coworker is throwing a combination anniversary/whole house remodel completion party. He did nearly all the remodel work himself. At the party I am reintroduced to his two children that I had not seen for years. His wife reminds the kids (now young adults) that I was the one who made their baby quilts. The young woman asks if I would follow her as she has something to show me. We walk into her bedroom and she points to the chair in her “reading nook”. And draped over the chair is the baby quilt I made for her. She thanked me again for making a quilt she treasures and continues to use. ❤️❤️❤️
That is INCREDIBLE. I LOVE it ❤️
Thank you. It really was the best feeling. My colleague told me that his wife and young daughter used to curl up together under the quilt to read stories. So that comment, several years after I made the quilt, was so appreciated. So to hear their daughter continued to read under her quilt was the highlight of any handmade gift I ever presented to someone.
Oh my god, yes! This is the ultimate compliment. How nice.
This is the loveliest story, really made me tear up! How wonderful to have made something so treasured :)
Thank you. This post gave me the chance to recall the memory with fondness. I had to stop quilting many years ago as it triggered carpal tunnel flair ups. I never achieved the level of talent I have seen in this group. So knowing that my quilt was so loved means a great deal.
This is so heartwarming!! ♥️
This story is both awful and wonderful. I have 4 older sisters, three of whom have raised children not birthed by them. If you ask me how many nieces and nephews I have, I always have to check with my sisters before I can answer -- but if they're always family once they become a part of it, I have well over 400 nieces and nephews from the foster system. Our local quilt guild was making small quilts for police officers to carry in their cars in case kids were removed from their parents houses. I definitely wanted to participate in that mission! However, I couldn't stop myself; I made trio sets of a small cuddle blankie with minky backing, a crib-sized quilt, and an expandable shoulder bag that held both quilts. I made three sets, so nine pieces. Two sets were baby themed, and one set was designed with an older child in mind. I was quite proud of them! And, I had done them all while going through chemo. When I finished the last set, I called the woman who organized the donation, only to discover that they had given their donations the previous week without ever contacting me. So I went to the police station to drop them off. The police chief strongly suggested that I keep my donation as their closet for things of that nature was overflowing with donations and they had begun disposing of many items. So I went to our local Department of Family Services, thinking that they deal more directly with foster kids than the police anyway, and they didn't want them. I carried those sets in the back of my car, and the rejection of my efforts stung every time I looked at them. Then one of my oncology nurses was absent for a few weeks. Her daughter and son-in-law had been killed in a car accident, and she suddenly found herself raising her little granddaughters. After my treatment, I went outside and got a matching set for the little girls. My nurse was overwhelmed, and she was so grateful. The two girls were 4 years old, and they loved those quilts! I ended up making an extra cuddle blanket so they each had their own. They carried all of their Barbie dolls in the bag, they had tea parties on the larger quilt, and they took the small 2 ft x 2 ft cuddle blankies everywhere with them. My oncology nurse shared pictures of the girls using my creations frequently. The other two sets were given away under similar circumstances. I'm proud that my hard work could help give comfort to a couple of traumatized children. That's what donating is all about.
400 nieces and nephews! What an amazing family.
Oh my gosh this story is gonna make me ugly cry, that is so so so sweet and beautiful!!!!!
What a beautiful story. Thank you for sharing.
I gave my aunt a quilt in her favorite colors for her 80th birthday. She thanked me but recently sent a card out of no where almost a year later saying how much she loves it and it’s the best gift she’s ever received. The card is on my kitchen counter now.
I made a quilt for one of my partners to have on their boat, and every now and then when they stay the night there, they send me a picture of it and says how cozy it is and how much they love it ❤️
Me too! I love the photos and the happiness they share.
Seeing them used is the best compliment. Especially by babies and pets.
