Thread: Charity Quilting

I found a woman who makes hundreds of donation quilts for veterans and hospice. She was trying to quilt all these quilts on her domestic machine. After we met she would make the tops and put batting and backing with them while I did the LA quilting. She, together with her quilting guild, also finished the binding. She is currently taking care of her mother so things slowed down.

Then after my DD had triplets and I saw the need for NICU quilts for preemies. I got involved with that. I get help from a local friend and from online friends. http://www.quiltingboard.com/request...s-t251900.html People either send me finished quilts and or tops. Some people have also donated fabric and batting. This is important as batting, thread and fabric cost can get prohibitive very soon.

Yes, I can easily spend 30 hours a week but much of it is on the actual quilting, both on the long arm and putting the quilt together. Soon I did not have much time to do my own quilts. I am currently working on balancing the two.

Previously I signed up with multiple groups that do donation quilts but none ever contacted me to do LA quilting. Several did want to know if my LA was computerized. It is not. I do free motion hand guided quilting and have an Innova 26 in. with lightening stitch on a 12 feet frame. I am not sure if I did not get contacted because my machine is not computerized or if they just did not need more LA quilters.

For now the NICU donation quilts keep me plenty of busy. So you might consider contacting your local hospital or hospice and do something similar. Fortunately both for the veterans, hospice and NICU quilts there are no strict guidelines. This really helps in finding people to come alongside and help.

Many of the NICU donation quilt tops I finish and quilt on a regular sewing machine as they are so small. I could lay many as a group on a long arm and have it done that way too.

Please feel free to pm me.

I am the assistant coordinator for our local chapter of Project Linus, and I would be thrilled to death to meet a long arm quilter who was willing to help us out from time to time. Our members have various skill levels (and that's fine), so some quilts are quilted and some are tied and some are..some just are.

I would think you'd be able to donate your services without having to start a chapter. Have you checked the Project Linus website to see if there's a chapter near you? Plus, I think in Texas there is an offshoot called Linus Project?

I think it's great you want to help in this way!

If not working with a local organization, you must also consider the shipping costs.

There may not be a Linus chapter in your area, but I'll bet there is some sort of charity quilting group that you can find if you dig around a bit. Maybe talk to some of the bigger churches. In our area, the Baptist Church has a great charity group. We have two long arm quilters in the group and they let us use their machines for a minimal fee. We donate to children's homes, Crisis Pregnancy centers (for babies and their siblings), Children's hospitals, as well as adult donations for cancer patients, transplant patients, and pretty much any one we hear about who needs to be given a quilt. I love my group!