How many of these Charity quilts do you do???
 

Just wondering how many charity things you do,maybe you're expected to do because you're in some group or not ???

I am chair of our guilds charity quilt committee. I make up pre-cut block kits, top kits; some pre-cut some not, & quilting kits. We have some long armers who like to do the quilting. There are even a few ladies who like to bind. I personally make about 18 tops a year. Occasionally I will make a quilt from beginning to through to the quilting. The guild provides the batting and most of the fabric is donated.

I've quilted about 10 quilts for Quilts of Valor. I started doing it for the experience, but it had gotten a bit expensive and demanding. I didn't feel really part of the process, and once the quilt was out of my hands and on its way, I had no idea where it ended up. Now I'm working with just one topper and I feel much more part of the process. She lets me know who gets the quilt and what their story is. I enjoy doing it, but the demand has gotten so great, it's hard to keep up. I've also quilted a couple baby quilts for various organizations. It can be rewarding, but I almost feel like, as a quilter, I get taken advantage of.

I made 3 lap quilts for one group this year and two wall hangings for 2 others. Don't know what I'll get done in 2013.

Our guild has a working day twice a month - they cut out kits that people can do from start to finish. They also have people who like to just do the tops, people who just want to do the quilting, and others who really like binding.

I've done quite a few start-to-finish. And I've been doing quite a few on the long-arm - I'm not quilting as a business (yet) and am happy to practice-practice-practice on these quilts. I hate hate hate binding, so I'm really tickled that I can just do the portions I have the most fun with.

The fabric for the quilts is donated, the guild buys the quite a bit of batting (the guild also asks for orphan pieces of batting, batting and patches them together for the comfort quilts).

Our quilt group makes quilts for Birthright, local nursing home & Project Linus. I make about 6-8 quilts per year plus many crocheted lap robes and shawls. Our group of about 30 donate over 100 quilts per year.

I have never (shame on me) made a quilt for charity. About one week ago, I got a package in the mail and inside is a pre-cut quilt. It says to sew it together and send it back by the end of the month. I don't know why I received this. I didn't sign up for it and don't want to do it. Does anyone want this? I will mail this to you free of charge. I think someone put my name in for this without my permission. It upset me that someone did this without my knowledge or consent. They don't know my workload or lifestyle. I am planning on sending it back with a note saying it was sent as a mistake.

I know, I should make one, but my plate is full right now and I couldn't get it done at the end of the month even if I wanted to. So, if anyone wants it, pm me. Otherwise, I'm sending it back. I'm planning on making some throws for the home down the street in our town of 800 people. They are counting on me for that. And that is not for a little while yet. I have a busy schedule right this minute.

I've made several dog quilts for a local animal shelter and a couple of tops that will go to local hospice when they've reached a finished products. I do this on my own when I feel the urge. All of the fabric have come to me inexpensively through garage sales and thrift shop leftovers. It's been a good way to use up fabric that would otherwise end up in a burn barrel or landfill and to practice quilting techniques.

I belong to two guilds and between the two, I work on 4 quilts a year for donating. We do kid quilts and wounded warriors. I enjoy giving and plan on giving one to the local animal shelter for them to raffle off. I love to hepe folks.

why feel shamed about something you have chosen not to do. "shoulds" are what we think other people are saying to us. maybe they are saying it out loud. if so, ask for the rule book! are we as quilters expected to do the charity work? not everyone is willing to do it for umpteen reasons. it is a personal choice. i admire some people who do charity work in this manner, but i will not be guilted into doing some of my own. as for the person who signed you up without your permission...shame on him or her!

I don't care to belong to groups that require me to do a certain amount of work for charity. Takes all the fun out of giving if it becomes a requirement. I make a few tops a year for charity and give them to a nurse friend of mine who is devoted to giving and serving. She has 2 longarms (one machine-guided, one hand-guided) and quilts as many as 30 quilts a month. They go to various organizations such as Project Linus, Passage Quilts, veterans groups, and other local charities, depending on what kind of quilt it is and how badly it is needed. Some of them are auctioned off to purchase batting and thread for more charity quilts. I've been able to read quite a few thank-you notes and letters written by family members who were involved in the Passage Quilts program, and let me tell you, if you read a couple, you would DEFINITELY be motivated to make a quilt or two for charity. People are so touched and comforted by those quilts.