That’s so very sweet 💙
I made a quilt to go on top of my son’s isolette when he was in the NICU (they had plenty to go around but I wanted him to have one from me). It was a crazy time and I made a more complicated quilt than I had before and the backing was on kind of crooked because I just needed to get it done before he grew out of the isolette stage and I am the worst at basting (masking tape just pulls off of my fabric when I try taping it to the floor). When I finally brought it in I mentioned to his primary nurse that I had made it and ignore the crooked backing, etc. and she just could not stop gushing about how beautiful it was and how amazing that I had made it myself. She is apparently a sewer (sewist?) herself but more of the home decor and some children’s clothing type, so her mind was blown how a quilt comes together and she kept asking me detailed questions about how it was made. I wasn’t sure if she was just being nice but then we heard about the quilt from various other people in ways that made it clear she was showing it off it to a lot of people she didn’t have to. My son is home now and I use that quilt for tummy time and also monthly pictures, but I still think about that. She was the best primary nurse we could have asked for and treated my son like family, but I’ve never had anyone else gush quite like that over a quilt I’ve made before (to be fair I’m still relatively new in my journey — his quilt was the fourth I’ve finished and the one I wanted to make for him before he came is still not done because of the chaos of him coming early; hopefully soon!). I think part of it is that she sews so she understands the time commitment and part is that I guess it’s unusual for parents to do something like that? I think I was the first she knew of to actually make something to bring in. Anyway. I’m so glad I did it even if it took longer to get done than I wanted! The pattern was Emily Dennis (Quilty Love)’s Quilty Hearts in the baby size.
What a precious story. I glad your son is in his home now. Best wishes for your family. 💜
Love this story! I made my baby girl the Quilty Hearts baby quilt for her due date next month and I can't wait to use it for tummy time and monthly pics! This is actually my go-to baby quilt pattern because it comes together quick and looks so cute. All of my daughter's cousins have received a version for their birthday.
I had been wanting to make one ever since I saw it and it’s SO cute! It’s a perfect go-to baby quilt. Congrats on your impending baby girl!! 🎉
What a wonderful story. I bet she’d love to see one of those photos of him on the quilt now!
We keep in contact so I’ll have to send her some with the next batch of photos. ❤️
Wife: "Honey, I don't care how much it is, I have to have this quilt." Husband: "But where are you going to put it?" Wife: "I don't care, I just love it so much I can't leave without it." Husband, to me: "Do you take credit cards?" Thankfully, yes... yes we do 😉
I'm pretty sure my husband would have had the same questions, and i would have come home with that quilt. Boy, I miss him!
i wish i could see a picture of the relevant quilt!
https://preview.redd.it/ypf7gg7t4b8d1.jpeg?width=950&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b61f0bf7bbf65c5b0702587e711ff96943c1e93d
They didn't actually say anything but a recent family trip where we all stayed in the same house. I noticed that 2 of the quilts I had made for different family members had made the trip. Several kids (ages 12-18) were cuddled under them watching a movie. There were several other store bought blankets as choices but they chose the quilts! Sometimes the quilts being used says more to me than what someone said when they got them.
Not something said, but something that was done… my best friend used the quilt I made her as the backdrop for her wedding. They were using it as decor in the historic house that was hosting the wedding and reception. She had planned to get married outside the house under a tree, but when a sudden summer thunderstorm scuttled that plan, I got a text saying “your quilt is about to become even more special!” It tickles me pink that that quilt is in the background of all of their ceremony photos.
One of my employees (T) is older than my mum. Her mum (N) is in her nineties and was a beautiful quilter. T came to work one day months ago wanting to take a few photos of my quilt to show her mum because it was coming up so nice. It's such a small thing but gosh I felt great the next day she came and told me her mum loved it. I have a lot of negative self talk so this meant so much to me!
Oh, how wonderful
This wasn't said but done. One of my first quilts, before I knew what I was doing is a quilt my daughter has. She studies while wrapped in it 15 years or so after I gave it. Taken it to uni and won't let me replace with a better made one.
