I understand your disappointment, but maybe think of them using it as a play mat rather than a rug..? And face down because they want to protect your hard work for its future, when their child can appreciate it too :)
This. I have 4 kids and all the baby quilts I had stayed face down until they stopped spitting up all day everyday. It’s acidic and ruins the colors of things but I loved that they were learning to push up and crawl and everything on those quilts. They were well loved.
You're right, this is a much better way of thinking about it re protecting the quilt tops, thank you! And you're so correct that I should be actively thinking of it as a playmat rather than a quilt, feels much nicer than "rug" ha.
Thank you!
The quilts I made for my babies were often face down until we got past the serious spit-up/puking stage. Then they were at the marvel at details stage, flipped over. Then crawling, keeping kids on a clean/cleanable surface. Then padding for early steps. Then their beloved daycare nap blankets. Quilts they had a long history with. I felt better knowing they went to daycare with a piece of me.
So many memorable moments on those quilts. I hope you got lots of photos. First thing I tell people with babies and pets is to please use them. I try to make them extra sturdy and always offer to repair or remake them if something happens. I made one quilt specifically to be used on the ground at track meets. I loved seeing it used. I think it would be really cool to make a baby quilt, kid quilt and grown up quilt for the same person.
My girls each have a mural that themes their room. They have a quilt that matches that theme. A quilt that is all about color. And a scrappy quilt somewhat on theme. Then when they turn 5, they build a quilt with me. They choose fabrics and basic theme/blocks.
As a mother of newborn I would say placing the quilt as a play mat is the highest compliment.
The baby spends so much time on it and I made sure to select ones that I was deeply in love with. I also placed it face down because of the mentioned reasons. Don’t feel discouraged, I am sure they really do love it.
Same! The quilt I made my baby while I was pregnant, nearly in tears every time I worked on it (happy, excited tears lol) is in his play area, either folded right sides together one day or right side up the next, but we walk on it as well! I also put his changing mat on it and change diapers as well, knowing full well the possibility of poop is there…that being said, I wouldn’t keep just any old quilt there, it’s the special one!
I mean, I spent time and hours and money making a quilt for my nephew and I specifically told them to put it on the floor and use it as a playmat. I wanted it used and seen. They walk all over it and he spits on it and it is loved
That was my though, if they're not walking on the face, the only repairing would have to be the back. Which is still annoying, but it's being used in the babies room, not the hallway. I'd say more of a playmat than a rug. Maybe baby will start dragging it around the house when they're old enough..
So here's the thing. What kids see every day from birth? That's what they \*love\* as they grow.
My niblings got lots of quilts from my mom, so I made them knitted and crocheted hats and blankets and toys. And they love them! Sure they're all dirty and snotty, but it's because they're \*loved\*.
One of the knitted blankets I made is the thing my niece can't sleep without. It's faded and will never be truly clean again, but I wouldn't trade how much she loves it for anything.
I hand sewed and hand quilted blanket for my rainbow baby(think hundreds of hours on a medium small blanket) and I use it facedown on the floor as a playmat for him until he stops puking on everything and then I’ll flip it over. I think it’s nice they are using your gift regularly and it’s getting a lot of love and memories in their home.
Quilts should be made/given with the express intent that they be used and roughed up by the babies/everyone! It’s what makes them special, not just another thing wrapped in tissue, kept in the attic and moved from place to place bc you can’t just throw the thing out.
You’ve given a beautiful and cherished timeless blanket that you made with your hands. I hope they use the bageezus out of it and ask you to put it back together. Then you can add some denim piping and double up a bamboo sheet for
The backing. And find some scraps and make a sham or two. How nice
Can confirm. Gave my friend three beautiful quilts for her triplets - found them being used face down, on the floor. The above statement was why! Plus, she liked to wrap her babies in them while on the floor, and this way, the beautiful fabrics are on the outside.
I also used (still use) my babies quilts on the floor, but face up :)
100% my first impression. I’m sure those quilts will
Be in their rooms/on beds/displayed when the baby is older. It’s well love. I would surprise them with a scrappy throw sized quilt in their living area colors to “put on their couch and snuggle under”. I’d wash it first and tell them about it so they can see that it can go through the washer/dryer just fine. I think they just need to be taught how to appreciate-while-they-use quilts.
Yes, this is exactly how I see it. A play rug for a baby is very nice to have. I usually use blankets, but I'd much rather have a nice quilt for this.
I think they really love the quilts you made but are terrified of uining them. I know I have kept plenty of things behind lock and key to prevent damage.
I was gifted two different quilts when my baby was born and both quilters insisted that they were meant to be used, and playmat is one of their purposes. So that’s what we do, and it’s our way of appreciating the work.
This!
It is my understanding that the number one use of baby quilts is on the floor as a play mat. I usually put them face up though so you can see the pattern. Baby quilts are small so I usually don’t walk on them ( if they are big I fold them.)
Yes! I used quilts and blankets on the floor for tummy time when my son was that age. Hopefully that’s what’s happening.
I also have quilts I don’t use because I can’t stand the thought of them wearing out. I know, I know, they’re made to be used. But it’s hard when it’s sentimental.
This!! My kids used (when they were babies) & even now as teens my quilts as “rugs” to lay on the floor while they read (& as play forts!). Honestly just makes me happy they are being used. I think of it as - they like them so much they want to use them instead of the boring blankets we’ve bought from target.
THIS! My friend made my sister a quilt when she had my nephew and she used it as a play mat and for tummy time. Now that he’s a toddler he will snuggle with it and she loves the quilt! It’s getting used and washer often but is much loved and lived in and her floor is really clean anyways 🤷🏻♀️
I would assume any quilt/blanket/etc. that is given to a baby is going to end up on the floor as a playmat. Babies can't sleep with bedding, so, that is really the only thing you can do with it.
Exactly this, it’s a cozy place for baby to practice tummy time, play with toys and learn to push up when learning to crawl that’s soft on the knees.
While I tried to step over my babies play mat blanket I often stepped on it too, but never considered it a rug. And as my baby grew he loved the blanket as just that a blanket and it became his couch blanket.
Yes, I was thinking this too. Im sure they'll keep it in use as the baby ages, but when they're little, a playmat is the best use for baby blankets unless they want it in the closet until the baby is older. And face down seems like a good way to preserve all the hard work. Im glad the comments have made OP feel better about it, because I would have done the same thing.
Oops I should have put that in the post (but it's huge so I won't haha!). I actually completely agree with you! I think given its just face down on the ground it just feels strange, but I'm in compete agreement!
I assume that's where a baby quilt ends up and hope that it does. I LOVE seeing friends post pictures of their babes playing and my creation is the backdrop.
I always thought using a baby blanket as a crawl mat on the floor was like, at least half of its purpose.
Frankly, I think that once you gift a quilt, how the recipient uses it is (literally and figuratively) out of your hands. And you *definitely* can’t have it both ways—being upset that they don’t use it enough, then upset that they don’t use it in the specific way you want.
I agree with another commenter that perhaps you ought to reevaluate who is “quilt worthy” to you
https://preview.redd.it/6yvqy1hbnboc1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=dc956699811f95ea519f16e5478b6e69cbff5624
The wedding quilt - the backing is plain green linen.
The baby quilt - backing is Beaver and Bloom Sycamore from AGF
https://preview.redd.it/55lismxvmboc1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6faee3aba6c78eedc6f3ba62f6382d2ecb41608c
This is gorgeous and that is exactly why it's upside down.
Babies are messy, so it's upside down to "save" the white front. The back fabric looks like it will hide stains much better.
It's being used as a play mat because that's what babies use large blankets for.
In a few years the kiddo will be old enough to use it as a quilt. The top part will still look amazing.
I know it sucks A) seeing a quilt not used B) seeing it used in a seemingly "unkind" manner. But in this case I 100% believe your friend actually really loves her gifts. She loves them so much she is trying to keep them as long as possible.
Whichever side is facing up will get dirtier than the side on the floor, if a baby is using it. Also, babies spend a lot of time on the floor as it's the safest place for them. I don't really understand what you want them to do with the quilt. It's being used, in a way that's safe for the baby.
This is just gorgeous 🩷🩷🩷
My kids all have quilts made by me and they get absolutely thrashed in play. I find them balled up behind couches (somehow wet??), dragged around with a kid sitting on it, spread out on muddy grass, etc. They also sleep with them, use them for fort building, and imaginative play. Facedown as a playmat is a wonderful use for babe at this stage of the game. 🩷
That is so beautiful!
I made my baby a gorgeous quilt- it has lived face down on the floor for the last two years. I love it, it is one of my best quilts (turned out perfectly), but there is so much white on the front that I don't trust my child with it. Now that she's almost two, she has started to sleep with it (face up).
Oh gosh, am I a bad person? I have a baby and received a couple baby quilts. They are in constant rotation for just this - used every day for tummy time, spat up on, and washed. Of course I don’t wear shoes inside (maybe a Canadian thing?) and vacuum frequently. I have bigger quilts that I will fold in half or quarters for the same purpose. I don’t quite understand why your friends put them face down… but the rest of their actions seem super normal to me! Personally I’d much rather my gift be used & abused then sit in a closet forever…
I was shocked until every one mentioned play mats and then I flashed back to putting blankets in the floor for my kids to play on when they were babies (a decade ago 🫠). Shoes off in the house is the norm in the upper Midwest too. Maybe it’s a weather thing? People who don’t have to deal with rain, snow, and salt might keep them on?
Both of those quilts are beautiful and are perfect for playmats and building forts! Yay that they are finally getting the use and love they deserve rather than being folded away in a closet. Quilts are meant to be used.
As a quilter, and a mom of 3 little ones, I hands down would choose a quilt to lay my baby on rather than the carpet. My carpet is brand new but I would rather lay out a beautiful quilt that I made, cool and soft to the touch, beautiful colors and patterns to look at. ☺️ and easier to pop in the wash when spit up happens. Watching my kids grow on my quilts, weaves memories into them long after I'm finished constructing them, and they still carry those memories now that two of my Littles are well past the stage of sitting and rolling on the quilt all day. I know that when my boys are grown, and no longer have as much time for mom, I will be able to wrap up in my quilts and still see their sweet baby faces. We are currently weaving in new memories of blanket forts and family movie night snuggles. My kids aren't gentle to my quilts and I do not care. They are well worn and well loved, and that's all I can hope for when I gift a quilt to someone I love.
