ffq-lar Posted January 13, 2013 Report Share Posted January 13, 2013 We've had fun lately telling stories on ourselves. How about sharing the most horrific use you've seen involving a quilt? Was it used to rub down the horse? An awning in the backyard? Here's mine. We visited a friend in Las Vegas who had inherited some quilts from his mom. Used as a pad in the dog bed was a satin crazy quilt. Not particularly intricate, but the colors were bright and the stitching intact. I asked if I could see it better and we threw it over a bed. It was perfect. The back was wool-like and the top mostly satin with a bit of silk here and there. I told him that if he didn't care for it as a keepsake, he should get it appraised and sell it. He did just that. He sold it for $800. That buys a lot of poodle food and and new blankie for the dog bed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LisaC Posted January 13, 2013 Report Share Posted January 13, 2013 Oh arghhhhh!!!! Or I've seen the hand pieced, hand quilted quilts in people's car trunks/back seats for picnic blankets and to wrap up jacks and things that "rattle" and to use under the car in case you break down!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sewhappy Posted January 13, 2013 Report Share Posted January 13, 2013 I posted this one before when explaining why I do NOT make crib size quilts for anyone anymore- I had a friend that was gonna have her baby soon-I was fairly new to quilting so I probably took longer than I should have on this baby quilt but just the same I was indeed proud of it! When I handed the gift to her she opened it rite there in the parking lot. (She kept staring at it so I thought she was exited to recieve a gift wrapped in baby paper) She looked at it & said oh...thats nice but do not expect me to do the baby's room in that!! If that wasn't rude and devistating enough she rolled it up into a ball and THREW it in the bake of her car!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mestuart Posted January 13, 2013 Report Share Posted January 13, 2013 ouch, that would hurt. Marion Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrandmaLKB Posted January 13, 2013 Report Share Posted January 13, 2013 I made a nice quilt for our son and when they moved, it was in the trunk of his car with junk piled on it ! I was not a happy Mom! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nanbrug Posted January 13, 2013 Report Share Posted January 13, 2013 Ok sad as this was for my son they had to put their dog to sleep and lucky the vet came to the house. Low and behold I looked down when they were getting ready to bury him and there was a quilt his Grandmother had made me and I handed it down to him. I was mortified! Needless to say they will never ever get another quilt from me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
srichardson Posted January 13, 2013 Report Share Posted January 13, 2013 There was a discussions several weeks ago on another forum with similar stories. One of the members decided that people deemed unworthy of the gift of a quilt should be known as blanket people. It sounds as though we probably all have at least some blanket people lurking in our families! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K. Szymaszek Posted January 13, 2013 Report Share Posted January 13, 2013 I made a graduation quilt for gd. She pulled the corner out and said " oh, a quilt " and pushed it back in. I to this day don't know if she ever took it out of gift bag. I try to be alot more thoughtful of who I give quilts to now. I'd like to say lol but I'm still not laughing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LisaC Posted January 13, 2013 Report Share Posted January 13, 2013 Blanket people is a good term. My daughter in law calls them blankets; I've made them two bed size quilts; plus all 4 grandsons and she still calls them blankets no matter how many times my very vocal husband has told her "those aren't blankets". LOL....................... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heritage Keepsakes Posted January 13, 2013 Report Share Posted January 13, 2013 I've made a quilt for a friends daughter and when she thanked me she said," thanks for the blankie, it's a really nice patch you made". By her own admission, she's a blanket person. I happened to come across a really beautiful antique quilt on the net that was on sale. It had substantial damage to it but was beautifully hand quilted and the piecing was Carolina lilies with a trailing vine border. The explanation given for the damage was: It had belonged to great great gran and been handed down. A male member in the family, somehow ended up with it and needed something to cover his car engine with, that he had pulled out of a vehicle. You guessed what was used...... the quilt! The next unkindness bestowed on this beautiful quilt was from someone else in the family, that thought they would clean it by putting it in the washing machine. While it didn't get all the motor grease totally out of it, it did clean it. But at a cost. The fragile integrity of certain coloured fabrics disintegrated. It's hard to tell now whether they were purples, greens or a darkish brown. The turkey red binding is still vibrant, so I know it was probably not a red that suffered at the hands of these blanket people. I still purchased it, at a reduced cost. It's now too fragile to use as is, but too beautiful not to have it out and enjoy. Hopefully when time permits, my intentions are to duplicate this quilt, so that it can continue to be enjoyed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ffq-lar Posted January 13, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 13, 2013 Perhaps the "blanket people" would be more appreciative if we attached a price tag to our offerings? