well, that was a mistake

[crochetgoddess]

I would not only not crochet gifts for these people, but I would stop giving them gifts all together. If they don't even have manners enough to say thank you then they don't deserve anything.

 

(now I am sorry but the baby peeing on the bear made me laugh out loud.....I have two kiddos and I could totally see that happening!!)

[bayoucritter]

My heart sank reading this post. People are so thoughtless! Not only in special gifts but seems like in all aspects of life. I was always taught to appreciate what others do for you. Needless to say, I appreciate gifts so much one would think I am a packrat....I keep my gifts 4ever:)

 

My father recently passed away...I called his sister asking her to pls send me any pix so I can make a special dvd for everyone & I would return the pix soon as I got them copied.....she tells me she threw away her photos!!

what a......""God pls grant me the patience not to curse her out"""!!!!

 

We have neighbors that mom has sent baked goods and meals to...never a small thanx etc....when my father passed, not a neighbor to be seen yet!

It makes ya wanna stay to yo'self and not make an effort...on the other hand, it isn't the christian thang to do.....4give4get move on, I guess.

 

Keep making your beautiful gifts and just give to well deserving recipients:hook

[slicer]

All these horrible stories are scaring me!! I just recently started a round ripple afghan for my friends mother. She's got one room in her house, "The Blue Room" that she has decorated in Blue... She seemed extremely excited to show me this room when I went to visit them near Ithaca, NY this past December. I've been trying to figure out what to make for her, and finally came up with something. I hope she likes it...whether she puts it on the floor as a small area rug, hangs it over the arm of the rocking chair, or puts in on the bed, I don't really mind. I just hope the animals don't destroy it, and I hope the she'll like it as much as I liked making it for her.

 

I'll keep you posted. I don't think I've had any bad experiences giving my crocheted items away, because I usually just give them to my sisters or my cousins who love anything they are given...especially if it is handmade with love.

[prpl4me]

Sorry to hear your hard work was not appreciated, I know exactly how you feel, I had the same thing happen to me. Just be very selective who you make items for.

[laurastar0962]

ohhhhhhhhhh i would have ben so mad!!!

[tlisley]

Maybe I'm just extremely fortunate, but this has not happened to me. In fact, I'm making the ugliest "stripey blanket" you've ever seen (ok, maybe not that bad...lol) and 3 people have asked me for it already!! (Family... One is my brother, I think he'll win. Of course my mom won't understand that choice!! LOL!) I have been blessed with crocheting friends, and although I'm hesitant to make them things (only because they could make it themselves if they really wanted too... Maybe they don't need more crochet stuff...lol) when I have they just fawn over them. I'll probably cry if someone ever does this kind of thing to me!

[mythunderbird]

how rude those people are. i am sorry you all have had to go thru such awful rudeness from ill mannered people who would not know a quality hand crafted piece of hand made love if their lives depended on it, i made my mom and all my sisters and brother hand made afghans one year, mom loved hers my sisters loved theirs

and my brothers last time i saw it was laying on the floor in a heap for the dog to lay on and chew on, when i asked him why he would be so displacent about something that took me well over a month to make and several dollars he had the guts to say well its only yarn and its not like your time is worth anything. i of course went over to the afghan, picked it up(boy did it make me gag as the dog had peed on it too) and then put it in a plastic bag, he got all huffy and says where you going with my afghan, i stood right in his face and said its not yours anymore,, i am taking it back and going to donate it to someone who will appreciate it. then i took it home, washed it and mended it and donated it to a nursing home where it was greatly appreciated by a lady who cried when i gave it to her, my brothers loss not mine. i am sorry you all have to go thru this. i am very selective as to who gets my hand crafter pieces of art. which i now label as such :devil:devil the only other problem i ever had was my moms bf didn't believe i had hand made the doillies i made her and said i was lying as he had seen some at a store somewhere , it took many days of making him grovel before he was welcomed back. lol i thought it was funny but my mom was really mad as she loved everything i ever made her. right down to the first scarf i made with holes and all when i was 7 years old, when going thru her stuff after she passed away my sister found it:D:D:D its now in my cedar chest as thats where mom had it . remember for all those who are jerks about hand crafted items, there are 4 more people who will love them. i would not hesitate again to take something back if it was being abused lol:yes:yes:yes:devil:devil:devil

[Krystal16]

I would have said "Well, of COURSE the kitty likes it, because it's made of Mohair!"... give that girl an idea that it wasn't intended to be a CHEWTOY!

