I offered to make four of my friends quilts if they bought the fabric, batting, etc. I didn't really think they would all take me up on it, but they did. They said they wanted to buy the fabric before I changed my mind.

I told them I would make any pattern I had already made, or I would make one they found, if it was one I thought I could do. (I have only been quilting 2 years.)

They selected their patterns, and I printed a copy of what they selected and wrote a "recipe" for the quilt on each...how much fabric was needed.

We met for lunch and went to a fabric store afterwards. It was so much fun. Three of my friends are my age (63) and the fourth is 32. (We are all English teachers who taught at the same school. Two of us retired...) My friends had the best time selecting fabric. One, who had just had skin cancer removed from her face, had the biggest smile as she came to the cutting table with her choices. It was like little kids in a candy store.

I now have four projects ready to go. I am not hurrying, and I told each they would have to be patient. But I really can't wait to get started.

This is going to be fun!

Can you not get your retired friends to help with their quilts? I'm sure they would be pround of their input, just as they were when choosing the fabrics. Teachers are good quilters as they follow directions.

What a generous and thoughtful gift!

What a nice thing to do for your friends. I love doing projects too but the one can only have so many quilts of your own and the cost of a complete project runs a little steap. I think your friends will treasure their quilts forever.

Well, they were surprised at how much the fabric and batting cost. :)

Ohh I love doing stuff like that! I did a quilt for my sister exactly that way earlier this year. I had made her a throw-size quilt for Christmas, and she wanted a bed-sized one. I told her it wasn't in the budget because I needed better tools and a book so I could learn to do it "right" and I couldn't afford that stuff at the moment (right after Christmas, you know how it is). She offered to buy the quilt fixins PLUS the tools and books I needed. We went to the fabric store together and had a great time picking out fabrics.

The biggest problem I had? I got so bored making that quilt! :lol: She just wanted a simple four-patch checkerboard pattern, alternating between plain muslin and two prints. It was sooooo not my style, and even though the fabrics looked really nice together, I just couldn't get excited about working on it. I kept plugging away at it, though, because I knew Sis would love it. And she did! When I finished it I invited her over "for dinner," because I "hadn't seen her in a few weeks." Really it was to surprise her with a finished quilt. She walked in the door and I dumped it in her arms, and she was completely thrilled. :)

Have fun making your friends' quilts! They'll be so happy when they finally get the finished product. :)

That does sound like fun and very generous of you. I like the idea of seeing if your retired friends would like to help you. Maybe the quilting world would recruit some new quilters. :D

Sounds like your very helpful, but what about having them over to help and have them bring munchies..............calla

What a good idea... wait till the word spreads around school... you will be signed up for many many more... lol ... have fun!

Great story..and a wonderful thing you are doing..I've been quilting on Wednesday mornings with the same 10 women for 10 years..we have a great time..4 of us are really close..we help each other and shop together..I'm very lucky..they have saved my sanity for years.!!

That will be fun pulling all of them together! What a great idea!

That's how I made the Turning Twenty for my friend's great nephew. She asked would I make one, and I said, yes, but she had to help pick out the fabric. And she paid too. It was a fun quilt to make, she is happy with it, and the little boy loves it too. What could be better? Well, zero calorie chocolate would be great too, but that's not happening!

Fabulous, geneous, FUN!!!

None of these ladies sew, but I might throw the idea out. Each has offered to pay me to make a quilt for them in the past, so I don't know why I was surprised that they took me up on my offer.

I live in the country, about 15 miles from town, so we really don't live close together.

I wanted them to pick the pattern and fabric so they would like the final results, and because I am not real confident at selecting fabrics yet. You'd think that after 2 years I would be, but I just can't visualize the final quilt by looking at fabric. Maybe someday...

sounds like a LOT of fun... what a great moment :thumbup:

How fun for all of you!!

That sounds like a lot of fun!

What fun! And you are a great friend to offer to make all those quilts. Post the pics when you're done 'cause you know how we love pictures.