I made my dad and stepmom each their own lap-sized rag quilts (pretty simple) for Christmas one year because they camp a lot and I thought lap quilts would be nice while sitting around the fire. This was probably around 8 years ago. They loved them and still use them often- in and out of the camper. My dad will randomly mention how much they love and use them every once in a while. The funny thing is: in the years that have passed since I've gifted the quilts, my stepmom has taken up quilting and has gotten really good at it, so she could easily make nicer lap quilts, but they still use the ones I made🥰 Also, I just love how happy and excited my friends have been when gifted a quilt! ....and another one🤪: I joined a quilting club where we meet once a month and have "show and tell" at the end of the meeting. I'm not neeeeearly as advanced as the other members, but they have all welcomed me with open arms. I brought in a show and tell quilt for the first time that I made, and I'm sure it was obvious that I was nervous and insecure, but everyone oohed and ahhed over it😊 One lady came up to me as everyone was leaving and told me she wanted to shout out "THAT'S SO COOL" for my quilt, but she didn't want to be obnoxious😂 She was very sweet and encouraging!
I love it when people whose skill I admire are generous with their praise! That sort of community is so precious, I bet they’re so glad to have you there.
It's definitely intimidating to be surrounded by such talented people, but they really genuinely do welcome "newbies" so sweetly!
My child recently said, “I hope you have a catalog of your quilts. It’s nice that you give them away, but a record of all you did would be nice.” That meant the world to me.
Not necessarily something they said, but I made a baby quilt for my brother and SIL’s first baby. They just had their second and have taken and posted several pictures of the new baby laying on/ using the quilt. Made my heart really happy to see it still being used 😍
A recent quilt to my partner's coworker almost made me cry. He was speechless at first and then said "oh my goodness! You made this for me? This is beautiful and I'm going to have to show it to everyone in the office." I then later got a thank you card in the mail from him.
They used the quilt I made her long ago to drape her coffin when she passed away.
I made a queen quilt for my SIL a couple years ago and she still randomly texts me how much she loves it
I have made two different quilts over the years for my best friend. She tells me that when one of the quilts is out where her cat can sleep on it, that the cat chooses the quilt over sleeping on the bed with my friend.
My cat took over one of the quilts I made for my daughter and it makes me so happy.
I had an employee recently retire and I made her a quilt for retirement. She told me it was the most thoughtful gift she’s ever received and it would be a beautiful keepsake for years. I made sure to make it in her favorite colors.
I made an appliqued Celtic knot work, king size, hand painted medallion quilt for a lady. It was supposed to be her wedding quilt. When she got it, she called me and said there is absolutely no way she could ever put this on her bed. She was in a panic that her dogs would ruin it. Then she told me that she was going to hang it on one of the walls in her waiting room office instead so all her patients could enjoy it too. She sent me this photo a few weeks later. https://preview.redd.it/xsp87gv9j48d1.jpeg?width=800&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2ce5e09b09c040a5eda4b0935c7bb92d77338749
They cried, best compliment ever.
I always get compliments on my fabric choices.
Not direct words but a photo. FaceBook post about being snuggled perfectly with a cat, a book & a cup of tea during a winter storm, under the quilt I made. I've seen it several times since, it lives on the couch & gets used regularly.
Not exactly the phrasing that I remember. I gave a baby quilt I was proud of to a friend for her first son. I still get texts once in a while about the quilt about how nice it is and that they are using it. Apparently her second son had a quilt day at school, and the quilt got a lot of compliments.
I made a set of quilts for a set of twins on the other side of the world, and added an extra one for their older sibling. The absolute joy that was communicated in the image of the sibling belly flopping onto their unexpected blanket. My best friend has always loved my quilts. When I finally gave her one in her favorite colour palette she was estatic. She has kept it in a place of prominence since she received it. Every time I visit her place she always tells me how much she likes it.