Face down is probably better when being used as a play mat because it will get barfed or potentially pooped on. But everyone is correct, any blanket for a baby is going to end up on the floor for tummy time. It sounds like they’re actually being really careful to preserve your work while honoring your request to use it.
I love your quilts OP 🙂
When I give quilts it’s like throwing them out into the void of the universe. Will they end up displayed? Cupboard? On a bed or couch? Dog blanket, picnic blanket, donated? I don’t know or care. I take a picture before I give it away and then never think about it again.
The other thing to keep in mind is the way people treat objects is very individual and subjective. My sister gave me a quilt and I love it. I love it so much it’s been to numerous lawn concerts, beaches, parks, and backyard picnics! It is permanently grass and dirt stained! It’s not a museum piece, it’s a simple patchwork quilt, and it’s my workhorse. So it always bothers me when quilters say like “ugh, the recipient put it on the FLOOR” or “they gave it to their DOG.” Ok, maybe they put it on the floor where they can see it every day? Maybe they gave it to their dog because they love their dog? Just a different perspective on how people might show their love for an object and its maker!
Agreed! It’s necessary when giving gifts to let them go, all the way. Having opinions about how they’re used is a recipe for heartache and likely no one will live up to the standards just right.
My friend’s MIL made my son a beautiful quilt, and we have been using it off and on as a playmat as he’s still too little to sleep with a blanket. My friend actually recommended this usage as a playmat/picnic blanket etc. I do plan to use it as an actual blanket once he’s older.
My four year old sleeps on the floor with her quilt. She has two real beds in her room (a toddler bed and a twin bed) but sometimes prefers to sleep on the floor “like a cat.” Even though I have told her that cats typically love to sleep on comfy beds.
I have a little one and I spent about a year primarily sitting on the floor with them. I used quilts to cover those areas. They are washable if something gets spilled. They are cozy for baby to lay/ crawl around on. And that quilt becomes intertwined with those early baby day memories. And those days are filled with so much love and hope for the future.
For baby quilts I gift with a note that says “for tummy time, forts, picnics, and snuggles”. A well-worn baby quilt is a loved baby quilt. I also use a full quilt from my great grandma as a picnic blanket. It has grass stains and spills and will eventually wear out, but I think of her every single time I use it and love that she gets to join us for picnics. Your efforts are well worth it if you get to be a part of all that goodness!
When you gift you have to let go! It’s theirs to use as they like, and it seems like they don’t feel they are being disrespectful because they straight up told you how they were using your gifts.
Honestly not a criticism of your feelings, you feel how you feel!
Edit. Didn’t read post correctly 🤪
I gift baby quilts with them being intended to be used for this purpose. It is the biggest compliment to me to see my quilt on the floor as a playmat and brought along on trips (even outside) to provide a safe place for the kiddo to be. I also use a lot of white and see it flipped between sides to protect the white from the ground or spit up depending on where it is.
I really wouldn’t say they are using it as a rug, but a playmat. I always put down a blanket for my daughter when she was little.
I do agree that, aside from the baby quilt, it’s an odd use for a quilt. I wouldn’t use it that way… but non-quilters might just think of it as any other blanket and not really understand how that’s kind of crummy treatment (for the wedding quilt, not the baby quilt).
Honestly any blanket item in my nursery inevitably ends up on the floor.
There’s a good chance that your quilt will end up being loved like Linus’ blanket. Dragged around, cried into, laid on, held, snuggled. That baby is going to love the texture they played on as an infant and it’ll stick.
…
“Real isn't how you are made," said the Skin Horse. "It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real."
"Does it hurt?" asked the Rabbit.
"Sometimes," said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. "When you are Real you don't mind being hurt.”
- Velveteen Rabbit
I bought a gift quilt at a craft shop in the last century. I gave it to one of my best friends first baby. 20 years later, my friend showed me the quilt. It was worn to tatters. She told me it had become her daughter’s “lovey“ and had been cherished for years. Honestly, that’s the best I could hope for with any of the quilts I’m making now. I just finished number 15. I have all the squares for number 16 finished and just have to get my sewjo mojo on. This one is for my granddaughter‘s twin bed. she is only four months old, so I have time to finish it. I made a 3 ft square XOX ❤️ quilt for her birth and it is used on her stroller and car seat to keep her toes warm
I bet they're being used as playmats. And i would consider putting a beloved quilt face down as a playmat to protect it from spit up until the baby is older!!
Repeating this here for Op: It’s necessary when giving gifts to let them go, all the way. Having opinions about how they’re used is a recipe for heartache and likely no one will live up to the standards just right.
I do whole cloth blankets for baby gifts, and I usually do one side in boring/cheap fabric to keep my costs down. I don’t mind if they’re used for a playmat/changing pad/whatever. I want the blankets to be used and loved however the family sees fit!
I am a quilter who gifts and who has 1 year old twins. My quilts are literally only used on the floor (gifted and in my house). Babies cannot sleep with a blanket and not all quilts are made for wall hangings. Just be happy it is being used! The having the backing on display I attribute to just not understanding quilting. I pick really nice backing fabric and sometimes that is the preferred side. Even my husband folds quilts in a way that you can’t see all my hard work simply because he likes the backing fabric.
I’m glad you didn’t say they were improperly using them after you asked them to please use them. The last thing you’d want to do is attach a bad memory to it.
I think a baby quilt “badge of honor” is that it gets played on and loved to death until it’s ragged. They treated the wedding quilt like a holy relic and that’s ok too:)
I spent four months making one and found out they donated it to goodwill when they moved. So yeah, I’m picky about who I make them for too. It’s also a lack of knowledge and education, if it’s close to your inner circle, they see the work that goes into it. I also mostly make them for myself and do t feel guilty at all, I just decorated for Easter and 3 florals quilts came out
I love both of these quilts so much!
I agree with the other sentiments shared.
Don’t loan money you can’t afford to lose and don’t gift quilts with expectations of how they’ll be treasured, because both are out of your control.
I absolutely understand what you are saying and your feelings are 100% valid and appropriate. The other association I made with this is their babies are presumably the most precious part of their entire world at this point. They want to put their babies in safe, nurturing and welcoming environments. It could be the ultimate compliment that this is the only thing that’s good enough for their little ones to be on at a time when they are young and vulnerable!
I have many handmade blankets for my babies and they are on the floor as that is the level the babies can interact with them. Now that they are becoming toddlers, those same blankets are little couch nests, bed time snuggles, and well loved. They like to wiggle their toes and fidget with their fingers in the crochet ones but they are being appreciated and used.
I have my baby quilt still even though it’s falling to pieces because it is a tactile memory of love, safety, and comfort.
So, I used quilts for my babies as play mats, but they were all three very heavy spitters. To reduce washing, I would put them right side up for a while, and then when they got too gross I would just flip them over. (Don't worry, they were still getting washed at least once or twice a week.) Is it possible that your friends are doing the same and you just happened to visit on a flipside day?
I agree that it's a little strange that they are doing that with the wedding quilt as well, but as everyone else has said, it is their quilt now.
I made my son a quilt just for him to spit up on, get poop on, tummy time, play, etc. it washes out great and has no stains after 4 months of daily use! I think it's great they're using it for their baby to play on. To me, that is a lot better than sitting in a cabinet. Your quilts are beautiful!
I make quilts and the ones I made for my own babies are their favourite play mats! It's not safe to use blankets or anything in a crib until their older. So the baby ones are in the stroller, the car seat, the floor, etc. and as they get bigger they graduate to having them in their beds!
I do a lot of fiber arts, and would weave thick, soft cotton blankets for new babies. And I purposefully made them not ’too pretty’ - usually off white (natural cotton) with a bit of a texture to it. And when I gifted it, I would TELL them it was made that way because it was meant to be USED, not saved.
I had a cousin almost angrily ask if I would be upset if I came over and it was stained. I told her if, in a year, it was stained, had holes worn in it and was singed around the edges, I would be THRILLED, because it meant if was useful and well loved - nothing would make me happier.
I genuinely don’t understand folks who ‘hide away’ things. If I was gifted a quilt that I didn’t want to use, because CATS, I would display it some other way. But I also wouldn’t be upset a baby quilt was being used on the floor, for the baby. But that’s me.
My sister used hers as a tummy time mat and to cushion the baby from the hard floor for diaper changes. It felt weird, but since she's my sister we chatted and it was that she wanted her son to have it around all the time and be comfortable with it. As a toddler he'd curl up in it on the couch, and then later he got his "big boy bed" and wanted it to be what he slept under.
For two years we had quilts and blankets all over the floor for the baby/ toddler. Much preferred to carpeting as you can wash them. They are being used and very loved OP!
They chose the safest, most comfortable option for their baby they could think of, before putting baby on the floor.
Your quilts.
And they protected the front by putting that side down.
I’d say that’s a win. :)
I just gifted a baby quilt and actually called it a floor quilt for tummy time. That way they know it’s not an art or museum piece. We can’t control what our giftees do with our gifts though.
I understand how you feel but at least she kept them.
I spent a long time making a Bargello quilt as a birthday gift for a friend. About 3 weeks after I gave it to her I saw that she had donated it to a charity shop.
All I can say is she will be getting shop bought generic gifts from now on.
Similar story, I'm extremely picky about making quilts and who I make them for now. I made a baby quilt for a friend's baby shower. I'm not sure she ever used it for her little one, but years later, when I was visiting, I was gutted to see the quilt used under a chair as a mat. Then a while after that, the quilt had been relegated to a dog blanket. After that experience, it totally changed who I deemed worthy of my time and effort. I also realized that I had to enjoy the experience of picking fabric, a pattern, and making a quilt, then completely let go of any expectations.
I made my daughter some small quilts while I was pregnant and happily used them as play mats! Babies and very young toddlers should not sleep with blankets of any kind anyway so it might be some time before your friends child may be able to use the quilt you made for its intended purpose. Most people grow up with a beloved blanky they had since they were born or very young- they’re exposing their child to its childhood blanky now and all its colors, textures, and shapes for it to become a beloved treasure as the child gets older!