That is sooo awesome. I would make a quilt for my friends too if they would just purchase the materials. People have no glue how much they cost. I have been making them for family members. Plugging along. I sometimes can not believe how much I have spent on materials. I am getting better about finding better deals.

That is so nice of you to do that! You know they will appreciate it when they don't flinch at buyint the fabric up front!

Oh how simply wonderful time spent with awesome friends! And how incredibly generous of you!

I think it will be fun. One friend has insisted on paying me for making it, and I told her "No, she couldn't afford me." True.

I told each that as long as they were patient, didn't want more than a lap quilt (which I label as around 50"x60"), and bought the fabric, we had a deal and I was making them just because I want to.

Now they want me to wait until all four are finished and present them all at once. I am not so sure about that...I would want to see my quilt as soon as it was finished.

I think it would be fun to present them all at once. Since you shopped together for the fabric, I'm sure all of them would want to see the other quilts.

Even if you do live 15 miles out of town, invite them over & make a party of the presentations. Just make sure they all bring chocolate to thank you. :lol:

Yes, I guess they will each want to see the others. Hadn't thought about that. Chocolate is good too. :)

I`ve never actually gone to a store and bought fabric and batting all at once to make a whole quilt....I can imagine how much fun it must be.....it must have been a great time!!

You say that after two years you are not confident in selecting fabrics. I must say that after 32 years of quilting I am not confident in selecting fabrics. Ladies in the store usually are my best help. In fact, I may have been more confident 30 years ago as I didn't have as much "information" about fabric, color, etc as I have gathered since. LOL

This is going to be a lot of fun for you. Get them to help too. It will have more meaning for all of you. They can always press, sort, clean up and more ... even if they do not sew.

Oh Dina that sounds like ya'll had a ball!! Happy Quilting, now get to work! :lol: :lol:

What a great idea! Curious to know which patterns they chose and they all chose something different. Have fun creating!!

You're making friends for life (if they weren't already). Maybe someone should make a movied called "The Quilting Sisterhood." Please post pictures of your quilts when they're done.

It is even fun talking about what they selected. One selected Warm Wishes, with green and gold fabric. Two selected Square within Squares 2, a pattern I got from quiltcache....or something like that. One selected a scrappy quilt like I just made for a charity quilt. She bought a flowered fabric with bright colors for the border, and then bought four fabrics of each of four colors to be the "scraps." One bought bright butterflies as the focus, with yellow and blue tone on tones to go with it. Two selected the same fabric!!!...but with different patterns.

I have never bought all of the fabric for one quilt at the same time, so it was fun for me too. This whole thing is just going to be fun!!

Please show us as you go along. Love to watch quilts go together.

Glad you had a good time. Sounds like a group of good friends.

Dina, while you will have lots of time and energy invested in the quilts, it's a wonderful way to satisfy your desire to quilt; and at the same time, you'll be making someone else happy!

what fun and memories in the making - I love your generosity!

You are a great friend! Love and compassion will make the quilting a pleasure....

What a great friend you are!!! I can't wait to see them!

I am 63 also!!! Sounds like a fun day. Now you need to teach them to quilt :P :-D :lol:

Even if they don't sew, they could still help out with their quilts. Show them how to cut the fabrics for needed blocks, they could do that and I am sure they can all use an iron, they could press blocks and seams as you sew them. That would help out a lot. Also when you get ready tro sandwich the quilt, get them to all help you lay them out and pin or whatever you do when you sandwich your quilts. They would feel that they really had a great part in the quilting projects. Also would save you a lot of time as well. Great fun, you could all meet on a Sat. or some evening at you home, and everyone bring their own dish or snacks for a fun time.
My quilting group meets the 3rd Sat. of each month. We have at least three bring food, and have lunch together. Occassionally we order out, but usually everyone has a unique item for our meal. We gave up on everyone bringing something, we always had so much food left over. There are between 12 -15 at our meetings.
Enjoy your projects.

Dina, what a great friend you are, I hope you will share your project status with us here on the board - I'm so curious! Could you start with images of the patterns you are going to do? Sounds like so much fun to work on these quilts you know the gals will love :thumbup: