This last week my sister in law passed away after many years of heart problems. My brother is giving me all her fabric and sewing notions and since she couldn't sew it all I feel I need to sew the quilts and donate them to a cherity. Can anyone give me some ideas were to donate these quilts that I will be making.

Look up the web site for the Minnesota Quilters Guild and then individual guilds throughout the state. I am sure there will be plenty of places listed where they donate the quilts.
You might also look on this site for the group in Alabama that is making quilts and giving to those effected by the toronado
Your Project Linus is always looking for quilts.
I am more cautious now donating to hospitals because I couldn't keep up with the needs in the nursery.

How nice of you to consider others, with your fabric blessings.
There are so many in need, where it will be appreciated.

Though I want you to consider first, if charity starts at home, in this case? Perhaps consider making quilts for your brother and any children/grand they have? Also her parents, siblings or close friends. Maybe memory quilts with photos included?

It could be a very touching gesture to give them quilts made from her stash.

How about the open heart dept. at the hospital, hospice or nursing home. I had open heart surgery 3 1/2 yrs ago, I know those little things in the open heart recovery really helped alot. Of course, you would have to check into their policy on bringing in things. One more idea, some at our local quilt shop, make pillows for breast cancer pts to support their arms while healing after surgery. Sorry, I am a nurse and could go on all day. There are just so many local needs that often get over looked. Good luck and I think it is wonderful how you are trying to do something to honor her. God bless you!!!!
Kids hospital, homes or camps for special need kids or camps for kids who are fighting cancer and such.

I'll leave a note from discussions on other threads ... if you have specific destinations in mind, please check in advance as to their requirements!

Understandably, some have "rules" as to what is acceptable to them. Size, fabric, batting, quilting.

There is the Linus blanket organization throughout the US. Every region has a homeless shelter you can make quilts for. I make baby blankets for Birthright. I also made them for the NICU. They took whatever I made and didn't push for more. There is an organization for returning Vets who have to spend a great deal of time in the hospital. I wish you luck. Anything you are passionate about will be able to use quilts either directly to the clients or to sell to keep the organization in business.

I am making quilts for my brother and the families from her stash so they have something to remember her buy. My brother has been living on unempolyment and it runs out in the next few weeks. My sister-in-law had been living on a pention plan from her former husband and that ended now. We are having a benifit for him of a spagetti dinner and we all pitched in on items for the raffle and I am making two simple quilts for the raffle.

One quick way to use up stash is to make pillowcases. You could contact your local coordinator for ConKerr Cancer that distributes bright and cheerful pillowcases to kids in hospitals.
Here's their website www.conkerrcancer.org.

Consider making a great quilt that can be raffled for her favorite charity. If she was a dog lover , donate a quilt to a rescue group, or local shelter... you get the idea. I tend to favor charites for this type of project that reflected the life/loves/things that brought joy to the life of the donor ...
I favor local charites that often have not publicized their needs or get the big publicity like many organizations.
It will come to you the right project for the right organization .. you will feel her heart leading you.

That's great!
Maybe ask your brother and her family for their suggestions as to charities to donate to?

I take craft material to nursing homes that have craft days and are always in need of fabric

Here is a link to your local chapter of the American Sewing Guild in MN. They do many community service projects and would welcome any fabric donations for support of their charity work.

http://www.asg.org/files/locator/res...ealer_State=MN

If you have a local woman's shelter, I'm sure they would love to have some quilts, especially for the young children that come with the abused mother.
the 10 minute block utube tutorial is great, makes a fun quilt quickly.

First let me say I am sad to hear of your lose. And you have been giving a wonderful way to make memories, haven't you?

Wouldn't it be a good idea to check through the fabrics - keepers, donations and trash piles? I was given my friend's, Mary, fabric etc...many etcs lolo, to see to after she passed away. It can seem overwhelming. But easy when you realize many groups could use the items.

Are there charity resale shops in your area? If so, buy some large zip-loc bags and group fabric in them. You can use the bags also to put threads, pins (make sure they are in a small box) etc. To just give unsorted and unbagged things like this to the thrift/resale place makes them less likely to want it...and makes much more work for those working there too. Besides, they might not know good from bad etc.

Bagged and/or boxed sewing, emroidery etc items go well at yard sales held for charity. Call a few local churches etc.

My husband and I volunteer at an all volunteer food pantry (The Committee Food Connection of Blount County). I have started to go thru items folks always sem to give over to me, sort them, bag it and put out for the 'clients' at the pantry to take Free. If you have to come into get food, you surely wouldn't have money for quilting stuff --- works wondres. I have seen ladies with tears in their eyes. They are so happy to get it all.

Just a few ideas I hope can help you.
Julie

How about quiltforkids.com, quilt for kids in hoapital.

My brother wants to think about things first and as he wants to give back to those who helped him. He lives up near Duluth in a small town and they have been so good about helping him out. I am sure that some of the ladies that quilt would really enjoy the fabric.

Your local homeless shelter or domestic violence shelter? Crisis pregnancy center, nursing homes, hospital pediatric wards??

So nice of you to want to share! I also do raffles for the no kill animal shelters.

