Parting With My Quilts

I have a habit of making baby quilts with no baby in mind and then stockpiling them. This is great because when a baby shower comes along, I can just reach into the stash and wrap one up. This is also great because it allows me the time to really work on designing quilts I enjoy and trying out new techniques at my own pace. However, this is a dangerous practice because I sometimes fall in love with quilts and don't want to give them away - even if I have no use for them myself.

I've found that, for the most part, I am most in love with whatever quilt I made last. Once I make another quilt, the previous quilt becomes safe to give away because I have found a new love to replace it. There are, however, a few exceptions to this rule.

I totally made this quilt up as I went along. I made little applique blocks to teach myself hand applique. Once I had enough, I made the scrappy four-patch blocks to go with them and sewed them into a quit top. I love the bright colors and that they came out pretty good for a first attempt.

While I was in the middle of making this quilt, I found out that I was pregnant. Shortly after completing it, I had a miscarriage. I did not make this quilt for that baby, but I didn't have anything that I had made for the baby, which made it hard to part with the quilt. There was also the fact that my husband really liked this quilt, and he's not that into quilts. I decided to hold on to it for a while in the hopes that I would one day have a little girl.

Over a year later, when I found out I was going to have a little boy I decided that I would be able to let go of the applique quilt. I had already made a memorial wall hanging for the first baby, so I wasn't as attached to the quilt as I was previously. And I knew it would be harder to give away this quilt if I held onto it for much longer. So, I gave it to my god-daughter when she was born, almost two years after the quilt was originally completed.

This quilt also features hand applique and embroidery. I received a book with lots of quilt blocks for my birthday one year and decided to try my hand at some Sunbonnet Sues. They took a very long time to complete and that's probably why I still have this quilt, over two years after it was completed.

I guess the lesson here is that if there is a lot of hand work in it, it's going to be hard for me to give it away. It's hard to justify giving away something that is worth so much. Well, I've finally decided to give away this quilt. It's going to be raffled off in November for Divine Mercy Care, an organization close to my heart. I hope these little Sues find a good and loving home.