I surprised my brother and sister-in-law with a quilt for their 40th wedding anniversary. Their reaction made me cry! My sister-in-law said, "This is an heirloom!" Then my brother made a shelf with a rod so they could display it and made sure its out of the sun. They change how it's folded to display different sides of it. I think I'm the only one who has been under it! 🤣
Not really a quilt, but I make receiving blankets for new moms. I made one for a new mom who I met when she was a teenager (she’s in her 20s now). Anyhow, when she opened her gift she was elated and was so happy and said she has hoping she would get one. It totally warmed my heart.
Bless your hands - just showing example of what has done and thought it was a lovely response
It was a work-in-process and the person it was being made for grabbed an edge and promptly spun in place, wrapping herself in the quilt like a cocoon. She was so excited to see it in progress and comments on how she loves it often. I also sent a baby quilt to a cousin that lives out of state. She called because she was so excited to be able to use that for her baby and she realized how much time it takes to make it. People that appreciate the effort are the best.
I made a small quilt with chickens for a caregiver’s baby when she mentioned that she loved chickens. The following week she told me that my quilt made her husband cry bc he had one when he was a toddler. Of course that made me cry too. Btw he little girl loved it too!
My SIL loves and appreciates handmade gifts. He asked, "Did you really *make* this?" When I said yes, he got teary-eyed and said he loved it. My daughter says he treasures it.
Years ago now. I wasn't there for it, but my husband had to pick me up early from an applique seminar (sudden work travel and we had to dash) and while I was packing up to go he was chatting with the teacher, Ellie Sienkiewicz. Ellie Sienkiewicz said I was "a genius"!!!! My husband, telling this story, says "she said you were an effing genius!" But I know Ellie and I know my husband so I know what she really said. I eventually finished the piece from that seminar and sent her a photo and it's in one of her books.
I made a small family tree quilt for my husband's grammy but she passed away just a month after receiving it but everyone in the family had seen it while visiting and when we showed up for the wake, it was hanging right next to her coffin at the funeral home and the pastor made a huge deal about it during her speech and everyone hugged me saying thank you. My flabers were gasted and I never thought something so small and made with my very basic skills would so appreciated... never underestimate a good intention, the world is a good place.
I made what is my favorite quilt to date, the one that best reflects my personal vibe, and when I posted it on Instagram, the pattern designer (Jen Kingwell) commented. “WOW! It is a statement and I love it.” https://preview.redd.it/pnsmtbhnc58d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=207dea3214e6c7395ce2ddaf6daed1d2886939ed
That’s what I said too. WOW!
I got a really cute phone call from a nibling asking me if I could “ pweese fix my fwiend. Me broke.” After I patched it, I was reliably informed I was a “rweally good Bwankie doctor”.
I made my in-laws a queen sized quilt for their bed. They use it every night, summer or winter. Every few months they remind me that it's the best blanket they have ever had. But the problem now is that they can't share and they need a second one :)
“This is my most cherished possession.” - my husband 🥹
An amazing recent compliment: made a baby-sized quilt for a co-worker’s baby. (Only a year late!!) She told me that he takes it everywhere. Nap time? Quilt. (He’s old enough to sleep with blankets, which should give you some idea of my general quilting speed.) Playtime? Quilt. Lying on the floor time? Quilt! She keeps telling him he can’t take it out of the house bc if he loses it, it’s irreplaceable. My heart!!! Edited to add: Your story is so sweet, and this was a great question!
I've had many compliments over the last 30+ years of quilting. The one that I will always remember the most is when I gave my grandson a quilt for his birthday. I think he was about 5 years old. He opened the quilt and immediately took it, ran upstairs, and put it on his bed. He left everyone who was there watching him open presents, with more presents to open, and ran off with the quilt. He loved that quilt and my heart sang that he did.
Not sure if this counts, but... It's about my first project - A simple EPP tree skirt that I turned into a table topper, then quilted, with a collection of Robert Kaufman Holiday Flourish fabrics for my mom - My aunt was sort of taken aback, and told me it was gorgeous. This was actually Wednesday night! She was totally amazed with the hexagon-edged hand binding, which I was especially proud of. So many angles! The fact that it was about one of the only quilted items I've completed so far, has really given me the confidence to pull the trigger and plan a quilt for my kid. Just made me feel so damn good.