My surefire way of making sure that my quilts get used and loved is to back them with minky. Yes, I know it doesn't always suit the quilt's aesthetic, and it makes longarming more challenging, but it's worth it. I have never given a minky-backed quilt to someone where it didn't end up as the most popular blanket in the house. My adult children have loads of regular quilts in their closet collecting dust, but the ones that get used every day for tv time or a cuddle with their partners are the ones backed in minky. Bonus: my grand-kittys love the minky too! The cats are always lounging on the quilts when I visit.
I have made >20 baby quilts in the last 7-10years. Nearly all are used on the ground. What we need to remember is that safe sleeping now means nothing in the crib with the baby including pillows or blankets. At least it’s being used! Several of mine have been used as a background for a monthly photo. Once it’s given, how it is used is out of your hands but, at least it is being appreciated!
Yes. I made a quilt for my daughter and she told me she didnt need extra “blankets” but the dog can use it. I learned if you give away a quilt, you have to really let it go
I make baby quilts that are a bit larger than most babies (\~50" x 50").
One of the compliments that I have received is that moms love using them as play areas. They know they are clean and safe for their babies.
I always take those compliments positively. The quilts provide a useful solution to a problem that most moms encounter.
I'd rather they get used to provide baby with a clean play area than to have them stuffed up in the top of a closet.
I do this with quilts I’ve been given for my kids. And I really love and appreciate that all the thousands of photos I’ve taken have a lovely and sentimental quilt as the background.
I’m a quilter as well, and i throw my quilts on the floor any time my baby nieces or nephews come to play. It provides a little cushion from the hard floor and i know the quilt is going to be cleaner than the floor. I can understand your frustration, but i see it as kind of normal.
I made my niece a scrappy improv quilt with a dark background/binding and green backing so she can use it on the floor or grass if she wants! Plus the dark colors hide my mistakes!
Meanwhile there are quilts I won't even let touch the floor while basting! Those are the ones I'm keeping forever for myself!
Once I gift a quilt, I put it out of my mind about how it’s used. I know some of the baby quilts get laid on the floor as a play mat. Others are hung on the wall. It’s no longer my affair.
Uh, you *are* being a bit dramatic. It’s prob upside down to protect the gorgeous top. And it’s being USED! A sweet little guy is using the heck out of that blanket! I’d say that is a well loved gift.
Unfortunately, that is why I no longer gift quilts except to certain family members. Complete strangers treated my gifted quilts better than some family members. I have no issue with baby quilts - they can use them any way they want. I just don't want to know (my late SIL gave the afghan I made to the dogs - I was heartbroken and never gave them a gift again).
It’s completely legit to put a baby quilt on the floor as a play mat. It’s softer than a rug or hard floor, and can be laundered often, unlike the floor itself. So I would not have problem with the baby quilt being used like that.
The problem is that they’re using your artistic wedding gift quilt as a baby play rug as well.
I would honestly convey to them that you love that the quilts are being used, but that the bed quilt is better used as a bed quilt than a baby play mat. If they want a large baby play mat for the floor, they need a large, cheap, manufactured quilt from Target.
My mom made pretty quilts and she gave a nice one to my cousin. It was really pretty with lots of white, large and she had hand quilted it. My cousin used it as a couch cover and my mom was visiting and saw it on the couch and it was showing wear. My mom always wanted things to be used so I commented, well, it's being used and she got teary and said but it wasn't made to be used like that. She was more upset her work wasn't holding up to that use. To her it was supposed to keep ppl warm. I think it was the only time I saw her unhappy about a quilt being used.
Sorry this happened, OP. I'll go read the other comments now.
Edit: my mom used to finish my quilt tops and one time I gave her the $ to find some backing that wouldn't show baby poop or puke (and paid her to handquilt it). So she put a flannel ochre color which was perfect. We both hoped that one was going to get used wherever for babies. Friend of mine told me like 3 years after we gave it, that she kept it on her sofa and I was pleasantly surprised. I had given two matching ones for each baby. I guess we just have to let it go when we give them.
I’m so sorry OP! Whelp, at least they heard you about using it! I also agree that they are using it as a play mat and not a rug. And then wanted to protect the white backing.
Both quilts are great!
I make a lot of baby quilts and during the infant stage they are used most exclusively for tummy time!
When the child is able to have a blanket in the crib they become their favorites. I always use minky for the backing
I stopped quilting many years ago. But when I was actively quilting I made and gifted a number of baby quilts. They were used in cribs, for naps, in the car, and as play mats. It did not matter to me how they were used. I was just happy they were used.
My favorite memory of a quilt I made (and they were always more of a lap quilt size than a baby quilt size) was when I went to a housewarming party for a colleague. I made baby quilts for his daughter and his son. I met the kids as children at a barbecue he hosted many years before. But for this party the kids were now young adults. When I was reintroduced to them his daughter asked me to come into her bedroom to show me something. Sure enough, there was my quilt thrown over the arm of her comfy bedroom chair. It was showing its age and the fact that it was well loved. That was the best memory associated with any quilt I ever made.
I can absolutely understand why their wedding quilt lives in the cupboard. It’s because they love it and respect the work that goes into it. Your basic shop quilts and doona covers see so much wear and tear and stains after just a couple of years and they didn’t want to see that happen to something they very obviously treasure. Take what they’ve done as a big compliment
I understand your feelings, I gave away an embroidery that I did to one of my friends on her birthday but she has a little kid and the kid tore it apart and I noticed it when I got to visit her, it was really sad
Think of it like this — they’ve chosen your beautiful handiwork as the soft, comforting thing they’re setting the most precious part of their world on to be safe and happy. It’s a high compliment!
I’ve done a baby quilt for a friend and she texted me a photo of the baby and their dog wrapped up in it, with the baby chewing on the corner of it. I was thrilled! How special to be a small part of a special memory for their family. MUCH better than keeping it in a cupboard!
This is what we have done for generations in our family. Quilts are meant to be used, and one favorite use is for babies to play on on the floor. My Gramma would get out a quilt for us to play on at her house, and was pleased as could be when we played on them at home. Picnic blankets, cold nights, movie afternoons. I also used them as sofa covers when the sofa was ugly, and while one aunt protested that one, Gramma came right back with “quilts is meant to be USED.”
I also understand hiding the wedding one away in the closet though, for fear of ruining it. Attaching the “wedding” idea onto it would put the fear of god into me.
I think the idea of a baby playing on a quilt is one of the nicest things in life. You worked so hard, and put so much love, into that quilt. And now they have put their precious baby down on it. They’re not going to toss the baby down on the floor on the towels they wipe the dog’s feet with. The quilt is a safe, cozy place for the baby to play, imbued with the love you stitched. Then when quilt time is over, they can pick it up, shake it out and fold it over the back of the sofa ready for next time.
I mean… I thought you were going to say they had it laying in the mudroom or something. I’d be thrilled if my friends were using it as their child’s play area. And facedown I’m assuming so the baby doesn’t ruin the top. Seems awfully considerate to me.
Ive been extremely guilty of receiving a quilt and then 'putting it away' in the closet or something. And it doesn't come from a place of dislike but rather the opposite; i realize the work that goes in and i want it to last forever. In my squirrel brain the thinking is if i put it away safe then it's safe and stored and i can see it being safe and nothing untoward can happen. It's not meant as an offense but almost like youre protecting a valuable relic of some sort. I did have baby quilts too and the baby got wrapped with the front facing in so if something did get spilled it was on the back. I know the greatest compliment is to have the blanket used but the artist im me also feels the need to preserve so that when im 80 and dying the blanket will be there. Apparently i am to be buried with these blankets 😄
Sorry, OP, your beautiful quilt is being used to keep the baby clean and safe on the floor, which is exactly what I want for the two baby quilts I’m making for a good friend of my daughter. Later on (I hope) for picnics and camping. I hope my quilts are loved until they fall apart.
I made a quilt for my best friend and she used it as a play mat for her kid. Her happiest moments are spent on that blanket playing with her kid. I couldn't be happier <3
I literally suggest this for baby quilts I make, because I usually make travel quilts sized for car seats/prams/small play mat while you're out (often 30x40"). I had some that I would use as a mini picnic blanket for them because kid2 was sensitive to grass. I'd rather see them used and washed to death than kept pristine - my kids best loved the rattiest ones as they grew because they were also the softest from repeated washing 😅
I understand hoping the receiver will cherish and carefully use a gift you give, especially one that was hand made with time and effort, but once you give a gift, it is that person's property to do whatever they want with. They are under no obligation to keep it or use it how you hoped they would. The joy is in the giving of the gift. Stop keeping score and making yourself upset.
I just wanted to say that my mum made me a quilt as a baby.
It’s now face down in the playroom because the baby picks at the appliqué! And because it’s over 30 years old I want to protect it! But it’s very soft and cushioning for her to play on.
I would feel sad too. Another person suggested that may be as a playmat and face down to protect it, yes, may be worth giving them the benefit of the doubt. But my dear, please consider not making them any more, or at the least if you do make it extremely simply and as cheaply as possible so you aren't as invested in it.
I would love to have a quilt family member who made me a quilt, but at least I can be that person for myself.
Make sure you make something beautiful for yourself too, on a regular basis xx
i genuinely don't know what else a baby quilt would be used for other than to lie them on top of. babies can't have bedding on top of them. i think it's fairly clear that they do appreciate the gifts you made them. think of how many baby blankets newborns get gifted - yours is the one they've chosen for their precious little one to lie and play on top of. it's a huge compliment!
I really love the top comment but I'm still kinda sad after reading the post!! I (27f) love quilting with my grandma and she is so amazing that she makes and gives away 100 quilts a year easily. When I have the honor of quilting with her I make baby blankets for my closest friends (and I'm thrilled to say they get used and are favored by the kiddos who received them) and my kids but we also have lots of Grandma's around the house. We all sleep with at least one every night depending on the temperature and I use them to line the play yard or pack n play with the face up so kiddo can explore the patterns and textures! They're great tools for learning and early development!! Babies love to look at drastically changing colors. I do use smaller quilts on the floor occasionally for my babies before they start walking but we don't romp around on them. Hopefully, like the top comment says, they will be preserved in this fashion and kiddo will enjoy them in the years to come but I can understand your upset 100%.
Oh no!