I'm making a quilt that will be auctioned or raffled off. This is a new experience for me. At first, I was honored for being asked, but as I keep working on it, it's looking less like a home-made quilt and more like a comforter/Chinese $25 quilt. And I don't like it. When I was asked, it was for a benefit for a baby who needed a heart transplant, and the poor little guy passed away, but they are continuing with the fund-raiser in his memory. I would much rather donate the quilt to his family in his memory, than have it raffled off in his memory. Oh well. I'm very sorry for the family and I hope this helps. I hope I didn't sound ugly about it!

I have never heard of Passage Quilts..Can you explain what type organization they are?

Each year, as one of my New Year's resolutions, I set an amount of square inches that I want to achieve in charity quilts. This is my third year with this resolution. My first goal was 12,000 sq. inches. Second year was 15,000 and this year it was 20,000. I have already made more than 24,000 this year--I was off for the summer!! And, I do not count overages for next year as that would defeat my purpose. The reason for setting an inch requirement is that I am not limited to one size. If I set # of quilts, say 20, I could get away with 20 small quilts. So, instead, I make all size quilts, from double bed to baby. I typically donate to my local Project Linus because they donate to various recipients--not just babies. They include the local hospitals who treat rape victims, babies, children, shelters, and so on. I also love that my quilts stay within my community as it is an economically deprived area in some parts (Sullivan County, NY). I have a huge stash so I pull the quilts from there. The fabrics are all LQS quality as I was taught to give what I would want to receive. Luckily, I can do that with these fabrics. If I didn't use up my stash (which likely will not occur in my lifetime if I live to be 175), what good would it be? I fully believe that I must give back to honor what I was given in this life.

Laurie

I am a Shameful Person as well. If I am a member of a group, I will quilt (an overall-not custom) for free. I used to do some Quilts of Valor as my son was in the military. A bad experience with that group (QOV) has me not making quilts for them anymore. We had two quilts returned because they were an inch to two inches smaller than their requirements. As I have the two longarms, I don't have a problem offering to quilt for free, but I rarely have time to piece for myself much less put myself in a position where I push myself to make a deadline and give myself less than 'charitable' feelings as I scramble to get them done....

Quilting for charity is 90% of the quilting that I do, and I love it! I make quilts for Project Linus and am on the committee for our guild's charity quilts. I also do tops for Lutheran World Relief. My biggest project is making quilts (about 3/year) for the Bible Camp quilt auction in my home town. I am challenged to do my best work for that. The other quilts are put together quickly.

It is all very rewarding!

I quilt chairty quilts for Quilts Beyond Borders, a non-profit for children in underserved parts of the world. Recently they have given over 300 quilts to Haiti, Romania, and parts of Russia. I have done 6 tops for them this year and two completed quilts for babies. I enjoy trying new ideas and working on my FMQ, they are always appreciated. Most of the material comes from sales or Goodwill. I find it very rewarding. I have no grandbabies yet, and this fills my nesting urge to make with no recipients!!!
http://quiltsbeyondborders.wordpress.com/about/

I suppose by "charity quilts" you mean quilts given to organizations or causes. I've done only one of those, but I've done quilts to be raffled at community benefits. I've also made two quilts for a little boy who traveled often to St. Jude in Memphis for treatments and checkups. Also made a quilt for a single mom who delivered a precious baby girl during a hurricane. Just keeping my grandchildren and great grandchildren in quilts "that fit" is job enough Right now I'm still trying to get that graduation quilt done and last night tried to finish a baby quilt for our brand new great grandson Max. He's coming home today. Just last border and binding left on that one. I commend all of you who do so many charity quilts. There just aren't enough hours in the day for me to spread myself so thinly. I say "good job" to you. Keep up the good work.

Only you truly know your limits. Don't get stressed by someone elses idea of what you should be doing.

Before we could afford for me to stay home with the boys people at work were always trying to get me involved with something that would use up a lot of my free time. I consistently told them that any free time I had was for family time since I worked and DH worked and the kids had to be in day care all day Monday - Friday. I refused to be bullied into it.

After I stayed home with the kids and they got bigger, I had more free time and did a lot of volunteering while they were in school.

And I have helped make pillowcases and quilts for good causes. But I chose when and how.