I belong to the Lutheran World Relief and make quilts for them, check out any Lutheran Churches in your area, I know their are quite a few in your state. The quilts need to be 60 x 80, bring them to the church and in October they will mail it to our warehouse in MN. The quilts go to people in need in US and overseas. Example, in 2010 25,000 quilts went to people in Haiti and I know they go to people in need in the US.

avoid the "big name" charities and find some Local groups, hospice, dialysis, veteran's, these all get forgotten for the sake of making quilts for a popular charity like Project Linus and QOV....Even making a few larger nicer quilts for organizations like the VFW or Fire dept to use as a Raffle quilt is good!

Charity begins at home..so call some churches and find some local groups!

Deborah, I am sorry about your sister. I just went to a quilt show put on by the Ohio Star Quilter's about 2 weeks ago. Some of the door prizes were some of the "stuff" that had been donated by one of their member's (who had passed away last year) family. I won an appliqued panel that the member had made and had not finished. A member of the guild took the panel and matched it up really good with some other material and made it into a pillow. I won it and I really like it. I asked for and received the name of the family and sent them a thank you note. You might want to consider a local quilting club or something like that.

Thank you

I just saw a place online this morning that the organization made quilts for children around the world who need cleft palette and cleft lip surgery. The doctors & nurses donate their time, and each child wakes up with a new quilt to keep him or her warm, and can take home with them. I'll see if I can find it.
There's always Quilts for Kids & Quilts of Valor. If you have fabric that not 100% cotton, there's also a group that sews items for soldiers returning with injuries that keep them in the hospital for long periods. It's part of Soldiers Angels, called Sew Much Comfort.....just a few. :-D

Be very careful --- I would say try your best to give the fabric close to home also.
Julie

My brother has decided to keep the fabric local were he lives in Wisconsin. They have a group that does quilting and since he doesn't have much income to support himself and my sister in law's son he has to sell the fabric. There are a lot of medical bills and funeral exspenses that need to be paid.

Having worked in various nursing homes in the past, I know that lap quilts, or lap robes, are always in short supply. Our own quilting group is going to make lap quilts and walker bags for several local nursing homes, and possibly some
quilted shawls from a pattern in one of the magazines.

there are church's there are hospital's and nursing homes ready for allthe help they can get when it comes to quilts they are like magnets they will attract all who are in need. Holess shelter's and so on if you ask around at the doctor's office or the churches or united way red cross the list keeps going they all will take them.

I agree completely!
:thumbup:

It's nice of you to use the fabric to help others. Here in our city we have the Door of Hope. It's a place where women can go for help when they find out they are expecting.....sometimes they need encouragement. :) What about St. Jude? Or Quilts of Valor? Is there an orphanage anywhere close by? You could make quilts up for children then at Christmas time they could be donated to all the little children that are on the Angel trees to go along with what others give them. Does the Red Cross need any quilts? Womens Shelters? What about the elderly of your church?

Just brainstorming. Hope that's ok. ;)

Good luck and Thank you for doing for others. That's what we should all be doing. HUGS! :XD:

Good idea too!

Our high school home ed class made pillowcase dresses for Africa. I donated a bunch of fabric and laces, etc to them. So many great ideas on this thread.

Quilts of Valor. They donate quilts to our troops. I don't think we can Thank our troops enough. A quilt is a very small thank you for the service they give us.

I make quilts for the sleep center connected to our local hospital. They give them to the children from age 5 to 9. the cancer center won't allow things to be brought in. Maybe the local nursing homes, hospice . I think a great idea was already mentioned to make rembrance quilts for family from the fabric you received.

QuiltsForKids.org is a great organization and right now they are needing quilts themed for teenagers.

First of all, we are all sorry for your loss. It is never easy.

Also, I know we are way over here, but I am beginning a new quilting group at my school, and we could use anything you dont want to keep.

I posted regarding this in other sections of our board entitled "Starting a quilting group at my school" ifyou would like to look up the thread.

Ronald McDonald House in Mpls/St.Paul, Mn or the one in Rochester,Mn.I have a friend who has been staying at the one in Mpls/St.Paul. Her 15 yr. old daughter just had her pancreaous removed. She'll be in hospital 3-4 months. She's never known what a "day without pain is" The house is non-profit & can alwaays use items like this.

Deobrah 12687, I’ve read some but not all of the responses. So this may have been suggested already but check with your local food pantry, maybe a raffle quilt to raise funds for them.

Also Ami Sims does the Alzheimer’s Art Quilt Initiative. They are all tiny quilts and something you could do quickly. http://www.alzquilts.org/

Edited: 98% of the funds raised for The Humane Society go directly to helping the animals. The Salvation Army donate 96% of every dollar directly to the cause. These are fantastic percentages.

Here's a list of organizations I posted a few weeks ago.

http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-118473-1.htm

quilts for kids, or the folks in the southern US or heck now that the Mississippi is flooding miles and miles of home I'm certain there is a need for quilts!

you could donate them to an Indian resveration I sent quilts too once.I now make quilts for the homeless that the police give out but they have no certain pattern maybe a name but I dont know what it is.I just sew pieces of fabric together .
If you need an address just send me a mssage

There is always a need for qults/blankets. my gr dau's friend, from school lost all in a house fire. I was asking her if they could use blankets.
She said, "Yes, they only have one blanket ,
and her brother won't share it."
I just took them up to the church that has the food pantry, they will see that those who really need them get them.
My brother volunteered for "Helping hands" and he went in homes where people were using news papers, between blankets, to help keep warm with. Kids sleeping on the floor with no pillow or blanket
So many needs out there.