Do we really make quilts for others or are they actually just for us?

      Just wondering-when we give quilts to people do they appreciate them? We spend a lot of money  and HOURS working on quilts--all the planning, cutting, sewing. And then we give most of them away. Because I love them, I assume the recipient does also, but now I am not so sure.
      A couple years ago I gave each family member a quilt to donate to charity. Of the 15 quilts I am only sure that 2 were actually donated, 1 person made a donation in my name, and who knows about the rest. I choose to believe the people kept them because they loved them.
     Two days before Thanksgiving a family had a house fire and lost everything. The mom has cancer, her daughter and grandbabies were here, her college age son lost his computer and it really touched me. I had 2 quilts finished for charity but there were 3 kids so I spent the next 2 nights finishing another quilt. I gathered up a couple books and toys for the kids, baked a batch of cookies and took the quilts to them. No feedback but I choose to believe they appreciated them.
     Believe it or not one of my first quilts which I made back in the 70's before I really knew much ended up wrapping up my brother's dead dog and was buried with her. I'm OK with that. It needed to be put to rest, (We are supposed to burn worn out flags so why not bury worn out quilts, right?)

The one that got away

      I made quilts for each of my nieces and nephews when they graduated from high school and when they got married and had kids. I also made the t-shirt quilts for the Rokoff kids. I know for a fact the t-shirt quilts were appreciated and enjoyed (the boys used them as a pick up line in college. "Wanna come up and see my quilt?) I assumed the kids loved them because they came from me, but then I had a wake up call.
       I got an e.mail from a stranger who saw one of my quilts on the Goodwill auction site. It was listed with my name and she didn't want to buy it if it was stolen or not supposed to be sold. At first I didn't recognize the quilt but I really liked it. So I looked back at pictures and discovered it was the one I had given my nephew for his graduation. I choose to believe his wife didn't like it and donated it to Goodwill. But to be honest, my feelings are still hurt!
      I also make wedding quilts with pictures from the wedding. My (other) nephew really liked his but doesn't know what to do with it now that he is divorced! I never thought of that.
       So here is the conclusion I have come up with. I enjoyed making the quilts, I enjoyed giving the quilts, and I CHOOSE TO BELIEVE the recipient enjoyed getting them.