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Primitive1 Posted January 13, 2013 Report Share Posted January 13, 2013 Oh that makes me so sad to hear how those blanket people treat the quilts we and others so long ago so lovingly made.....the oldest one I have is from my Grandmother from the 1880's, she had it rolled up in a bag and asked me if I wanted "that old thang?" I was thrilled to get it. I think the worst thing I almost ever saw was on one of our military moves, I caught the packers wrapping my acrylic paints in my antique quilts to pack in a box...so glad I saw them and was able to stop that disaster from happening...! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoseCity Quilter Posted January 14, 2013 Report Share Posted January 14, 2013 A few years after moving back to the family dairy farm, my DH was getting something out of the grease shed (little shed where they stored oil, greese, etc.), when he saw something pink laying in the corner under a case of oil. When he pulled it out, it was a scap quilt his grandmother had made! . We figure it could have been there as long as 20 years! He brought It home to me almost in tears at the carelessness of it. Amazingly enough it was in really good shape! No mouse damage. A little oil damage in one corner that I was able to mostly get out. It now is proudly on display on a shelf with some of our quilts.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandra Darlington Posted January 14, 2013 Report Share Posted January 14, 2013 I made a lone star quilt in a class quite a few years ago. When I showed it to my Mother she said the colors would be perfect in my nephew's (my sister's son) new house. After I thought about it, I decided to give it to him and his girlfriend as a house warming gift. They said thank you, but had a funny look on their faces. I couldn't quite figure it out so I put it out of my mind. I few months later I was in their house and was wondering where the quilt was displayed. I glanced around the living room. No quilt. Humm...maybe it is upstairs in a bedroom. Nope, it was on the kitchen floor with their dog laying on it! I guess I let out a bit of a gasp and nephew's girlfriend saw what I was looking at. She explained how their kitchen floor was chilly and her dog is old and has arthritis, so my quilt was just perfect for the dog to lay on to stay warm. No remorse. She seemed to feel she put the quilt to good use. I swore I would never make them another quilt, but when their baby was born I gave them two baby quilts. I have no idea where they are, or how they are being used. I probably am better off not knowing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peglu Posted January 14, 2013 Report Share Posted January 14, 2013 Such sad stories. Some people just don't get it. 3 years ago my father in law was ill and was in hospice. I made him a generous sized quilt with a nice wool batting to keep him warm. When I gave it to him, he said "that's not a blanket, it's a rug. Take it off of me." Now granted, he was confused. The family found it very funny and they still refer to my quilts as "rugs". This past weekend we were at my MIL's and she asked me to take Dad's "blanket" back because she wasn't using it. Wow, that hurt. Yep, definitely blanket people. Peggy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lisae Posted January 14, 2013 Report Share Posted January 14, 2013 I think we all have those stories...I know I have a couple. My Mom BURNED, yes, BURNED, some old tattered quilts years ago. She was a blanket person then and didn't appreciate the quilts. (Oh, the horror! My own mother!) She said they reminded her of growing up in the depression. She later saw the light and became a Quilter, and she did regret she had burned those old quilts. I have several that didn't get burned, and I am thankful for them! I made a quilt for our oldest son and daughter-in-law as a wedding present. The top was made out of my hand dyed fabrics, and the theme was Biblical since he is a minister. They kindly sent it to me to display in our local quilt show. Imagine my surprise when I sent it back and it came back to me because they didn't pick it up from the post office! They really had to beg to get me to send it back, and I took my sweet time! Most recently I made a cute quilt for my nephew & niece-in-law's first baby. I had to ask if the package arrived. My nephew said they were going to open it at the baby shower the following weekend.To this day have yet to receive an acknowledgement of the gift. I don't want to be mean, but really I will never again make quilts as gifts for anyone other than immediate family! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancingraisin Posted January 14, 2013 Report Share Posted January 14, 2013 And then there are the folks who value their quilts too much to use them at all. Following my last job related move, my bff and I are separated by 3000 miles. Her awe at receiving a quilt from me (a simple, beginner effort) was inspiring. But she deems it too good to use on her bed where it might get dirty or damaged since her dogs sleep with her. So she keeps it in a drawer and occasionally takes it out to admire it. Meanwhile her bedroom is so shabby. I wish she would use it and enjoy it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudithWashburnQuiltStudo Posted January 14, 2013 Report Share Posted January 14, 2013 My FNL put an old grandmothers garden quilt under tractor parts that is DGradMother had made. It was very worn and tater, looked like feed sack cloth. I still have the pieces that remail. Also, I found LoneStar in a Drilling