Signature quilt fundraiser.
12-02-2013, 08:13 AM
#1
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 270
Signature quilt fundraiser.
hi all,
i need some advice. I volunteer with a non-profit music festival. In the year that i have decided to take off, they have asked me to lead a project to make a quilt as a fundraiser. I am trying to determine how this would work and would love some advice. here is what i know.
1. I am going to insist that it be hung at the festival, on one of the stages. so i am looking at simple patterns. they will be behind the artists onstage.
2. We are selling blocks, and then the donor gets their name (or a short message) on a block.
What i dont know is how much to charge?
What size? should i try to make something long enough to be from the lights to the floor? (probably 8 ft)
Do I sell all of the blocks up front? and refuse to start until they are sold?
any thoughts would be appreciated, we are in our 10th year and kind of scrambling to raise more money.
i need some advice. I volunteer with a non-profit music festival. In the year that i have decided to take off, they have asked me to lead a project to make a quilt as a fundraiser. I am trying to determine how this would work and would love some advice. here is what i know.
1. I am going to insist that it be hung at the festival, on one of the stages. so i am looking at simple patterns. they will be behind the artists onstage.
2. We are selling blocks, and then the donor gets their name (or a short message) on a block.
What i dont know is how much to charge?
What size? should i try to make something long enough to be from the lights to the floor? (probably 8 ft)
Do I sell all of the blocks up front? and refuse to start until they are sold?
any thoughts would be appreciated, we are in our 10th year and kind of scrambling to raise more money.
12-02-2013, 08:34 AM
#2
Super Member
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Anchorage, AK
Posts: 1,392
regarding when to start - if you have a way of hanging the top as it goes along, it might be of interest to attendees, and spur participation, if you could hang it as blocks are done... in this case, it might be best on the side of the stage, and not directly behind the players. sounds like you're putting messages on the blocks, so hanging it in this way(too far for people to read messages but close enough to see blocks) saves the messages from view until the end while keeping the concept alive and generating interest.
As far as size - it depends on how you intend it to be used in the future - if you intend to keep it for use in the theatre, then find a spot to hang it and make it specifically for that spot.
not sure how much money you need to raise, but our group raises money each year for a scholarship fund from a "community quilt" -folks purchase a block, or pay a little less and make a block according to specifications we provide, then it's raffled off annually. Each year the quilt is different, so we get different amounts, but the least we have raised is about $800 and the most about $1600 in one year. Folks now look forward to seeing what the quilt is and love buying the chances to win it.
As far as size - it depends on how you intend it to be used in the future - if you intend to keep it for use in the theatre, then find a spot to hang it and make it specifically for that spot.
not sure how much money you need to raise, but our group raises money each year for a scholarship fund from a "community quilt" -folks purchase a block, or pay a little less and make a block according to specifications we provide, then it's raffled off annually. Each year the quilt is different, so we get different amounts, but the least we have raised is about $800 and the most about $1600 in one year. Folks now look forward to seeing what the quilt is and love buying the chances to win it.
12-02-2013, 08:35 AM
#3
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 764
hm. signature quilts can be made with really large blocks - 10" or so. and the materials can be bold colours interspersed with muslin blocks for the signatures, so your upfront cost to make the blocks can be kept pretty low.
it would be a good sales tool to have something to show, an example sort of thing.
here's a picnic blanket i made for my daughter's teacher. something like this would probably work pretty well
[ATTACH=CONFIG]449589[/ATTACH]
good luck! it's a great fundraising idea!
aileen
it would be a good sales tool to have something to show, an example sort of thing.
here's a picnic blanket i made for my daughter's teacher. something like this would probably work pretty well
[ATTACH=CONFIG]449589[/ATTACH]good luck! it's a great fundraising idea!
aileen
12-02-2013, 09:21 AM
#4
Super Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: S. W. Indiana
Posts: 7,484
Originally Posted by stillclock
hm. signature quilts can be made with really large blocks - 10" or so. and the materials can be bold colours interspersed with muslin blocks for the signatures, so your upfront cost to make the blocks can be kept pretty low.
it would be a good sales tool to have something to show, an example sort of thing.
here's a picnic blanket i made for my daughter's teacher. something like this would probably work pretty well
[ATTACH=CONFIG]449589[/ATTACH]
good luck! it's a great fundraising idea!
aileen
it would be a good sales tool to have something to show, an example sort of thing.
here's a picnic blanket i made for my daughter's teacher. something like this would probably work pretty well
[ATTACH=CONFIG]449589[/ATTACH]good luck! it's a great fundraising idea!
aileen
This is as cute as can be. Congrats. Sure the teacher was tickled.
12-02-2013, 09:26 AM
#5
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 764
thanks! it has a poly bat and outdoor fabric for backing - the kind you use to cover cushions.
i thought the polybat would resist water a bit. the backing was a little pricey, but selling it as a picnic blanket could be a great twist for your fundraiser. i used the extra backing fabric to create a simple carrying bag for the quilt.
aileen
i thought the polybat would resist water a bit. the backing was a little pricey, but selling it as a picnic blanket could be a great twist for your fundraiser. i used the extra backing fabric to create a simple carrying bag for the quilt.
aileen
12-02-2013, 01:19 PM
#6
Super Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Northern California, Sonoma Co.
Posts: 2,814
I am doing a fundraiser quilt with some high school students who are seniors. My idea was to charge students a dollar to sign their name on fabric, and then incorporate that fabric into blocks to assemble into a quilt. Once the quilt is done, they can sell raffle tickets for the quilt. I am hoping they can drum up $50 to $100 for the signatures, and then the same or more for raffle tickets. I think people who sign and then see their names in the quilt will more than likely fork over more money to win. In our case, I hope parents are willing to buy raffle tickets so their child can win the quilt!
12-02-2013, 03:50 PM
#7
Super Member
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Texas
Posts: 1,198
I would suggest a 3-rail block with the two outside rails being dark (solid, tone-on-tone, print) and the inside rail being light (white, off-white, tone-on-tone, pastel color). The inside rail would be for the signature. You could alternate the 3-rail blocks with solid blocks so the center rail would seem to float on the surface of the quilt. You would want to have the quilt at the Festival so that people could buy and sign blocks, so you could make and assemble the top ahead of time, and have it at a table so that people could sign it between songs, at intermission, etc.
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