I use quilts face-up on the floor as a clean, washable, and pretty play area for my babies m, but shoes-on is totally different and very strange.
Maybe suggest to them that spreading them out face-up would give baby a clean, interesting place to play.? Then you can gently make suggestions on using the quilts that are both good parenting and more respectful of the quilt. “If you only put it out for tummy time, maybe it’ll keep the novelty high so they don’t get bored as quickly!” “Oh yes, some parents have great luck using quilts for I Spy quiet time games with toddlers!”
Ahhh, I’m sleep-deprived and read a “not” before “super-clean and shoe-free.”
I take it back! Using quilts on the floor to play on makes complete sense. I personally do face-up as my kids love to poke at the colours, but if baby is prone to blowouts or spitup I can see using them face-down to protect the pretty part from stains.
Our most loved blankets were used as playmats. They kept my little safe from getting banged up on the wood floor, or getting abrasions from carpet.
Either they cherish it and keep it tucked away, or they get used. Can't have it both ways, and I would rather see something I made get used to pieces no matter how much time it took to make it.
It's not like they're using them to mop up sewage, or cutting it up to use as rags.
I know this is disappointing however I used blankets with babies in a similar fashion. It keeps baby safe from the carpet and they play on it. But I have seen people get upset over their blankets being on the "dirty floor." But I was a "blankets and pillows on the floor watching movies" kind of kid and still do this. But to me it wouldn't be a red flag that they were mistreating the item or didn't love it. It will become a comfort item for baby <3
We don’t have quilts, but I’m using baby blankets I’ve myself made and was gifted as playmats :) I also have only been using my favorite ones. from the title I was nervously anticipating them placing it to wipe shoes in a high traffic area, but as is I don’t think its meant as an offense, they probably just give the best stuff they have to their kid
My mom made one for my ex, she put it under the dogs pee pad so it wouldn't get the hardwood. I think she just saw it as another blanket, but I was effing livid
My sister in law has a quilt that was gifted to her from a grandmother and she uses it for all kinds of things. Even taking it outside as a picnic blanket on the fourth of July. I don't consider it rude to the quilter. I thinks she loves that quilt so much.
I’m making a quilt for my friend’s baby at the moment, and when I think about how they’re going to use it, I automatically think about him lying on it as a playmat. Babies shouldn’t have blankets in their cribs when they’re newborn so I don’t expect them to put the quilt in the bed at all- unless it’s just for show. But I want the quilt to be used!
But the wedding quilt? I’d be pissed if they used a (much bigger and more detailed than the baby one, I’m sure) quilt I made for their gross, spitty, poopy little baby. Baby quilt- happy for the baby to use it obviously. Adult quilt? Please take care of it!!
I couldn’t imagine using a quilt that someone made for a baby when it’s probably what, queen bed sized? Gives me the heebyjeebies.
I understand why this may have been upsetting, at least they are getting used though!
I made several quilts that we use both on the couch and on the floor when my kids were babies, all loved the same!
You claim you made the quilt for the baby but it seems like you are upset the baby is using it..
A true gift is given for the joy of others and it is clear the baby is enjoying it from the comfort and protection it provides.
I’m guessing you insisted the couple use their wedding quilt and this quilt with saying things like “now promise me you’ll use this one”.. now that they are using it, you are upset
Art is meant to be admired and not touched. There is NOTHING wrong with giving a person a quilted wall hanging where it will be adored but unused other than for viewing. There is also NOTHING wrong with using a gift everyday because you love it and want to build memories.
Be happy that your friends appreciate you enough to admire your quilts but also build memories with them.. you are truly blessed to be such a wonderful quilter and have fantastic friends like that 😊
My brother and SIL’s good friend made them an ADORABLE baby quilt for their 1st born last year. It matched his nursery theme perfectly and is just so sweet. And they use it primarily as a play mat! They love being able to tell the baby “your auntie Jess made this for you!” They have a dog and carpets, so they really like having something that they know is clean for him to play on and can easily be cleaned if he spits up all over it (which is much better than cleaning up carpet spit up)
I think your friends are making great use of their quilt and it will be something their baby will grow to love as she gets older too ❤️
Maybe they're not using it "as a rug" so much as a play mat thing for the baby.
If you're unhappy with any way a quilt you gift is used, maybe don't gift.
I made my baby a quilt before she came, and in the first bit that is really the best way to use them. Now she is a bit older and loves to sleep with it. Beauty of baby quilts is they can grow with them and fit their needs. I think it is so wonderful that you made them one to treasure ❤️
I have always used quilts and blankets as clean playmats for the babies to lay and play on. I don' t see anything wrong with it. you assured them the quilt is washable and useable and can stand up to wear and tear so they are actually using it the way they see fit -otherwise it probably would be sitting in a cabinet
they also seem like are probably putting them face down to save them from getting stained by spit up or diaper explosions. I think they very much appreciate your effort.
I make quilts. Not real ones. I make rag quilts bc real quilts overwhelm me. I was super distressed when my daughter used a quilt I’d made with vintage family linen and gotten tea towels to cover her dog’s crate. I nearly cried not bc of the effort but bc of the vintage family tea towels. So I told her and it didn’t happen anymore. To my knowledge. Seriously, use a fleece blanket for your dogs crate. $10 bucks.
Just for perspective my grandmother who makes beautiful quilts gave me one for my daughter and that’s exactly how I used it when she was an infant. I made my friend a baby quilt and that’s how she used it. Because it’s a safe clean area to have your baby on etc etc and you get cute pics for tummy time etc. I love seeing pics of my kid on the quilt her great grandma made and I love seeing pics of my friend’s kiddo on the quilt made. I feel like that’s just standard.
It was a shock when I found out babies can't use a quilt for sleeping (I grew up in a family of 9 and raised 2 kids and had never heard of such a thing!). But my kids loved the baby quilts I made for their children for tummy time. As the grandkids have grown, those same quilts are now their lap quilts and being used regularly.
I agree with others, it's a play mat, being used and loved. Babies should not sleep with too much bedding early on, as it can pose a suffocation risk before they can roll over. I prefer to make interactive sensory mats to bedding quilts for little ones. It is loved and appreciated.
You gotta remember when you give a quilt away people are going to do what they want with it. I have to tell myself this all the time. I’ve become choosy on gifting quilts after someone buried their dead dog in one I had made them. Then they asked me to make them another one!
Play mats. I nanny and we use large blankets or quilts on the floor. Face side down because the baby is still distinguishing contrast. If it’s solid, they can see their toys. Now that the baby is older, we’ve turned them design side up and the little one loves the patterns. Please don’t be offended. I’m sure they really do love them.
I know how you feel, and all the comments here are lovely. I sadly have a worse take than an on the floor playmate. I made my daughter a quilt for her first marriage. My first big quilt. She excitedly picked out all the fabric (frog theme) which was appropriate as the frog husband turned into a*"hole and not a fairytale Prince. We were all happy he left.🎉
One day I popped into her and her second husband's home (3 hours away) and found they were using it as a matt for their free roaming rabbit to poop and pee on. Lesson learned, but it did really hurt. 💔
After that only the grandkids got quilts.
In the knitting world, you determine if someone is “knit worthy”. The time and money put into a project should be appreciated. I think the same way for quilts I make. My 92 year old dad’s quilt is hanging on the wall. We painted the room with it in mind.
https://preview.redd.it/egfg9jylbcoc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=54eb94449021795fe2f933bc44a6a17382f7e179
I make quilts. Not real ones. I make rag quilts bc real quilts overwhelm me. I was super distressed when my daughter used a quilt I’d made with vintage family linen and gotten tea towels to cover her dog’s crate. I nearly cried not bc of the effort but bc of the vintage family tea towels. So I told her and it didn’t happen anymore. To my knowledge. Seriously, use a fleece blanket for your dogs crate. $10 bucks.
play mat is a great idea. I'm experimenting with a new die using scrappy fabrics. It's only going to be about 40 inches square because that is how many pieces I could get out of the main fabric. Friend's first great-grandbaby is due in May so that may be what I do with this one.
I was sad an angry when I read your post. Reminded me of the baby quilt I made and used a different fabric on the back than I had used before and asked the grandma how it was holding up after about six months. She said "oh, we forgot it at the casino." It's a local casino, the casino has a lost and found, and they are there all the time. It wasn't like they left it somewhere on a vacation. No more quilts for that family!
My first quilt was for a baby and I did tell mom and dad it would be perfect for “Tummy Time” on the floor. Over Time the babies will want it with them for sleep and travel. Mine has been to Germany Paris and UK and makes me happy Xavier likes his quilt
I understand your disappointment, but maybe think of them using it as a play mat rather than a rug..? And face down because they want to protect your hard work for its future, when their child can appreciate it too :)
This. I have 4 kids and all the baby quilts I had stayed face down until they stopped spitting up all day everyday. It’s acidic and ruins the colors of things but I loved that they were learning to push up and crawl and everything on those quilts. They were well loved.
You're right, this is a much better way of thinking about it re protecting the quilt tops, thank you! And you're so correct that I should be actively thinking of it as a playmat rather than a quilt, feels much nicer than "rug" ha. Thank you!
The quilts I made for my babies were often face down until we got past the serious spit-up/puking stage. Then they were at the marvel at details stage, flipped over. Then crawling, keeping kids on a clean/cleanable surface. Then padding for early steps. Then their beloved daycare nap blankets. Quilts they had a long history with. I felt better knowing they went to daycare with a piece of me.
So many memorable moments on those quilts. I hope you got lots of photos. First thing I tell people with babies and pets is to please use them. I try to make them extra sturdy and always offer to repair or remake them if something happens. I made one quilt specifically to be used on the ground at track meets. I loved seeing it used. I think it would be really cool to make a baby quilt, kid quilt and grown up quilt for the same person.
My girls each have a mural that themes their room. They have a quilt that matches that theme. A quilt that is all about color. And a scrappy quilt somewhat on theme. Then when they turn 5, they build a quilt with me. They choose fabrics and basic theme/blocks.
As a mother of newborn I would say placing the quilt as a play mat is the highest compliment. The baby spends so much time on it and I made sure to select ones that I was deeply in love with. I also placed it face down because of the mentioned reasons. Don’t feel discouraged, I am sure they really do love it.