I have learned the hard way not to write a check. Did that a few years ago to help hurricane victims. It was a one time donation - DH gives regularly through his paycheck. Because I wrote a check they had our personal information and sent us a monthly bill disguised as a request for money. Now I either give cash or money orders. Lesson learned.

Our guild makes a quilt that we raffle (every two years) and donate the money to a local women & children's shelter. We also make a quilt for a homemakers' group that they raffle (every year) and donate the money to charity.
Several of the gals make Quilts of Valor. I made a top once that another gal machine quilted.
Recently, we have taken over a project that supplies blankets/quilts and other personal items to children who are rescued from meth homes. I made a baby quilt last month for that.
I don't have alot of time to sew, as I have 2 part-time jobs, or I would probably do much more charity sewing.

Well, I just quilt till my arms fall off, take a break and quilt some more. We have a Toy Store that runs from turkey day for a couple weeks. Give away free, well, cleaned and fixed toys to help some parents supplement what is under the tree. Baby and small child quilts appreciated. Cannot count for sure how many have gone into that pile for the Christmas season this year. Any and all quilts are welcome when they come in. Everything goes out for free. Not a penny exchanges hands and it is really neat to see some people that thank you for your effort to help them make Christmas a bit brighter. Have a very simple quilt pattern I do and can whip out tops in no time flat then tie them together, bind them and off they go to the toy store they go. I love working for God.

I make lap quilts for the local nursing home. I take about 6 or so about every 3 months. They are so appreciative to get them and I feel so blest that I am able to do that.

I make quilts for Project Linus. It's fun to make bright quilts that will hopefully comfort a child in need. I also donate kids quilts to local fund raising/silent auction events.

I quilt for Home of the Brave that my 80 year old friend pieces. I was also quilting for a friend who sent her military son quilts, but she has since bought her own long arm.

Making a whole quilt takes a lot of time so I donate blocks and/or tops to several charity groups and they make completed quilts with them. For the past 5 years I usually make about 100 fun pillowcases for kids in hospitals and before each Christmas make some Christmas stockings that another group fills for the troops. None of the above are 'required' by the groups.

No one should feel they 'have to do' any charity quilting or donating, we all give or do what we can when we can.

One thing that I'm changing for the new year is limiting the number of blocks or tops I mail to groups as postage has gotten very expensive. I'll be donating to local groups like my guild's communtiy outreach program and Project Linus so I can hand deliver the items myself. Why spend dollars on postage when I could use those dollars to buy fabric for additonal charity quilting? May in Jersey

I have made as little as two or as many as 7 for my guild. I may not join the guild next year so will have to find another charity to donate a quilt or 2 for their use.

My personal goal is one quilt finished per month. And it must always be a new pattern with a new learning experience.
I have a huge stash from years of sewing and from my mother and from my friends donations. So all I really need to purchase is the batting. My donation quilts go to a variety of places (as I prefer to spread the wealth around). My favorates places are Quilts of Valor, Linus Project, Quilts for Kids, Prayers for Squares, Camp Pendelton and Childrens Hospital of San Diego. I also make pillowcases for them.....

Over the years I have made a quilt for every member of my family, some were received well some were not. But at this point in time I know thay all have at least one that I made just for them.

I am a retired widow with more time on my hands than I know what to do with it. My children are grown, my husband is gone and I am retired from my work......It is my time to sew for charity because I can. Do not fuss about doing it if you are a young/middle-age wife/mother/working girl with not enough hours in your day......Far too soon there will be no more soccar games to go to no more PTA meeting....only Doctor visits, quiet times in the garden, actual time to walk your dog, time to watch the sun set with a good glass of wine, and lots and lots of time to make all the charity quilts you want....because you have the time.:)

So far this year I have made at least 10 charity quilts. 8 just went to South Dakota for a clothing drive for one of the Indian reservations and the other 2 I made for the 24 year old girl that had the flesh eating disease from around Atlanta and the other for a 7 year old child that is recovering from brain and spinal cancer.

My goal is to make at least 12 quilts for the clothing drive next year if not 24. I'd also say that about 90% of the fabric in my closets are for charity quilts.

Love doing it!

