Where do you buy your material when you are making charity quilts?
 

Forgive me for this being a long post but I am just curious. When making charity quilts where do you purchase your material? If you belong to a guild do they tell you to buy at lqs and not to buy material at a specific large retailer? I belong to an organization that makes charity quilts and we were told to buy the material at either a lqs or a specific retailer. While I understand they don't want fabric that looks and feels "cheap" I think that if I am going to buy the material for a quilt to be donated I should decide where I should buy. I would love to shop at the lqs store but times are tough and I can't afford to buy at a lqs. What are your opinions on this subject?

I would not make charity quilts for that guild.

If I was told where I had to buy my fabric I'm afraid I wouldn't make any quilts for that organization. I can't afford to buy at LQS for donated quilts. I buy wherever I find decent fabric at a good price. I even buy at thrift shops. Most of my quilts are made for kids and I know they will be dragged around and loved to death. That's fine, I'm not making heirloom works of art, I'm making comfort for kids. Pardon me for saying, but your group sounds like a bunch of fabric snobs.

My quilt guild will use any fabric we can get!

The guild I belong to make charity quilts for several organizations and donations and they buy fabric at the lqs, WM, or wherever they can get good fabric at good prices. They don't tell us where to buy the fabrics.

Phyllis
QuiltingGrannie

I agree with this and pattypurple.

so far you are all agreeing with how I feel. I don't mean to sound snobby or anything but I can't afford to buy LQS for people I know and love let alone strangers.

I try to use fabrics I already have. If it is a specific quilt for a raffle we have been lucky to have donations. I will not or have I ever taken a class at a lqs that says you must buy the fabric there. I like to make sample blocks first and then decide what to buy. The sample piece might be wonderful but I'm not going to use the same colors so I want to see what the best layout is in my colors first. I understand why they are doing it but classes have gotten so expensive. I might take a class to learn a technique so why do you have to use new fabric? I buy fabric at the shops locally so they know I would go back for what I really wanted to use.

Charity quilts should be made with what you have or what you can afford. For a guild to dictate what and where you buy is beyond belief. Offer to make what THEY buy. I would also question if the person or persons requiring that purchases be made at said LQS, is maybe a partner or silent owner of the shop.

I buy fabric from Wal Mart,Joanns and anyplace else where I can find decent material for charity quilts. I think it is unreasonable for the guild to expect you to buy at lqs. Our Wal mart has really nice kids fabric made in the US but you have to checkout every bolt!! Some is awful (made in China and US) and some is really nice. Good Luck there are many hospitals and shelters that will love ANYthing you make