Rig Buck House from feed sacks in almost perfect condition that looks like my DH GreatGreat GM made. Not signature or anything telling of the era except from the fragile muslin backing. That I fluffed in the dryer to get the dust mites out and it is stored at my house. I hope to get it appraised soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ffq-lar Posted January 14, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 14, 2013 I think if I realized how sad this thread would be I never would have started it! But it does highlight the bond we quilt-lovers have! Some people are sentimental and some aren't. Some appreciate the money and time we spend on our efforts--and some will never see the light. The previous post about quilts being too good to use? That's why we have the gorgeous Baltimore Albums and Dear Janes left to enjoy and wonder over--they were put away as "too good" to use! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
witha'K'quilting Posted January 14, 2013 Report Share Posted January 14, 2013 my friend 'rescued' a redwork quilt...all hand pieced and quilted...that was being used as a drop cloth on a guy's porch, while he was painting! he sold it to her for $5 after she pleaded with him. i must admit, especially living where I do where temperatures drop (-23F last night), that I keep 3-4 quilts in my van at all times. I have used them to help people stranded on the road, and for accident victims while traveling. Sometimes they become a bit grungy...but then, I make my quilts to be used! nothing that a good wash can't fix. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sewhappy Posted January 14, 2013 Report Share Posted January 14, 2013 Then you have the "No Manners Thank Yous" Made a quilt for our neighbors as a wedding gift-went to ALOT of trouble to find out the colors of her interior. It was a lovely QUEEN sized-(if they did not want to use in the bedroom they could cuddle together on the couch) The husband, who works with my husband sent him a work iniciated e-mail quite long and detailed and at the end he wrote "Oh yeah-Tell Patty thanks for the quilt" I still am insulted by that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ffq-lar Posted January 14, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 14, 2013 So we have several groups of "unappreciators" to deal with. The "blanket people" who see only a random covering without intrinsic value. To be used for warmth, to build a fort, or keep the dog (or car engine) warm. These people merit a fleece throw from the discount store. It's all the same to them, so why torture yourself! The "clueless". Without an eye for beauty, color, or symmetry. But they'd like to have a quilt--for free. How expensive can it be? Hand them a piece of paper with your prices all spelled out and then direct them to Target to pick out a China-made rag. You won't hear from them again! The "greedies". You made a quilt for grand-niece Zelda, so where's mine? Oh, I want it in my school colors and big enough for my bed. And graduation is in three weeks. Thanks! The "co-worker/classmate/neighbor/slight acquaintance/something-for-nothing person" who knows what a quilt involves and thinks because you have such a nice "hobby" you'll spend your time making one for them. Sure, they'll pay for the fabric. Oh, you want money for batting, thread, and labor? ....nevermind..... Thanks goodness we are surrounded by quilters and quilt-fans who get what we're doing and would never expect us to make a quilt for them. THEY are the ones we make quilts for. The joy and tears in their eyes when we gift them a hand-crafted piece of our hearts is glorious! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donna sco Posted January 14, 2013 Report Share Posted January 14, 2013 A quilting friend told our group about when she met a distant relative for the first time and this relative had inherited some of the family antique quilts. My friend admired them and was told, "Oh I will be glad to share the quilts with you." A few weeks later she received a package from the relative. She was so excited to see which quilt she was going to receive. Imagine her surprise when she opened the package and found 1/2 of each of the quilts. The relative had cut the quilts in half and mailed her half of each of the two or three quilts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cblevins Posted January 14, 2013 Report Share Posted January 14, 2013 The most horrible thing I have heard of is something I did. I hate to admit it!!! When I was young...15...I snuck out of my house to meet my future husband for a picnic. I figured we needed a "blanket" to sit on so it would be just like the picnics in the movies. I knew I might not be able to sneak it back in with me so I needed something I could dump. I went to my mom's pile of old quilts and picked out the oldest looking one. I figured she wouldn't miss one so old. My mom was born in 1911. She was 43 years old when I was born (the baby of 13). This quilt turned out to be a grandmothers flower garden type that was made by HER grandmother. Her grandmother was born in 1860 and died in 1899. I went on the picnic and dumped the quilt.....My dad found out about the secret picnic.....I ran away from home with soon to be husband. Life went on. My mom would occasionally hunt for the quilt that meant so much to her, but after I realized what I had done I NEVER told a soul.......until now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sewhappy Posted January 14, 2013 Report Share Posted January 14, 2013 I bet it felt good to get that off your chest among friends! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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