 

Someone just mentioned the wedding shower with no thank-you. You just reminded me that I've heard NOTHING about the afghan I made for a wedding I attended in September. I've heard she's unemployed and has plenty of time. Don't give me the excuse you have no money for postage, as wedding presents can cover some of that... :|

 

On the other hand, I *do not* expect my afghans to be put in a glass case. Use it, enjoy it... don't treat it like trash, though.

[luvmnms]

my brother had the guts to say well its only yarn and its not like your time is worth anything.

 

 

I'm sorry your brother said this to you. how insensitive.

[JoAnn]

stood at the top of the stairs to her basement and just heaved it down there .

 

I would have gone down, got it and taken it back! I give you so much credit for keeping your cool!

[Me&P]

he was propely indignant on my behalf

 

 

HA! Good to hear!

 

I'm sorry she treated it that way. I've had friends make me things before that I would never wear/use but I always appreciate the effort that went into them and often adorn my home with the stuff.

[mizduck]

Good for you Vicki!! That's just what I would have done...I'm too mouthy to let someone get away with treating my hard work with disrespect. Tammy, if that were my SIL, my bro would be a widower!!! Seriously, I would have told her to go down those stairs and pick it up or else. No one deserves the kind of disrespect you ladies have been treated with...I'm so sorry.

[lene]

Hee, came back online to find all of you sharing support and stories. I knew this would strike a chord in this forum.

 

Jeff told me when he got home tonight that I ought to casually mention sometime to her how long it took me to make the scarf. I thought about it, but really, no point to it, is there? I just know not to ever make her something again.

 

It's kinda funny, though, how many people say they love the idea of handcrafted gifts, the whole "simple and from the heart" thing, but when push comes to shove, they want to have something that comes from a store. Granted, it can be about differences in style and taste, but I've shopped with this friend numerous times, and I know her taste in clothing and accessories as well as I know my own. I just was dumb enough to conveniently forget how she also has a "thing" about liking whatever costs the most, so it's my own fault for giving her a handmade gift.

 

Ok, gotta go poke around in the forum some more, then off to bed early. i'm stull trying to get over some nasty upper resp. bug, and I seem to crash earlier than normal (and then hack and cough and wheeze all blasted night.) Thanks for the support, ya'll!

 

Lene'

[happytee40]

I really hate to think someone would be so rude and let their cat have a gift that a friend has taken time to make for her. Does she know how much mohair yarn cost and all the trouble you went through to make this scarf for her. Even if I did not like a gift someone gave me I would not let my pet destroy the gift. So sorry this happened to you.

[Feliciter]

Wow. These stories make me so sad. I try so hard to make sure that the gift giver (of any gift - bought or handmade) knows that I really appreciate the gift even if I don't really like it.

 

DH and I are both students and it's hard to get people fancy bought expensive gifts (even though I know that's what they want) so I usually make stuff (scrapbooking stuff before crocheting) and some reactions really aren't that nice.

 

The whole point of a gift is that I want to give you something - you can't dictate to me what I can give you.

[Elle]

It's kinda funny, though, how many people say they love the idea of handcrafted gifts, the whole "simple and from the heart" thing, but when push comes to shove, they want to have something that comes from a store. Granted, it can be about differences in style and taste, but I've shopped with this friend numerous times, and I know her taste in clothing and accessories as well as I know my own. I just was dumb enough to conveniently forget how she also has a "thing" about liking whatever costs the most, so it's my own fault for giving her a handmade gift.

 

Lene'

 

You should try an experiment with her. Make her something else when you get the chance, and take a designer label that you carefully removed from another garment and sew it to the item when you're finished. See if it gets a better reception if it is a "designer item". If she goes crazy over it, tell her the truth and tell her what you did. I would do that just to see the look on her face when she realizes that you have discovered how shallow she is.

 

Elle

[mythunderbird]

You should try an experiment with her. Make her something else when you get the chance, and take a designer label that you carefully removed from another garment and sew it to the item when you're finished. See if it gets a better reception if it is a "designer item". If she goes crazy over it, tell her the truth and tell her what you did. I would do that just to see the look on her face when she realizes that you have discovered how shallow she is.

