Quilts for Cancer Tea
Have a 'sponsor a table' where they decorate or centerpiece the table, and people drop a vote in for their choice, winner gets a prize.

Next, have a quilt show, ALL quilts must be cancer theme (ribbons, etc) and have votes on originality, design, NOT workmanship, giving creativity the award not experience.

After, encourage all quilts to be donated for auction/raffle to the Am Cancer Society or through local Walk for Life.
Have other items either for sale or to be donated and just on display related to cancer that people make. Items like the breast cancer pillow/tote, prayer shawl quilts, ornaments, anything related to any cancer.

Ok, it's not really as involved as you'd think. Free publicity for a project like this. Enough time, 6 months minimum, to give quilters time to create their piece. Registration to get head count, sell a ticket... we used to have a Victorian Christmas (tea & victorian gifts to buy) for a charity, and we have a quilt show & tea locally. This time could also be to get sponsors for table decorations...maybe even local quilt guilds taking a table each, or a quilt shop, or just an individual.

Then a few prizes which could come from the tickets. We have a tea shop and could get things catered, so that cost would be figured in per person tickets.

A speaker for cancer awareness, someone with a little humor, and informative, like a survivor with good attitude. This is your 'entertainment' and have maybe something as a pamphlet to each attending. Contact local cancer clinics, Women's Way (they pay for pap smears & momograms), cancer docs and I'm sure one of them would know the perfect speaker (interesting, not boring lecture).

You could have printed Tshirts or Aprons for the volunteer hostesses pouring tea...and have some extras for people to buy, proceeds going toward cancer again.

Focus a different cancer (color) each year, OR simply stay pink because majority of "tea party" will be ladies. Spring you could do "pink flowers potted plants" all around, and these could become the prizes...for the table vote, a few quilt catagories, a door prize drawing.
Oh so many ideas... ok, my mind won't shut up again, sorry, but I'm bouncing ideas off you ladies here.
Oh, and I used to organize events all the time, and big children's camps, so this isn't over my head, just looking for feedback and ideas. Debbie

What a wonderful idea.

Only thought that popped out for me is that the whole "pink" awareness overshadows all the other types of cancers. As someone who has lost both parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc. to every type of cancer except breast cancer & other more common cancers. Most of them don't even have "colors" so never know what "flag to fly". Anyways, I'm partial to full on cancer awareness...cancer of any & every type.

Just my thoughts though...take what you want & leave the rest...no harm no foul. :)

I agree. Another idea, I've been collecting lots of cancer ribbon quilt patterns. I also do machine embroidery and buy nearly all the patterns to any cancer I can find (pink can simply change thread/color). If anyone knows more embroidery design places with "good" cancer ribbon designs, I'd appreciate the links.

Next, I remember seeing at a quilt show, a Bargello done in a ribbon. This would be beautiful done in either pink or multi color for all cancers. Does anyone know this pattern?
Could you let me know where to buy it?

I've also been having fun online buying cancer fabric's I never saw before. The wonderful scraps I'm getting from people on this site is great for scrappy patterns, applique, PP ribbons, even prairie point borders. Then these new places gives me yardage for long strips for borders, sashing, binding, even bigger pieces for blocks. If anyone has links to fabric sources for cancer, please remember me.

Thank you for all the help I've got. I LOVE the photos of cancer quilts done on this group...inspiring. I will post my quilts as I finish them, but it will be after Christmas now.

I think it is a wonderful idea. I would not be able to attend as I live too far away but would be happy to help out by making a quilt or something to be auctioned off. I do agree with QuiltnCowgirl about the other types of cancer being overshadowed by breast cancer but I do know that it gets the most support.I have seen the Pink Ribbon Bargello Quilt and agree that it is a nice pattern and I think it would also look good in any of the other cancer colors. Unfortunately I don't have the pattern.

I just found the pattern in Eric'a online & bought it (Bargello ribbon). what if the Bargello was in multiple colors, it is a ribbon? Our son died of Leukemia (Orange) our daughter has melanoma (black), and I had cervical & mom had ovarian (both teal). Here are links to colors of cancers and causes, most have overlapping meanings.
Still, maybe a bargello of rainbow colors would be nice?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_awareness_ribbons

http://www.trinitylondon.com/awarene...n-meanings.asp

http://www.craftsnscraps.com/jewelry/ribbons.html

[quote=stevendebbie25]'Splain me again where you found this pattern please??
Got the "final" disgnosis this morning for my sister's 3 year battle with ovarian cancer and am impressed to make and donate a ribbon bargello in her name to our brand new cancer center next year.

Jan in VA

[quote=Jan in VA]Sorry to hear about your sister. Here is the direct link to the Bargello patterns, scroll down to bottom for the pink ribbon, and there is a very nice heart bargello about mid page also.
http://www.ericas.com/quilting/patterns/bargello.htm

My cousin Billy and a very good friend named Laureen both died from melanoma. My aunt and uncle started a non profit called the Bill Walter III Melanoma Research Fund. They send $ for research and also send $ to melanoma patients for their treatments. Every year they do a 1k and 5k run/walk to raise money for research. They call it the Rayz Awareness run and you can find info on it on Facebook.

What I am getting at here is the logo for the run is usually a red lifeguard tower with an umbrella. I have long thought of doing a quilt with the tower on it. Billy was a lifeguard in Daytona Beach, FL. That would be an original idea for a melanoma centerpiece. Of course, this one is close to my heart and I am biased!

Thanks for the link. I'd love to be able to do that to donate to our Relay for Life event.

Susan

Leukemia is orange, but blood is red, we saw that in the OU Medical center walk for life in OK. Black for Melanoma, but then cancer isn't supposed to be 'pretty colors'. Well, I keep adding to my plans... work on my quilts, I'd really love to have several in the tea show if I get this all organized. Hummm, even thinking on sponsoring a table, maybe a different color place setting around the table with a color of that cancer ribbon project set on top each plate. Bouquet of asst. color roses. Tea cozy on the tea pot of cancer ribbon fabric. Napkins of asst. cancer ribbon fabric, maybe mach. Embroidery on the corner. Maybe the table cloth, if not in cancer fabric, so it's not too overwhelming, then embroidery around the edges? Could do a ribbon on back of each chair to match the place setting, and like the cancer ribbons, using a wire-ribbon to stay shaped. I love to bake, pretty good cook, wouldn't even mind kicking this off by doing the catering myself...breads, bars, cheesecakes (have lots of recipes for these), OR healthy foods, simple tossed salad bar & fruits/veggi's, with a dessert or tray of little cookies for the tea. We're pretty small around here, to get this going right, I'd do everything except the speaker. I know I could get helpers from my daughters friends.

What else would someone suggest? What would you give for 'prizes' as the attendees will vote on peoples choices on the quilts on display..not workmanship, but simply favorites. We'd open 1-1/2 hrs early to allow time to walk through the quilts and choose. My dad's an auctioneer, I know he'd do a fun auction (he likes to play with the people, has a nice singing style auction chant, not monitone and hard to follow like many auctioneers are).
Even if we only had a few items, or had a good size crowd, maybe donate the quilts to be auctioned there?
Would leave that a choice of the quilter, sell for chairty there at auction, or later at the Walk for Life auction.