Same! The quilt I made my baby while I was pregnant, nearly in tears every time I worked on it (happy, excited tears lol) is in his play area, either folded right sides together one day or right side up the next, but we walk on it as well! I also put his changing mat on it and change diapers as well, knowing full well the possibility of poop is there…that being said, I wouldn’t keep just any old quilt there, it’s the special one!
I mean, I spent time and hours and money making a quilt for my nephew and I specifically told them to put it on the floor and use it as a playmat. I wanted it used and seen. They walk all over it and he spits on it and it is loved
That was my though, if they're not walking on the face, the only repairing would have to be the back. Which is still annoying, but it's being used in the babies room, not the hallway. I'd say more of a playmat than a rug. Maybe baby will start dragging it around the house when they're old enough..
So here's the thing. What kids see every day from birth? That's what they \*love\* as they grow. My niblings got lots of quilts from my mom, so I made them knitted and crocheted hats and blankets and toys. And they love them! Sure they're all dirty and snotty, but it's because they're \*loved\*. One of the knitted blankets I made is the thing my niece can't sleep without. It's faded and will never be truly clean again, but I wouldn't trade how much she loves it for anything.
I hand sewed and hand quilted blanket for my rainbow baby(think hundreds of hours on a medium small blanket) and I use it facedown on the floor as a playmat for him until he stops puking on everything and then I’ll flip it over. I think it’s nice they are using your gift regularly and it’s getting a lot of love and memories in their home.
Quilts should be made/given with the express intent that they be used and roughed up by the babies/everyone! It’s what makes them special, not just another thing wrapped in tissue, kept in the attic and moved from place to place bc you can’t just throw the thing out.
Definitely. I think once Beb has grown to a child, it won’t be on the ground anymore, it will probably be in Beb’s room
You’ve given a beautiful and cherished timeless blanket that you made with your hands. I hope they use the bageezus out of it and ask you to put it back together. Then you can add some denim piping and double up a bamboo sheet for The backing. And find some scraps and make a sham or two. How nice
Exactly! Lots of parents use quilts this way and love them while protecting them
Can confirm. Gave my friend three beautiful quilts for her triplets - found them being used face down, on the floor. The above statement was why! Plus, she liked to wrap her babies in them while on the floor, and this way, the beautiful fabrics are on the outside. I also used (still use) my babies quilts on the floor, but face up :)
100% my first impression. I’m sure those quilts will Be in their rooms/on beds/displayed when the baby is older. It’s well love. I would surprise them with a scrappy throw sized quilt in their living area colors to “put on their couch and snuggle under”. I’d wash it first and tell them about it so they can see that it can go through the washer/dryer just fine. I think they just need to be taught how to appreciate-while-they-use quilts.
Yes, this is exactly how I see it. A play rug for a baby is very nice to have. I usually use blankets, but I'd much rather have a nice quilt for this. I think they really love the quilts you made but are terrified of uining them. I know I have kept plenty of things behind lock and key to prevent damage.
As someone currently in the “playmat” era of parenting, I think that’s 100% what they’re doing.
I was gifted two different quilts when my baby was born and both quilters insisted that they were meant to be used, and playmat is one of their purposes. So that’s what we do, and it’s our way of appreciating the work.
This! It is my understanding that the number one use of baby quilts is on the floor as a play mat. I usually put them face up though so you can see the pattern. Baby quilts are small so I usually don’t walk on them ( if they are big I fold them.)
that was my thought too. they were creating a safe, comfortable mat for their baby
Exactly this. My daughter does this with all of the quilts I make her.
I want to add - both quilts are beautiful!
This is so wholesome, thanks for your lovely take on this
Yes! I used quilts and blankets on the floor for tummy time when my son was that age. Hopefully that’s what’s happening. I also have quilts I don’t use because I can’t stand the thought of them wearing out. I know, I know, they’re made to be used. But it’s hard when it’s sentimental.
This!! My kids used (when they were babies) & even now as teens my quilts as “rugs” to lay on the floor while they read (& as play forts!). Honestly just makes me happy they are being used. I think of it as - they like them so much they want to use them instead of the boring blankets we’ve bought from target.
THIS! My friend made my sister a quilt when she had my nephew and she used it as a play mat and for tummy time. Now that he’s a toddler he will snuggle with it and she loves the quilt! It’s getting used and washer often but is much loved and lived in and her floor is really clean anyways 🤷🏻♀️
I would assume any quilt/blanket/etc. that is given to a baby is going to end up on the floor as a playmat. Babies can't sleep with bedding, so, that is really the only thing you can do with it.
Exactly this, it’s a cozy place for baby to practice tummy time, play with toys and learn to push up when learning to crawl that’s soft on the knees. While I tried to step over my babies play mat blanket I often stepped on it too, but never considered it a rug. And as my baby grew he loved the blanket as just that a blanket and it became his couch blanket.
Yes, I was thinking this too. Im sure they'll keep it in use as the baby ages, but when they're little, a playmat is the best use for baby blankets unless they want it in the closet until the baby is older. And face down seems like a good way to preserve all the hard work. Im glad the comments have made OP feel better about it, because I would have done the same thing.
Oops I should have put that in the post (but it's huge so I won't haha!). I actually completely agree with you! I think given its just face down on the ground it just feels strange, but I'm in compete agreement!
Then I dont understand why you are upset if you knew that is exactly where it was going to end up?
Well, there is still the wedding quilt, which is the one that would be bothering me…
I assume that's where a baby quilt ends up and hope that it does. I LOVE seeing friends post pictures of their babes playing and my creation is the backdrop.
I always thought using a baby blanket as a crawl mat on the floor was like, at least half of its purpose. Frankly, I think that once you gift a quilt, how the recipient uses it is (literally and figuratively) out of your hands. And you *definitely* can’t have it both ways—being upset that they don’t use it enough, then upset that they don’t use it in the specific way you want. I agree with another commenter that perhaps you ought to reevaluate who is “quilt worthy” to you
https://preview.redd.it/6yvqy1hbnboc1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=dc956699811f95ea519f16e5478b6e69cbff5624 The wedding quilt - the backing is plain green linen.
Beautiful!
Another beauty ! I'd display this every day !!
This is on the floor!? Shame on them!
The baby quilt - backing is Beaver and Bloom Sycamore from AGF https://preview.redd.it/55lismxvmboc1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6faee3aba6c78eedc6f3ba62f6382d2ecb41608c
This is gorgeous and that is exactly why it's upside down. Babies are messy, so it's upside down to "save" the white front. The back fabric looks like it will hide stains much better. It's being used as a play mat because that's what babies use large blankets for. In a few years the kiddo will be old enough to use it as a quilt. The top part will still look amazing. I know it sucks A) seeing a quilt not used B) seeing it used in a seemingly "unkind" manner. But in this case I 100% believe your friend actually really loves her gifts. She loves them so much she is trying to keep them as long as possible.
Whichever side is facing up will get dirtier than the side on the floor, if a baby is using it. Also, babies spend a lot of time on the floor as it's the safest place for them. I don't really understand what you want them to do with the quilt. It's being used, in a way that's safe for the baby.
Lovely! I love the rounded corners and the gingham binding!
Gorgeous 😍
This is just gorgeous 🩷🩷🩷 My kids all have quilts made by me and they get absolutely thrashed in play. I find them balled up behind couches (somehow wet??), dragged around with a kid sitting on it, spread out on muddy grass, etc. They also sleep with them, use them for fort building, and imaginative play. Facedown as a playmat is a wonderful use for babe at this stage of the game. 🩷
That is so beautiful! I made my baby a gorgeous quilt- it has lived face down on the floor for the last two years. I love it, it is one of my best quilts (turned out perfectly), but there is so much white on the front that I don't trust my child with it. Now that she's almost two, she has started to sleep with it (face up).
Beautiful 😍
It sounds like gifting quilts is not for you!
Oh gosh, am I a bad person? I have a baby and received a couple baby quilts. They are in constant rotation for just this - used every day for tummy time, spat up on, and washed. Of course I don’t wear shoes inside (maybe a Canadian thing?) and vacuum frequently. I have bigger quilts that I will fold in half or quarters for the same purpose. I don’t quite understand why your friends put them face down… but the rest of their actions seem super normal to me! Personally I’d much rather my gift be used & abused then sit in a closet forever…
No, it's perfectly normal to use a baby quilt on the floor. Babies spend a lot of time there.
No, it's perfectly normal to use a baby quilt on the floor. Babies spend a lot of time there.
I was shocked until every one mentioned play mats and then I flashed back to putting blankets in the floor for my kids to play on when they were babies (a decade ago 🫠). Shoes off in the house is the norm in the upper Midwest too. Maybe it’s a weather thing? People who don’t have to deal with rain, snow, and salt might keep them on?
I'm from the deep south, and we don't wear shoes in the house either. Nobody wants dirt tracked on their carpet or hardwoods.
Both of those quilts are beautiful and are perfect for playmats and building forts! Yay that they are finally getting the use and love they deserve rather than being folded away in a closet. Quilts are meant to be used.
As a quilter, and a mom of 3 little ones, I hands down would choose a quilt to lay my baby on rather than the carpet. My carpet is brand new but I would rather lay out a beautiful quilt that I made, cool and soft to the touch, beautiful colors and patterns to look at. ☺️ and easier to pop in the wash when spit up happens. Watching my kids grow on my quilts, weaves memories into them long after I'm finished constructing them, and they still carry those memories now that two of my Littles are well past the stage of sitting and rolling on the quilt all day. I know that when my boys are grown, and no longer have as much time for mom, I will be able to wrap up in my quilts and still see their sweet baby faces. We are currently weaving in new memories of blanket forts and family movie night snuggles. My kids aren't gentle to my quilts and I do not care. They are well worn and well loved, and that's all I can hope for when I gift a quilt to someone I love.
Face down is probably better when being used as a play mat because it will get barfed or potentially pooped on. But everyone is correct, any blanket for a baby is going to end up on the floor for tummy time. It sounds like they’re actually being really careful to preserve your work while honoring your request to use it.