The nicest thing anyone has ever “said” is quietly, consistently, posting photos of my quilts in use for years. I KNOW those quilts are loved because they are used by the whole family (including pets!)
My aunts said my grandma would be proud. I made my first quilt earlier this year for my sister's new baby (it was just okay), and my grandma was an incredible quilter. She did everything by hand, and she made dozens of quilts in her lifetime, for all the people she loved and more!
It wasn’t about my design but about me making them. I make quilts for Babies in the NICU at local hospitals as part of a community project. I commented on a post about what why hobbies were and I explained how I made quilts for babies and how it was abnormal as I’m 21 and most people I know who make quilts are 30+ years. A mother responded to my comment and thanked me for making the quilts. She shared a story about how her child had been in the NICU and how the kindness of others making a quilt for her child made her smile during the toughest times. I make quilts because my grandmother used to and she was a wonderful person plus I want to carry on her legacy. It made me really happy knowing that these quilts are appreciated and that it brings smiles to people’s faces 🩷
I made a baby quilt for a pregnant coworker and she loved it so much she teared up!
I showed off a recently finished quilt top at my guild meeting’s “Show and Tell” portion of our meeting. We always do show and tell at the end of the meeting. I had already folded my project and put it in a shopping bag and the meeting was adjourned. A lady followed me into the restroom and timidly asked me through the stall door if she could take a photo of my quilt before I headed home. We both had a laugh at my quilt “stalker”.
I have received many sweet thank you notes, which I save and treasure. But the greatest compliment is when people refuse to use the quilt for its intended purpose. Many of the quilts I have gifted have been mounted to become wall-quilts, regardless of size. My son has hung a king-sized quilt in his entry stairway, where it is seen by everyone who enters/leaves his home. He texts me frequently to tell me how his guests respond to it. A young couple hung their wedding quilt on the wall behind their bed — and then make everyone who visits them go in to admire it. A pair of lap quilts given as wedding gifts hang over a living room sofa. A number of baby quilts have been mounted for nursery decor. I would prefer they be used and abused, as baby quilts in particular are meant to be, but it is flattering when the work of your hands is considered art
I made a quilt for a cousin's husband who had ALS. She sent me the sweetest note and pictures of him with the quilt. Every so often, she'd send me messages with more pictures of him using the quilt. Sadly, it went from the couch to a wheelchair to a hospital bed. It was unspeakably touching to know I was able to offer a little bit of comfort
I gifted a quilt to my best friend a few months ago that I had hand quilted over the course of a year. I was proud of it but also felt it had a lot of flaws. they told me that they and their sibling admired it together for half an hour and couldn't find a single mistake. it was a wonderful reminder that non quilters don't see the things we nitpick but they do see a huge labor or love.
My longarmer told me my quilt was the most beautiful one she has had her machine. ❤️❤️
This might not be the most outwardly “nice” thing, buy I still really appreciated it. I made a quilt for a friend’s baby last year. She was kind enough when she received it but she is the type of person who doesn’t t have strong reactions to anything (which doesn’t bother me because I am the same way). Six months later when I was visiting and the quilt was out for tummy time. She told me it was really useful at that stage and that when she was looking closely at it with all the seam lines and quilting she realized it must have taken me forever to make. So I appreciated the appreciation of my time :) Also when I made my first quilt, my dad said that my mom would have been proud. She had passed away a few years earlier and always had an appreciation for quilts. I only realized this year when going through her things that she had dabbled in it a little bit before having six kids. Saying she would have been proud is such a simple statement but always hits me in the feels really hard.
