Runners. We made several for church craft sale and they all went. Use a simple pattern and nice fabrics. Easy pattern and simple quilting and they will sell! Oh, and tell them the value - fabric, etc. plus add in for your time. We got $30-$50 for a good profit.

Since it's right before the holidays, how about a Christmas tree skirt and/or stockings? Christmas or Hanukkah wall hanging? I guess silent auctions are easy for the coordinators but they seldom bring high returns; I would try to spend as little as possible, on the materials.

One of the clubs I belong to are going to have a silent auction (within our club) to raise money to donate to a couple local food banks. I'm donating a few hand made items that don't have a lot of value, but have taken some time---------tissue covers, shopping bags, casserole covers. I've decided I am going to set aside $20 to bid on my own items. If the highest bid is low, I'll bid and take the stuff back home. $20 is very little to spend that way. That is going to be in addition to other folks items that I bid on.

Here's another option - make one of the no sew blankets. Corinthian Mills usually has fleece at good prices. Since the fleece is 60" wide, you would need about 3 1/4 yards to make a double sided 5' x 5' lap quilt. Material cost would probably be under $20 and I don't know of anyone who doesn't like these. They are so easy to make that you won't feel you put a lot of time into it.

Two friends who have been quilting for decades were telling me their feelings about donating quilts for fundraisers.

They each made a quilt for a similar cause. One was raffled off, the other done as a silent auction is a high traffic better than mid price restaurant (the benefit was for a staff person).

The raffled quilt brought in more than $500.00, the silent auction quilt brought in around $70.00.

Where we live there are fairly strict rules around holding a raffle, where as a silent auction does not appear to be regulated.

I often see items at silent auctions going for 25 - 50% of their value.

Unless the people attending the auction are quilters/sewers/crafters, they do NOT understand the amount of time & money that goes into something handmade. As several other people said, at most of the silent auctions I've attended, the quilts go for WAY less than the value of even the materials. Our guild used to donate quilts for benefit auctions, now we stick to smaller items like table runners or seasonal wall hangings.

The exception may be if the item being auctioned somehow ties into the 'theme' of the benefit - my friend was trying to raise money for a restoration village that has a threshing jamboree each year, including a tractor parade. In the year that John Deere tractors were being featured, she made some John Deere quilts, and of course those brought in better money. Or if the benefit is for Ducks Unlimited, a duck quilt might be a hot item.

How about combining a runner with a matching candle? Or a set of placemats & napkins, then find some matching napkin rings? And I believe seasonal things sell better than a specific color - if you make something blue, it may not match anyone's house. But mostly everyone will decorate for Christmas or Thanksgiving/autumn or Spring.

Andi

I agree with those that say it it's a silent auction - bring enough money to 'buy it back' if it isn't getting much action.

I also agree that it's much easier to just donate money! Much less stress - when one stops to really think about it!

I too will not send quilts for silent auctions. I have sent aprons with a local cook book and children's Hallowe'en costumes with good results. I can make a full lined apron in a couple of hours or a child's clown suit out of my scraps in an afternoon which I don't mind donating. A quilt is just out of the question.

I agree with what has been said. But even with pillowcases you have to watch what you use. A pillow case uses a yard of fabric total. If you use quilt shop fabric, it will not bring in the cost of the fabric.

Novelity fabric from Joann's with a coupon would do ok.

This last spring I wanted to donate a quilt to my grand daughter school auction....Since the grammer school is in a beach community, I wanted something beachy and youthful. Search and purchased a cute pattern (first expense) , called Under the Sea....Then had to go purchase batik fabrics for the sand and ocean and fish (big expense). Spent hours and hours on all the applique work of the fish and bubbles and etc.....Finished quilt sent to my son (another expense) who took it to the school. They valued it at $500, bidding to start at $50 with $100 increases...guess what no one bid !!!!....my son ended up buying it at the dinner/silent auction at the end of the event....Will never ever do that again....
Next time will only donate money....would rather give my quilts to charity than go thru that again