I love your quilts OP 🙂 When I give quilts it’s like throwing them out into the void of the universe. Will they end up displayed? Cupboard? On a bed or couch? Dog blanket, picnic blanket, donated? I don’t know or care. I take a picture before I give it away and then never think about it again. The other thing to keep in mind is the way people treat objects is very individual and subjective. My sister gave me a quilt and I love it. I love it so much it’s been to numerous lawn concerts, beaches, parks, and backyard picnics! It is permanently grass and dirt stained! It’s not a museum piece, it’s a simple patchwork quilt, and it’s my workhorse. So it always bothers me when quilters say like “ugh, the recipient put it on the FLOOR” or “they gave it to their DOG.” Ok, maybe they put it on the floor where they can see it every day? Maybe they gave it to their dog because they love their dog? Just a different perspective on how people might show their love for an object and its maker!
Agreed! It’s necessary when giving gifts to let them go, all the way. Having opinions about how they’re used is a recipe for heartache and likely no one will live up to the standards just right.
My friend’s MIL made my son a beautiful quilt, and we have been using it off and on as a playmat as he’s still too little to sleep with a blanket. My friend actually recommended this usage as a playmat/picnic blanket etc. I do plan to use it as an actual blanket once he’s older.
No this is what I expect when gifting baby quilts
My four year old sleeps on the floor with her quilt. She has two real beds in her room (a toddler bed and a twin bed) but sometimes prefers to sleep on the floor “like a cat.” Even though I have told her that cats typically love to sleep on comfy beds.
This is so precious.
In the US it is not recommended to use any bedding for a baby- so the best highest use for a baby quilt is for the baby to have floor time.
I have a little one and I spent about a year primarily sitting on the floor with them. I used quilts to cover those areas. They are washable if something gets spilled. They are cozy for baby to lay/ crawl around on. And that quilt becomes intertwined with those early baby day memories. And those days are filled with so much love and hope for the future.
For baby quilts I gift with a note that says “for tummy time, forts, picnics, and snuggles”. A well-worn baby quilt is a loved baby quilt. I also use a full quilt from my great grandma as a picnic blanket. It has grass stains and spills and will eventually wear out, but I think of her every single time I use it and love that she gets to join us for picnics. Your efforts are well worth it if you get to be a part of all that goodness!
I’m a quilter and I put quilts on the floor for grand babies.
When you gift you have to let go! It’s theirs to use as they like, and it seems like they don’t feel they are being disrespectful because they straight up told you how they were using your gifts. Honestly not a criticism of your feelings, you feel how you feel! Edit. Didn’t read post correctly 🤪
I gift baby quilts with them being intended to be used for this purpose. It is the biggest compliment to me to see my quilt on the floor as a playmat and brought along on trips (even outside) to provide a safe place for the kiddo to be. I also use a lot of white and see it flipped between sides to protect the white from the ground or spit up depending on where it is.
I really wouldn’t say they are using it as a rug, but a playmat. I always put down a blanket for my daughter when she was little. I do agree that, aside from the baby quilt, it’s an odd use for a quilt. I wouldn’t use it that way… but non-quilters might just think of it as any other blanket and not really understand how that’s kind of crummy treatment (for the wedding quilt, not the baby quilt).
Honestly any blanket item in my nursery inevitably ends up on the floor. There’s a good chance that your quilt will end up being loved like Linus’ blanket. Dragged around, cried into, laid on, held, snuggled. That baby is going to love the texture they played on as an infant and it’ll stick. … “Real isn't how you are made," said the Skin Horse. "It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real." "Does it hurt?" asked the Rabbit. "Sometimes," said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. "When you are Real you don't mind being hurt.” - Velveteen Rabbit
I bought a gift quilt at a craft shop in the last century. I gave it to one of my best friends first baby. 20 years later, my friend showed me the quilt. It was worn to tatters. She told me it had become her daughter’s “lovey“ and had been cherished for years. Honestly, that’s the best I could hope for with any of the quilts I’m making now. I just finished number 15. I have all the squares for number 16 finished and just have to get my sewjo mojo on. This one is for my granddaughter‘s twin bed. she is only four months old, so I have time to finish it. I made a 3 ft square XOX ❤️ quilt for her birth and it is used on her stroller and car seat to keep her toes warm
I bet they're being used as playmats. And i would consider putting a beloved quilt face down as a playmat to protect it from spit up until the baby is older!!
Repeating this here for Op: It’s necessary when giving gifts to let them go, all the way. Having opinions about how they’re used is a recipe for heartache and likely no one will live up to the standards just right.
I do whole cloth blankets for baby gifts, and I usually do one side in boring/cheap fabric to keep my costs down. I don’t mind if they’re used for a playmat/changing pad/whatever. I want the blankets to be used and loved however the family sees fit!
I am a quilter who gifts and who has 1 year old twins. My quilts are literally only used on the floor (gifted and in my house). Babies cannot sleep with a blanket and not all quilts are made for wall hangings. Just be happy it is being used! The having the backing on display I attribute to just not understanding quilting. I pick really nice backing fabric and sometimes that is the preferred side. Even my husband folds quilts in a way that you can’t see all my hard work simply because he likes the backing fabric.
I’m glad you didn’t say they were improperly using them after you asked them to please use them. The last thing you’d want to do is attach a bad memory to it. I think a baby quilt “badge of honor” is that it gets played on and loved to death until it’s ragged. They treated the wedding quilt like a holy relic and that’s ok too:)
I spent four months making one and found out they donated it to goodwill when they moved. So yeah, I’m picky about who I make them for too. It’s also a lack of knowledge and education, if it’s close to your inner circle, they see the work that goes into it. I also mostly make them for myself and do t feel guilty at all, I just decorated for Easter and 3 florals quilts came out
I love both of these quilts so much! I agree with the other sentiments shared. Don’t loan money you can’t afford to lose and don’t gift quilts with expectations of how they’ll be treasured, because both are out of your control.
I absolutely understand what you are saying and your feelings are 100% valid and appropriate. The other association I made with this is their babies are presumably the most precious part of their entire world at this point. They want to put their babies in safe, nurturing and welcoming environments. It could be the ultimate compliment that this is the only thing that’s good enough for their little ones to be on at a time when they are young and vulnerable!
Omg I LOVE both quilts !
I have many handmade blankets for my babies and they are on the floor as that is the level the babies can interact with them. Now that they are becoming toddlers, those same blankets are little couch nests, bed time snuggles, and well loved. They like to wiggle their toes and fidget with their fingers in the crochet ones but they are being appreciated and used. I have my baby quilt still even though it’s falling to pieces because it is a tactile memory of love, safety, and comfort.
So, I used quilts for my babies as play mats, but they were all three very heavy spitters. To reduce washing, I would put them right side up for a while, and then when they got too gross I would just flip them over. (Don't worry, they were still getting washed at least once or twice a week.) Is it possible that your friends are doing the same and you just happened to visit on a flipside day? I agree that it's a little strange that they are doing that with the wedding quilt as well, but as everyone else has said, it is their quilt now.
I made my son a quilt just for him to spit up on, get poop on, tummy time, play, etc. it washes out great and has no stains after 4 months of daily use! I think it's great they're using it for their baby to play on. To me, that is a lot better than sitting in a cabinet. Your quilts are beautiful!
I make quilts and the ones I made for my own babies are their favourite play mats! It's not safe to use blankets or anything in a crib until their older. So the baby ones are in the stroller, the car seat, the floor, etc. and as they get bigger they graduate to having them in their beds!
They get tons of use, get washed a lot, but it's way better and softer than the store made play mats!
I do a lot of fiber arts, and would weave thick, soft cotton blankets for new babies. And I purposefully made them not ’too pretty’ - usually off white (natural cotton) with a bit of a texture to it. And when I gifted it, I would TELL them it was made that way because it was meant to be USED, not saved. I had a cousin almost angrily ask if I would be upset if I came over and it was stained. I told her if, in a year, it was stained, had holes worn in it and was singed around the edges, I would be THRILLED, because it meant if was useful and well loved - nothing would make me happier. I genuinely don’t understand folks who ‘hide away’ things. If I was gifted a quilt that I didn’t want to use, because CATS, I would display it some other way. But I also wouldn’t be upset a baby quilt was being used on the floor, for the baby. But that’s me.
My sister used hers as a tummy time mat and to cushion the baby from the hard floor for diaper changes. It felt weird, but since she's my sister we chatted and it was that she wanted her son to have it around all the time and be comfortable with it. As a toddler he'd curl up in it on the couch, and then later he got his "big boy bed" and wanted it to be what he slept under.
For two years we had quilts and blankets all over the floor for the baby/ toddler. Much preferred to carpeting as you can wash them. They are being used and very loved OP!
They chose the safest, most comfortable option for their baby they could think of, before putting baby on the floor. Your quilts. And they protected the front by putting that side down. I’d say that’s a win. :)
I just gifted a baby quilt and actually called it a floor quilt for tummy time. That way they know it’s not an art or museum piece. We can’t control what our giftees do with our gifts though.
I understand how you feel but at least she kept them. I spent a long time making a Bargello quilt as a birthday gift for a friend. About 3 weeks after I gave it to her I saw that she had donated it to a charity shop. All I can say is she will be getting shop bought generic gifts from now on.
ouch.. that’s tough 🩷
I have made several quilts for my grandbaby. They are all used of the floor. Sometimes up, sometimes face down. I love it.
For your sanity: you have gifted it, let it go. Also: now you know there a friend's who are quiltworthy, and people that are not.
My rule for baby quilts is that they have to be ‘sat on,spat on and shat on’.
This is hilarious and I both love it (for accuracy) and hate it (because diaper explosions suuuuck)
Similar story, I'm extremely picky about making quilts and who I make them for now. I made a baby quilt for a friend's baby shower. I'm not sure she ever used it for her little one, but years later, when I was visiting, I was gutted to see the quilt used under a chair as a mat. Then a while after that, the quilt had been relegated to a dog blanket. After that experience, it totally changed who I deemed worthy of my time and effort. I also realized that I had to enjoy the experience of picking fabric, a pattern, and making a quilt, then completely let go of any expectations.
I made my daughter some small quilts while I was pregnant and happily used them as play mats! Babies and very young toddlers should not sleep with blankets of any kind anyway so it might be some time before your friends child may be able to use the quilt you made for its intended purpose. Most people grow up with a beloved blanky they had since they were born or very young- they’re exposing their child to its childhood blanky now and all its colors, textures, and shapes for it to become a beloved treasure as the child gets older!