 

Elle

i love the idea . any takers?:devil:devil

[Riohnna]

The nerve of people! I call it ignorance, because these people don't give any thoughts of how much is put into each piece. I wouldn't have been able to keep quiet if my afghan was flying downstairs, I would have tumbled right after it! And, Kitty has better taste, it appreciates the scarf! My MIL laughs at just about everything I make. I made a beautiful oval doily last year and gave it to her because she said she liked it. She liked it alright! Enough to place in a drawer, and leave behind when she moved!

[WendyLee]

Jeff told me when he got home tonight that I ought to casually mention sometime to her how long it took me to make the scarf. I thought about it, but really, no point to it, is there? I just know not to ever make her something again.

 

It's kinda funny, though, how many people say they love the idea of handcrafted gifts, the whole "simple and from the heart" thing, but when push comes to shove, they want to have something that comes from a store. Granted, it can be about differences in style and taste, but I've shopped with this friend numerous times, and I know her taste in clothing and accessories as well as I know my own. I just was dumb enough to conveniently forget how she also has a "thing" about liking whatever costs the most, so it's my own fault for giving her a handmade gift.

 

I think Jeff is right. She needs to be told how much time you spent on the gift, and how much mohair costs! You need to let her know how very shallow she is. She is supposed to be your friend? This is not a real friend if she values you so little. Because that is what it is. Your time and effort is not as important as whoever made the things in the shops!

[WendyLee]

You should try an experiment with her. Make her something else when you get the chance, and take a designer label that you carefully removed from another garment and sew it to the item when you're finished. See if it gets a better reception if it is a "designer item". If she goes crazy over it, tell her the truth and tell her what you did. I would do that just to see the look on her face when she realizes that you have discovered how shallow she is. Elle

 

Excellent idea!

[Vibey]

Omigosh!!! Who ARE these people? I hope I don't ever meet any of them! :O

[Auntie Kellie]

I can't believe the nerve of some people out there. It makes me glad I grew up around people that loved to make handicrafts and that the people I know appreciate the work I put into my gifts.

 

When I was a little girl, my stepmom knitted me a stocking for Christmas. It was always the first thing I opened on Christmas morning before opening the one "Santa" left by the tree or gifts. When I was with the father of my eldest daughters, he accidently spilled coffee on it and then just threw it in the garbage. I saw red and screeched at him. He thought it was because he spilled coffee everywhere but it was because he threw away such a treasured item from my childhood. I tried to rescue the stocking but he had managed to land it in a pile of turkey fat and gravy. I called my stepmom in tears and she told me it wasn't that big of a deal. A few weeks later, I recieved a new stocking from her as well as one for each of my girls.

 

Hugs and Cookies

Auntie K

[Redheart]

What a wonderful stepmom you have! My heart warmed when I read your story after the others. My immediate family appreciates handmade items from Mom and me, but their in-laws and friends aren't so well trained. One of Mom's afghans ended up as a dog blanket and she was deeply offended. "I'm never making them another thing!":angry

[Wyndfire]

I will never ever understand why some people think its OK to be rude! I was raised that even if you didnt like a present (or if you already had that item) you ALWAYS said thank you and were polite. You NEVER told the person you didnt like their gift, etc. NEVER! And it goes triple for things that were made by the person. I think each of these rude gift-haters needs their next gift to be a copy of a Miss Manners book. Maybe with certain parts of the book highlighted for easy reference.

[nucki]

I made an afghan for everyone one year for Christmas, and when I took it to the newest SIL, she just looked at it, didn't say that she liked it, or even thank you, but got up from the couch, said, "I have just the right place for it", stood at the top of the stairs to her basement and just heaved it down there .

 

Okay, maybe I'm an evil wench, but ya know what I would have done?

 

I would have thrown HER down those stairs right after it!!!

 

I have to say... I've been lucky that no one I've ever made anything for has been un-appreciative or downright rude about it. Nor have they treated it like trash. The only thing I've ever made as a gift and gotten ruined was a baby blanket I made for my neighbor's oldest grandchild. But it's not because nobody appreciated it - just the opposite. The boy literally "loved it to death." In THAT case, I didn't really mind. In fact, as soon as I found out, I promptly started another one for him. (And I've since found out that he's stealing his new baby cousins' blanket and saying it's HIS!)

 

I'm totally with the rest of you all on this, though. If I ever DID get a reaction like what you've described, there is no way in h-e-double hocky sticks that they would EVER get another gift from me. Ever.