A few years ago I was asked, "What do you do with all those quilts?" A valid question! My reply, in short, was, "I use, donate, show, share, and store them." Yes, all of those things. And I was reminded of how remarkable it can be to share them, when the other day, a card arrived from some friends. It was a Christmas card, but at its heart, it was also a 'thank you.'
It mentioned a small quilt, Spiraled Jungle, that my friends chose a few years ago from a handful that I had made that needed a home. And in it they see a variety of scenarios - different scenes at different times. In a recent one, they saw the center 'map' background reflecting the mess that life can be, with the spirals representing a band of people sharing one another's load. There was much more that they wrote, but you get my drift, right? To them, this 'jungle' was so much more than fabric and thread, and that really touched me. In fact, I felt honored that somehow a piece of my work could evoke such thoughtfulness.
I love that your friends shared their thoughts about your quilt! They sound like lovely friends. To me, knowing that someone is enjoying the things I make is totally satisfying and is justification for making them. Well, justification beyond the personal enjoyment of the process of making things. I give lots of quilts as gifts and it brings me much happiness, especially when someone tells me something about how they enjoy a quilt I have made.
ReplyDeleteI sew regularly with two ladies who have been quilting for many years. One has made about 20 Bonnie Hunter aka tiny pieces quilts. She has kept all of them and none of them have been washed. The other keeps a lot but gives away a lot. I have a few but give/donate away the rest because there's always more fabric. I so enjoy hearing what each quilter does with her creations.
ReplyDeleteI love when there are stories behind our quilts whether they are stories that inspire the making or stories that evolve afterwards, either by us or by others. I love that your friends shared their story with you!
ReplyDeleteMy Grandmother taught me some 60 years ago quilts are Love Letters. Every year I donate around 50 quilts. Hopefully someone out there knows they are being loved by that quilt.
ReplyDeleteThat is so awesome that a recipient of a quilt really sees the quilt and finds meaning in its design AND tells you about it. That is what makes it all the worth of sharing/gifting them. Other than an initial thank you, I’ve never heard another word about a quilt I made and gifted. However, I do know they are used and loved. Can’t keep them all and can’t display them all, so share and gift and donate is a must.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful story of gifting a quilt. If everyone appreciated a quilt in this way, wouldn't every quiltmaker be giving away quilts? I'm glad for you that this beautiful found a home where it's ascribed meaning, and is being loved. Excellent!
ReplyDeleteHow lovely. I have gifted or donated most of the quilts I have made. I don't know what to do with guilts that don't have a place in my home. In most cases the response has been wonderful and appropriate for the effort (and cost) involved in the quilt. However, I have gifted or donated a few quilts that yielded little appreciation by the recipient. Weird. On the other hand, I just gave my sister a quilt for Christmas and she more than made up for anyone else's less than ecstatic response! So funny!!
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