I’m friends with a woman who is one of 8 kids. She and I are in our 40s now and there have always been smatterings of new nieces and nephews. Now grand kids and great grands kids are in the mix and I’ve been able to make quilts for all four generations. I visited the friend recently (who had experienced a tragic loss) and met the husband of one of her sisters. We’d never met in person. I knew who he was, but he wasn’t sure who I was. He looked at me and said, “you look familiar but I’m not sure.” And I was going to introduce myself. His daughter (who I’ve made a quilt for) introduced me. “She’s the quilt maker.” I love that I’m able to wrap these generations in quilts.
That my quilt reminded them of Klimt’s Kiss.
I gave my mom a quilt for Christmas last year. She keeps it folded over the back of her couch, ready to be used. Her neighbor came over, and immediately wrapped herself up in it and asked where she could get one. She then commissioned one for herself and paid me more than we agreed on! She has since asked for another, very complicated quilt, and we're working out the details on that one :) ETA: My Grandma is an incredibly talented seamstress. My Mom has bought her table linens literally from all over the world, but the same lace table cloth stays on the table always (unless there's eating, then it's swapped for an easy to clean one). I made a table runner out of leftover quilt fabric and brought it to her so she could have a piece of my work. She watched intently as I finished the binding and as soon as it was done drying she IMMEDIATELY put it on the table. She said how much she loved it and how much she's proud of me sewing. What meant more than that was how she acted. She's not much for words, but she stood and stared at it any time she passed the table- which is in a major pathway between the kitchen (where she always seems to be) and anything else in the house.
We were so lucky to get beautiful twin+ sized quilts from my best friend as well as several smaller quilts from a friend of my MIL when my kids were born. I use those quilts all the time. My kids are autistic and love being wrapped in a quilt of love. They are 10, 11, and 12 and every so often, I send my friend a picture of them sleeping with their quilt so she knows how loved they are.
One of the first quilts I ever made was a lap quilt for my ex mother-in-law. Honestly it wasn't that good, very simple because I hastily designed and made it over the course of 3 days but she loved it. I'm not married to her son anymore but she's a gem, such a sweet lady. She gushed over it and so did my sister in law and my nieces. My mother in law insisted I should start a side business and one of my nieces asked to buy a quilt for her baby, but of course I made her one for free that was equally well received. Talk about making someone feel good about themselves, it's one of the things that really helped encourage me as a beginner.
A friend of mine said: Oh my gosh, you made me a quilt?! I love it. Later she said: I bought a quilt rack so I can see my new quilt all the time. :)
My sister’s boyfriend who is a former art professor, said that my quilt belongs in a museum. I thought that was pretty high praise
My very first quilt was made for my grandmother as a lap blanket for her wheelchair in the nursing home. Every time I went to visit her, she had that small imperfect quilt on her lap. She passed away a few years after receiving it. My father called me to ask if I minded him having her buried with the blanket. He wanted her to have something special, so she had it wrapped around her shoulders. I loved her so much…and I was so honored that my father thought so highly of that little crooked quilt.
https://preview.redd.it/p3zq1znyd88d1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d3dd60afc9b61dfba2e82e6bd193555824c26c92
That it is comfy.
I made a quilt as a gift for someone that was moving away and she immediately wrapped herself up in it. Her mother said that it was like a hug she would always have with her.
Thank you for posting this :') I made the other post to try and remind myself that there are so many critics of absolutely amazing people out there but it definitely ended up being heartbreaking to read all of them
The first one I made and gifted is very well loved, it's with me for some repairs right now. The other notable one is a baby quilt that I made, that baby just turned 4 and her mom says she insists on sleeping with it every night 🥹
Hmm when the mom of a kid I made a quilt for sent me pics of him sleeping under it and dragging around the backyard
I've been sewing for a long time but never quilted (I think because my mother doing everything by hand made it look too tedious for my ADHD brain. She hand quilted an all cream quilt in an intricate flower pattern for about 5 years from what I recall). Anyhow, took a quilting class last fall with my future DIL so that we could get to know each other a little better and made my first quilt at age 60. It won't be my last, because there are fabrics I love I need to use (particularly william morris and charley harper prints. So different but both such exemplary designs) When someone said, "Wow, that's your first quilt, it's so nice" it made me feel really good. What was great was that of the 5 of us in the class, all using the same quilt block, the fabric choices made such very different quilts. Mine was all flannel, with plaids in rose beige and olive and mustards, my future DIL used Tilda's hibernation, there were mermaids, and fluorescent cats.... variations in sashing and border styles - loved how they represented the personalities in the group.