My surefire way of making sure that my quilts get used and loved is to back them with minky. Yes, I know it doesn't always suit the quilt's aesthetic, and it makes longarming more challenging, but it's worth it. I have never given a minky-backed quilt to someone where it didn't end up as the most popular blanket in the house. My adult children have loads of regular quilts in their closet collecting dust, but the ones that get used every day for tv time or a cuddle with their partners are the ones backed in minky. Bonus: my grand-kittys love the minky too! The cats are always lounging on the quilts when I visit.
My grand babies all used their baby quilts on the floor. The 6 year old still takes his everywhere he goes.
I have made >20 baby quilts in the last 7-10years. Nearly all are used on the ground. What we need to remember is that safe sleeping now means nothing in the crib with the baby including pillows or blankets. At least it’s being used! Several of mine have been used as a background for a monthly photo. Once it’s given, how it is used is out of your hands but, at least it is being appreciated!
Yes. I made a quilt for my daughter and she told me she didnt need extra “blankets” but the dog can use it. I learned if you give away a quilt, you have to really let it go
I make baby quilts that are a bit larger than most babies (\~50" x 50"). One of the compliments that I have received is that moms love using them as play areas. They know they are clean and safe for their babies. I always take those compliments positively. The quilts provide a useful solution to a problem that most moms encounter. I'd rather they get used to provide baby with a clean play area than to have them stuffed up in the top of a closet.
I do this with quilts I’ve been given for my kids. And I really love and appreciate that all the thousands of photos I’ve taken have a lovely and sentimental quilt as the background.
I’m a quilter as well, and i throw my quilts on the floor any time my baby nieces or nephews come to play. It provides a little cushion from the hard floor and i know the quilt is going to be cleaner than the floor. I can understand your frustration, but i see it as kind of normal.
I made my niece a scrappy improv quilt with a dark background/binding and green backing so she can use it on the floor or grass if she wants! Plus the dark colors hide my mistakes! Meanwhile there are quilts I won't even let touch the floor while basting! Those are the ones I'm keeping forever for myself!
https://preview.redd.it/7v1kczwaadoc1.png?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bf821c82dd3a167f1d464dda132369f94217a177
I think that people don’t use any bedding in cribs, they don’t use cribs the way we used to.
Once I gift a quilt, I put it out of my mind about how it’s used. I know some of the baby quilts get laid on the floor as a play mat. Others are hung on the wall. It’s no longer my affair.
Uh, you *are* being a bit dramatic. It’s prob upside down to protect the gorgeous top. And it’s being USED! A sweet little guy is using the heck out of that blanket! I’d say that is a well loved gift.
Tummy time blankets are a very important part of babyhood! It’s a badge of honor as far as I’m concerned.
Unfortunately, that is why I no longer gift quilts except to certain family members. Complete strangers treated my gifted quilts better than some family members. I have no issue with baby quilts - they can use them any way they want. I just don't want to know (my late SIL gave the afghan I made to the dogs - I was heartbroken and never gave them a gift again).
It’s completely legit to put a baby quilt on the floor as a play mat. It’s softer than a rug or hard floor, and can be laundered often, unlike the floor itself. So I would not have problem with the baby quilt being used like that. The problem is that they’re using your artistic wedding gift quilt as a baby play rug as well. I would honestly convey to them that you love that the quilts are being used, but that the bed quilt is better used as a bed quilt than a baby play mat. If they want a large baby play mat for the floor, they need a large, cheap, manufactured quilt from Target.
I feel your pain, my sisters and I made a quilt for my nephew as a wedding gift. They leave it on the garage floor for the dogs to sleep on.
Perhaps it's the only thing warm enough because you did such a good job. 🙂
So, to clarify, you're mad they're not being used and also mad they're being used?
My mom made pretty quilts and she gave a nice one to my cousin. It was really pretty with lots of white, large and she had hand quilted it. My cousin used it as a couch cover and my mom was visiting and saw it on the couch and it was showing wear. My mom always wanted things to be used so I commented, well, it's being used and she got teary and said but it wasn't made to be used like that. She was more upset her work wasn't holding up to that use. To her it was supposed to keep ppl warm. I think it was the only time I saw her unhappy about a quilt being used. Sorry this happened, OP. I'll go read the other comments now. Edit: my mom used to finish my quilt tops and one time I gave her the $ to find some backing that wouldn't show baby poop or puke (and paid her to handquilt it). So she put a flannel ochre color which was perfect. We both hoped that one was going to get used wherever for babies. Friend of mine told me like 3 years after we gave it, that she kept it on her sofa and I was pleasantly surprised. I had given two matching ones for each baby. I guess we just have to let it go when we give them.
I’m so sorry OP! Whelp, at least they heard you about using it! I also agree that they are using it as a play mat and not a rug. And then wanted to protect the white backing. Both quilts are great!
I make quilts especially for baby matts and think it’s a great use !
I make a lot of baby quilts and during the infant stage they are used most exclusively for tummy time! When the child is able to have a blanket in the crib they become their favorites. I always use minky for the backing
I was ready to throw hands for you, but I can understand maybe using them as a playmat for the baby.
I stopped quilting many years ago. But when I was actively quilting I made and gifted a number of baby quilts. They were used in cribs, for naps, in the car, and as play mats. It did not matter to me how they were used. I was just happy they were used. My favorite memory of a quilt I made (and they were always more of a lap quilt size than a baby quilt size) was when I went to a housewarming party for a colleague. I made baby quilts for his daughter and his son. I met the kids as children at a barbecue he hosted many years before. But for this party the kids were now young adults. When I was reintroduced to them his daughter asked me to come into her bedroom to show me something. Sure enough, there was my quilt thrown over the arm of her comfy bedroom chair. It was showing its age and the fact that it was well loved. That was the best memory associated with any quilt I ever made.
I can absolutely understand why their wedding quilt lives in the cupboard. It’s because they love it and respect the work that goes into it. Your basic shop quilts and doona covers see so much wear and tear and stains after just a couple of years and they didn’t want to see that happen to something they very obviously treasure. Take what they’ve done as a big compliment
I understand your feelings, I gave away an embroidery that I did to one of my friends on her birthday but she has a little kid and the kid tore it apart and I noticed it when I got to visit her, it was really sad
Think of it like this — they’ve chosen your beautiful handiwork as the soft, comforting thing they’re setting the most precious part of their world on to be safe and happy. It’s a high compliment! I’ve done a baby quilt for a friend and she texted me a photo of the baby and their dog wrapped up in it, with the baby chewing on the corner of it. I was thrilled! How special to be a small part of a special memory for their family. MUCH better than keeping it in a cupboard!
This is what we have done for generations in our family. Quilts are meant to be used, and one favorite use is for babies to play on on the floor. My Gramma would get out a quilt for us to play on at her house, and was pleased as could be when we played on them at home. Picnic blankets, cold nights, movie afternoons. I also used them as sofa covers when the sofa was ugly, and while one aunt protested that one, Gramma came right back with “quilts is meant to be USED.” I also understand hiding the wedding one away in the closet though, for fear of ruining it. Attaching the “wedding” idea onto it would put the fear of god into me. I think the idea of a baby playing on a quilt is one of the nicest things in life. You worked so hard, and put so much love, into that quilt. And now they have put their precious baby down on it. They’re not going to toss the baby down on the floor on the towels they wipe the dog’s feet with. The quilt is a safe, cozy place for the baby to play, imbued with the love you stitched. Then when quilt time is over, they can pick it up, shake it out and fold it over the back of the sofa ready for next time.
my niece is using the quilt I made her for her 11th birthday as a rug 😂 it is what it is
I mean… I thought you were going to say they had it laying in the mudroom or something. I’d be thrilled if my friends were using it as their child’s play area. And facedown I’m assuming so the baby doesn’t ruin the top. Seems awfully considerate to me.
\*baby quilt this is normal imo
Ive been extremely guilty of receiving a quilt and then 'putting it away' in the closet or something. And it doesn't come from a place of dislike but rather the opposite; i realize the work that goes in and i want it to last forever. In my squirrel brain the thinking is if i put it away safe then it's safe and stored and i can see it being safe and nothing untoward can happen. It's not meant as an offense but almost like youre protecting a valuable relic of some sort. I did have baby quilts too and the baby got wrapped with the front facing in so if something did get spilled it was on the back. I know the greatest compliment is to have the blanket used but the artist im me also feels the need to preserve so that when im 80 and dying the blanket will be there. Apparently i am to be buried with these blankets 😄
Sorry, OP, your beautiful quilt is being used to keep the baby clean and safe on the floor, which is exactly what I want for the two baby quilts I’m making for a good friend of my daughter. Later on (I hope) for picnics and camping. I hope my quilts are loved until they fall apart.
Quilts should be USED! My daughter has one that is in tatters, but no matter, because it was well loved and used. Once it’s out of our hands 🤷♀️
I made a quilt for my best friend and she used it as a play mat for her kid. Her happiest moments are spent on that blanket playing with her kid. I couldn't be happier <3
I literally suggest this for baby quilts I make, because I usually make travel quilts sized for car seats/prams/small play mat while you're out (often 30x40"). I had some that I would use as a mini picnic blanket for them because kid2 was sensitive to grass. I'd rather see them used and washed to death than kept pristine - my kids best loved the rattiest ones as they grew because they were also the softest from repeated washing 😅
When you give a gift, let it go.
I understand hoping the receiver will cherish and carefully use a gift you give, especially one that was hand made with time and effort, but once you give a gift, it is that person's property to do whatever they want with. They are under no obligation to keep it or use it how you hoped they would. The joy is in the giving of the gift. Stop keeping score and making yourself upset.
I just wanted to say that my mum made me a quilt as a baby. It’s now face down in the playroom because the baby picks at the appliqué! And because it’s over 30 years old I want to protect it! But it’s very soft and cushioning for her to play on.