I joined our local Quilts of Valor group after my son received one of their quilts. I also make blocks for a local group that makes quilts for Gold Star Familes. The Gold Star Mom of one of the Marines from my son's company started the group to deal with her own grief. I've never felt obligated to do these things and have never felt anything but appreciation for the little that I do. For me, this is such a small thing I do for those who have given us all so much.

I belong to local organizations and give of my time and talent to benefit the schools and literacy in my community. I have little time to spare for quilting.

If anyone tried to guilt me because I don't do quilts for charity I would tell them to pound salt! No one knows your heart and your stage of life. To be in any way "forced" to be "charitable" is not a true charity.

(P.S. I recently stopped at a QOV booth at a quilt show and inquired about doing a quilt for them. By the time she got done telling me about the restrictions and the fact that she couldn't tell me where the quilt would go, I was done with the whole idea!)

Passage Quilts is an organization that gives quilts to terminally ill patients at one of our local hospitals. After the patient passes, the quilt is given to the family. I do not know if it's a national organization or just local. The one I've donated to is run through the pastoral program at the hospital. I attended a Saturday Sew-In for Passage Quilts a while back and took a bunch of pictures of the quilters, the quilts, and some of the thank-you notes. One of the ones I remember most vividly was a quilt made of pieced cat blocks that a woman had made while grieving for her husband. She donated the top. It was quilted, bound, and placed in the chapel's quilt room. A man came into the hospital and was offered his choice of a quilt. He declined at first. Later, in a conversation with a nurse, he expressed how much he missed his cat. She went to the chapel and brought him this quilt, make of cat blocks. He loved it.

One of the quilters I met that day told me that SHE had been the recipient of a Passage Quilt. Her brother had been ill, and after he passed, someone put the quilt in the dryer to warm it up. Then it was wrapped around her and she was told that it was a warm hug from him. She said she closed her eyes, the quilt still had her brother's scent on it and she could actually feel his hug.

I'm a long arm quilter so I do charity quilts for a local church. They supply the top and back from donated fabrics. I donate the batting. I guess I've done between 50 to 60 small (36x36) during the past year. And now I'm putting together quilts for a nursing home. I've completed 5 to 6 quilts to dend to them.

I only make quilts for a children's charity. I've attempted making quilts for my 2 adult daughters and by the time they were finished, they didn't want those colors any more. I average a quilt a week while focusing on quilts for the greatest need---teen-age boys. I also knit and crochet when I'm watching TV. I have no grandchildren so this gives me the opportunity to meet my grandma needs. On rare occasions people donate fabric to me but I pay for all the rest of the materials.

I haven't quilted for charity, but I have crochet "Heart Scarfs". This next year I hope to make a quilt and donate it to a charity, maybe two but I don't feel confident in my abilities to give to a stranger who may or may not be a quilt police person. My OCD kicking in there. LOl

I make dozens of charity quilts a year. I don't belong to any guilds, just do it for the enjoyment I get out of doing something for someone that may not otherwise get a "hug". I make Quilts for Kids too, have made about 10 for them this year. I always have some lap quilts on hand for whenever someone needs one. I feel that I was given a "gift" in my ability to sew and quilt, and that it is my duty to use that "gift" in the best way I know how.

I do between 2 and 5 quilts a year, depending on what other projects I have going. Last year I made three quilts and about 15 dresses for our church orphanage. This year, we have been asked to do choir robes for our children. Personally, I'd rather have our kids wear a white shirt and black pants/skirt and use our talents for orphans. But, I wasn't asked and I'm not sure this is a group I'll stay in. I like to help others who have less. But that's another whole subject! (Sorry, just needed to vent.)

I personally do two or three a year.

You could send it to me. I'd be glad to do it

I have made numerous charity quilts. I sew for pleasure and the artistic, creative experience. I don't have much family so I make things for charity. Have send quilts, crocheted, knitted articles to Project Linus, community organizations, Luthern World Relief, Hatii, some countries in Africa, Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. I love to create and there are always people in need. I do not belong to any quilting guild. I LOVE TO QUILT and I love this board.

I make quilts for returning military for our county area (three this year), quilted blankets for the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in our area hospital, scent pillows for the NICU, and gowns for preemies who are being baptized or who don't make it. I dedicate my sewing time one day a week for this endeavor. Some generous people on this site have donated materials for this, and I use my own scraps.