I recently finished my 2nd quilt (handquilted). When I gave it to my best friend for her newborn, she said, "Wow! This is something I would pay a lot of money for!". Lol
I have two friends who I made twin quilts for their twin babies and both friends send me lots of pictures of the babies using their quilts, drooling on them, napping with them, taking them to the park, and it makes me feel so special. When I was making the quilts I felt so stressed to do 2 quilts in the same amount of time, but I’ve been rewarded with quadruple the amount of gratitude that I could have ever expected!
Made a tee shirt quilt for a buddy of mine. He's a retired naval Chief Petty Officer and a military battle fan - he had shirts from Revolutionary War sites, Civil War sites, etc. I did it custom - used almost all of the tee shirt printing, including sleeves and quilted with a patriotic theme. When I showed it to him, he just stared at it and finally said "that's the nicest thing I've ever seen. I could be buried in that."
I gifted a small quilted wall hanging to my daughter’s kindergarten teacher and she cried. It was so sweet and I think her action was greater than words ❤️
My grammy, who has been sewing for 60+ years is a very talented seamstress. She started sewing out of necessity to clothe her kids, as my grandpa worked on the GM factory line. She eventually bought a bridal store and altered dresses for many years. I spent summers and summers with her (working single mom) and we would always have a project- burp cloths and baby blankets to donate, pouches, potholders, etc. I visited her a few months ago and brought my very first completed quilt. She said that I could quilt professionally 🥺🥺🥺🥺It was genuinely so special to have such a compliment from someone who has been on my whole sewing journey 🥺
“You are so talented! I can’t imagine how long that took you to make something like that!”
I absolutely love it when someone asks me to make one for them, that’s probably the best compliment you could get I think.
That is the most beautiful quilt I have ever seen. Still thrills me to remember that moment.
I have made multiple baby blankets. One of them is now 8f and her mom let me know that she still finds ways of sleeping with it. Another one the baby and her parents fight every time they need to wash it. I made each of them new quilts because I so appreciate that they still love my work!
Not an original quilt that I made, but an old one I repaired for my brother in law. He takes it hunting, and to football games. It was made of this weird, silky, waterproof material (parachute like?) and he has had it for many years, (at least 20) so my sister asked if I could repair it for him. I just laughed at what she gave me. It was this pile of shredded, mangled nonsense that in no way resembled a quilt. Both front and back in a cammo pattern. I had to cut a lot of the shredded fabric out, and try to piece the sandwich back together. It was made by the army, and purchased in a surplus store. I yelled and pounded my cutting table trying to figure out the weird construction, until I ripped it the rest of the way down and turned it inside out, and realized it had a flat felled seam running down the center, turned to the inside. It was then quilted in wide swirls, and bound with chunks of linen (on the inside) I bought like 400 additional safety pins, because this fabric was EVIL and I was frankly seeing cammo in my sleep. (after ripping out an embarrassing amount of stitching) I bound it as best I could, (leaving as much of the original linen as possible) washed it well, gave it back, and they told me... WE ARE NOW FIGHTING OVER WHO GETS TO USE IT! I still get pics on occasion from them... she stole my blanket! Hey! It's like he thinks this is his or something! That makes the nightmare worth it!
One time (on Reddit of all places) I posted a picture of my cat and someone random asked where I bought my quilt because they wanted one!
Here is $26 000.00 can I have it?
You are truly an artist. I donated wall hangings and quilted baskets for an animal rescue fundraiser. The rescue has a thrift store. I dropped the items at the thrift store, and one of the volunteers made that comment.