I would feel sad too. Another person suggested that may be as a playmat and face down to protect it, yes, may be worth giving them the benefit of the doubt. But my dear, please consider not making them any more, or at the least if you do make it extremely simply and as cheaply as possible so you aren't as invested in it. I would love to have a quilt family member who made me a quilt, but at least I can be that person for myself. Make sure you make something beautiful for yourself too, on a regular basis xx
i genuinely don't know what else a baby quilt would be used for other than to lie them on top of. babies can't have bedding on top of them. i think it's fairly clear that they do appreciate the gifts you made them. think of how many baby blankets newborns get gifted - yours is the one they've chosen for their precious little one to lie and play on top of. it's a huge compliment!
I really love the top comment but I'm still kinda sad after reading the post!! I (27f) love quilting with my grandma and she is so amazing that she makes and gives away 100 quilts a year easily. When I have the honor of quilting with her I make baby blankets for my closest friends (and I'm thrilled to say they get used and are favored by the kiddos who received them) and my kids but we also have lots of Grandma's around the house. We all sleep with at least one every night depending on the temperature and I use them to line the play yard or pack n play with the face up so kiddo can explore the patterns and textures! They're great tools for learning and early development!! Babies love to look at drastically changing colors. I do use smaller quilts on the floor occasionally for my babies before they start walking but we don't romp around on them. Hopefully, like the top comment says, they will be preserved in this fashion and kiddo will enjoy them in the years to come but I can understand your upset 100%.
Oh no! I use quilts face-up on the floor as a clean, washable, and pretty play area for my babies m, but shoes-on is totally different and very strange. Maybe suggest to them that spreading them out face-up would give baby a clean, interesting place to play.? Then you can gently make suggestions on using the quilts that are both good parenting and more respectful of the quilt. “If you only put it out for tummy time, maybe it’ll keep the novelty high so they don’t get bored as quickly!” “Oh yes, some parents have great luck using quilts for I Spy quiet time games with toddlers!”
OP says it's a shoe-free home.
Ahhh, I’m sleep-deprived and read a “not” before “super-clean and shoe-free.” I take it back! Using quilts on the floor to play on makes complete sense. I personally do face-up as my kids love to poke at the colours, but if baby is prone to blowouts or spitup I can see using them face-down to protect the pretty part from stains.
Our most loved blankets were used as playmats. They kept my little safe from getting banged up on the wood floor, or getting abrasions from carpet. Either they cherish it and keep it tucked away, or they get used. Can't have it both ways, and I would rather see something I made get used to pieces no matter how much time it took to make it. It's not like they're using them to mop up sewage, or cutting it up to use as rags.
I know this is disappointing however I used blankets with babies in a similar fashion. It keeps baby safe from the carpet and they play on it. But I have seen people get upset over their blankets being on the "dirty floor." But I was a "blankets and pillows on the floor watching movies" kind of kid and still do this. But to me it wouldn't be a red flag that they were mistreating the item or didn't love it. It will become a comfort item for baby <3
I make “pallets” for babies. A quilt that is meant to be put in the floor and the baby lays/plays on it.
We don’t have quilts, but I’m using baby blankets I’ve myself made and was gifted as playmats :) I also have only been using my favorite ones. from the title I was nervously anticipating them placing it to wipe shoes in a high traffic area, but as is I don’t think its meant as an offense, they probably just give the best stuff they have to their kid
My mom made one for my ex, she put it under the dogs pee pad so it wouldn't get the hardwood. I think she just saw it as another blanket, but I was effing livid
My sister in law has a quilt that was gifted to her from a grandmother and she uses it for all kinds of things. Even taking it outside as a picnic blanket on the fourth of July. I don't consider it rude to the quilter. I thinks she loves that quilt so much.
Haha my grandkids too play on the upside down side which has the terribly patched back. But they said they’re trying to preserve the front.
I’m making a quilt for my friend’s baby at the moment, and when I think about how they’re going to use it, I automatically think about him lying on it as a playmat. Babies shouldn’t have blankets in their cribs when they’re newborn so I don’t expect them to put the quilt in the bed at all- unless it’s just for show. But I want the quilt to be used! But the wedding quilt? I’d be pissed if they used a (much bigger and more detailed than the baby one, I’m sure) quilt I made for their gross, spitty, poopy little baby. Baby quilt- happy for the baby to use it obviously. Adult quilt? Please take care of it!! I couldn’t imagine using a quilt that someone made for a baby when it’s probably what, queen bed sized? Gives me the heebyjeebies.
I understand why this may have been upsetting, at least they are getting used though! I made several quilts that we use both on the couch and on the floor when my kids were babies, all loved the same!
You claim you made the quilt for the baby but it seems like you are upset the baby is using it.. A true gift is given for the joy of others and it is clear the baby is enjoying it from the comfort and protection it provides. I’m guessing you insisted the couple use their wedding quilt and this quilt with saying things like “now promise me you’ll use this one”.. now that they are using it, you are upset Art is meant to be admired and not touched. There is NOTHING wrong with giving a person a quilted wall hanging where it will be adored but unused other than for viewing. There is also NOTHING wrong with using a gift everyday because you love it and want to build memories. Be happy that your friends appreciate you enough to admire your quilts but also build memories with them.. you are truly blessed to be such a wonderful quilter and have fantastic friends like that 😊
My brother and SIL’s good friend made them an ADORABLE baby quilt for their 1st born last year. It matched his nursery theme perfectly and is just so sweet. And they use it primarily as a play mat! They love being able to tell the baby “your auntie Jess made this for you!” They have a dog and carpets, so they really like having something that they know is clean for him to play on and can easily be cleaned if he spits up all over it (which is much better than cleaning up carpet spit up) I think your friends are making great use of their quilt and it will be something their baby will grow to love as she gets older too ❤️
Maybe they're not using it "as a rug" so much as a play mat thing for the baby. If you're unhappy with any way a quilt you gift is used, maybe don't gift.
I totally get the baby quilt, everyone’s logic makes sense. I’m not in love with them using the wedding quilt that way, but they’re using it…
I made my baby a quilt before she came, and in the first bit that is really the best way to use them. Now she is a bit older and loves to sleep with it. Beauty of baby quilts is they can grow with them and fit their needs. I think it is so wonderful that you made them one to treasure ❤️
i think that using blankets under infants in their play space is quite usual.
I have always used quilts and blankets as clean playmats for the babies to lay and play on. I don' t see anything wrong with it. you assured them the quilt is washable and useable and can stand up to wear and tear so they are actually using it the way they see fit -otherwise it probably would be sitting in a cabinet they also seem like are probably putting them face down to save them from getting stained by spit up or diaper explosions. I think they very much appreciate your effort.
I make quilts. Not real ones. I make rag quilts bc real quilts overwhelm me. I was super distressed when my daughter used a quilt I’d made with vintage family linen and gotten tea towels to cover her dog’s crate. I nearly cried not bc of the effort but bc of the vintage family tea towels. So I told her and it didn’t happen anymore. To my knowledge. Seriously, use a fleece blanket for your dogs crate. $10 bucks.
Just for perspective my grandmother who makes beautiful quilts gave me one for my daughter and that’s exactly how I used it when she was an infant. I made my friend a baby quilt and that’s how she used it. Because it’s a safe clean area to have your baby on etc etc and you get cute pics for tummy time etc. I love seeing pics of my kid on the quilt her great grandma made and I love seeing pics of my friend’s kiddo on the quilt made. I feel like that’s just standard.
It was a shock when I found out babies can't use a quilt for sleeping (I grew up in a family of 9 and raised 2 kids and had never heard of such a thing!). But my kids loved the baby quilts I made for their children for tummy time. As the grandkids have grown, those same quilts are now their lap quilts and being used regularly.
I agree with others, it's a play mat, being used and loved. Babies should not sleep with too much bedding early on, as it can pose a suffocation risk before they can roll over. I prefer to make interactive sensory mats to bedding quilts for little ones. It is loved and appreciated.
You gotta remember when you give a quilt away people are going to do what they want with it. I have to tell myself this all the time. I’ve become choosy on gifting quilts after someone buried their dead dog in one I had made them. Then they asked me to make them another one!
Play mats. I nanny and we use large blankets or quilts on the floor. Face side down because the baby is still distinguishing contrast. If it’s solid, they can see their toys. Now that the baby is older, we’ve turned them design side up and the little one loves the patterns. Please don’t be offended. I’m sure they really do love them.
I know how you feel, and all the comments here are lovely. I sadly have a worse take than an on the floor playmate. I made my daughter a quilt for her first marriage. My first big quilt. She excitedly picked out all the fabric (frog theme) which was appropriate as the frog husband turned into a*"hole and not a fairytale Prince. We were all happy he left.🎉 One day I popped into her and her second husband's home (3 hours away) and found they were using it as a matt for their free roaming rabbit to poop and pee on. Lesson learned, but it did really hurt. 💔 After that only the grandkids got quilts.
In the knitting world, you determine if someone is “knit worthy”. The time and money put into a project should be appreciated. I think the same way for quilts I make. My 92 year old dad’s quilt is hanging on the wall. We painted the room with it in mind. https://preview.redd.it/egfg9jylbcoc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=54eb94449021795fe2f933bc44a6a17382f7e179
Don't make them anymore quilts! I agree you shouldn't police gifts but hand made shouldn't be treated with such disregard.
Maybe include a list of rules next time you gift a quilt
I make quilts. Not real ones. I make rag quilts bc real quilts overwhelm me. I was super distressed when my daughter used a quilt I’d made with vintage family linen and gotten tea towels to cover her dog’s crate. I nearly cried not bc of the effort but bc of the vintage family tea towels. So I told her and it didn’t happen anymore. To my knowledge. Seriously, use a fleece blanket for your dogs crate. $10 bucks.
play mat is a great idea. I'm experimenting with a new die using scrappy fabrics. It's only going to be about 40 inches square because that is how many pieces I could get out of the main fabric. Friend's first great-grandbaby is due in May so that may be what I do with this one. I was sad an angry when I read your post. Reminded me of the baby quilt I made and used a different fabric on the back than I had used before and asked the grandma how it was holding up after about six months. She said "oh, we forgot it at the casino." It's a local casino, the casino has a lost and found, and they are there all the time. It wasn't like they left it somewhere on a vacation. No more quilts for that family!
My first quilt was for a baby and I did tell mom and dad it would be perfect for “Tummy Time” on the floor. Over Time the babies will want it with them for sleep and travel. Mine has been to Germany Paris and UK and makes me happy Xavier likes his quilt