It is critical to understand that these heirlooms are mere representations of heirlooms designed for everyday use. It's ironic that Dee changes her name and wants to distance herself to show off in her home as part of her legacy when she's trying so hard to distance herself from her past. She doesn't understand that she is taking away an object used every day by her mother. She is convinced that Maggie doesn't deserve the quilt, because she would just use it every day. Mom can't understand the reason behind Dee's desire to own the quilt when it's obvious she sees it as an artifact. Mom and Maggie's relationship is different from hers and Dee's and is evident in how the use of the family heirloom is viewed; while the former would care for and preserve the heirloom, the latter would only hang it up as a work of art, to be discarded when they grow old or new ones are built.