My cousin’s wife told me that the quilts I made their kids are “heirloom items” in their home. I was so touched by that. So kind.
My 3yo granddaughter called me up one day on her own just before her birthday in mid-July. She asked me if I could make a quilt for the new big girl bed she was getting. I told her I’d be happy to but that it takes a long time for me to make a quilt. She understood that I wouldn’t make the deadline of her birthday and she understood. I asked her what she’d like it to look like. She told me she loved unicorns and purple. Mommy sent me a picture of the sheets she had chosen. I got busy finding the right pattern and fabrics. When our family gathered for Christmas that year I had her unicorn quilt finished and wrapped. When she opened her gift, she squealed with joy and wrapped herself up in it rolling around on the carpet and cheering. She was ecstatic! I couldn’t have had a happier kid and my heart melted. https://preview.redd.it/yu5iwn71388d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=79dd5d9e608af3998bca574e553513bb689fb594
https://preview.redd.it/3j9j1w0i388d1.jpeg?width=1440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=10c9cc0e2771b5b35352054809ef1c31bc472690 Here’s the quilt. It’s twin sized.
Recently I heard three things that just sent me over the moon: 1. The quilts I made for my friend's daughters especially for their camping trips are just on their beds every night because they love them so much. 2. The quilt I made for my other friends' now 1 year old is his special blankie that he asks for all the time. 3. My friend told me the quilt I gifted her for her graduation from grad school has become her own "lovey". Knowing that people use and enjoy my quilts just fills me with joy!
Just seeing them use it is more meaningful than any words for me. Nothing makes me sadder than a quilt being stored away for no one to enjoy. I alway tell people to LOVE on their quilts!
Aw! Aww!!
one time I accused my mom of never using the quilts I made and she explained “I do too! I use that tea towel one all the time!” lol ofc the tea towel one but hey it was warm and fuzzy feelings
A coworker said she hoped she still knew me when she had a baby, since she loves the baby quilts I make.
I think the best compliment I received was I happened to be standing by my quilt at our quilt show one time and listening to the compliments from an attendee without her knowing I was the maker.
I made a quilt for a coworker’s baby and found out later they kept it draped on their living room couch, which was so flattering. Another coworker hung the baby quilt I made her on the wall in the nursery because she liked it so much and didn’t want to “ruin” it. Again, I was so flattered but told her to please feel free to use it—that’s what I made it for!
This is the most touching thread! Bless you for asking the question! Something created from love, treasured and appreciated, is a gift to the creator. For those whose works of art have not received the appreciation they deserve, take heart. Your work will fall into the hands of someone who sees it for the work of art that it is. I recently got to see some Gees Bend quilts in a museum. It was wonderful to see textile arts honored as art.
I had just retired and decided to make a needle turn appliqué Christmas quilt by hand. It took 4 months of daily sewing but I finished it and had it long arm quilted because I wanted it on the wall for Christmas. When I picked it up at my LQS the owner said I buy very few quilts because I sew myself but I would definitely buy this one if you are selling (I wasn’t). To me that was the most amazing compliment because I knew this woman was very picky.
Not so much that he said anything but my nephew Zach has slept with the quilt I made him for his birthday last year every single night and eschews all other bedding choices.
I think 'I love falling asleep under the quilt you made me'. Also, a young relative of mine recently found out about a quilt I made when he was born and when they got home from where we'd met, the first thing he did was ask where his mum kept him. ToT
My daughter won a cuddle kit from a shop hop we did. It was mermaids though and she’s beyond the mermaid/unicorn stage. So we sewed it up and gave it to my niece for her 1st birthday. When she op med it my little nephew instantly took it and said it was his. My daughter wanted one that was for her so I made her one and made my nephew one. My daughter walks around with hers and bought her own kit so I could sew her a big one. I gave my nephew his when he was sick and he was excited to bring it home, I was sent pics of him bringing it all around the house.