Question for the Charity Quilters:
 

Especially those who see where the quilts GO:

What seems to be the most desirable? Pattern? Colors? Sizes?

​WHere are the shortages? Where is the need?

​​​​​yes - we know all quilts are good quilts and they all find a home. But for those of us who never see the faces of the recipients - what are the ones that really make someone "light up"?

It depends on the audience you wish to serve and the needs of your area. Many organizations need them, from cancer patients to the known names and organizations.

I can tell you last year many organizations were not accepting hand made projects. Many were.

As for what is desirable? Same stuff that makes it desirable to us. I try to have no real difference in materials or skills in my donation/non-donation work. Ok, maybe I design a bit more fancy when it's someone I know, but it isn't much. More than once someone has seen something I made to donate and wanted that more than what I made for them!

Currently I am targeting my donations towards kids aging out of the foster system and making twin to queen sized quilts that are a bit fun and funky. I've sent quite a bit of my 80s fabric not so suitable for that to a group that makes hospice care projects. I think more for the family than the patient but I'm not so sure on that, only that it was a good place for my fabric to go soothing tones and colors and patterns.

I'm Community chair at my guild I know older kids are the most neglected when it comes to getting a quilt. Most want to make baby/toddler size quilts. I am always asking for teen and young adult size quilts. They don't care about perfection, they want a quilt to be their own. It's sometimes the only thing they have that is their own. Don't get me started about the $ not spent on the child in many foster homes. The older kids are overwhelmed with emotion when they realize the quilt is theirs and they can take it with them. We do a lot of quilts for foster care kids.

Quilts for boys and men. Having said that, quilts for men don't HAVE to be dark, all blues and grays and browns. My husband's favorite color is yellow. He wouldn't mind flowers, but he dislikes paisley.

I can say I was recently in a thrift store and saw a brand new adorable Project Linus Quilt.... yes it upset me very much. I didn’t say anything but they should know that’s not where it belonged.

Having made many quilts for suffering people I can say with experience that boys and men’s quilts are lacking. Most I’ve done were outdoors type. Nothing with girlie colors or prints and always running the fabrics by my husband for his thoughts.

Thank you for loving so many that were thrown away. It is beyond heart breaking! Thank you isn’t enough, but I am very grateful.

I would think Galaxy type would be great too for guys. Pattern... I can’t remember the name but it’s a rail fence block and a focus fabric alternating. Does that make sense? I’ve done several in water color method and they are striking!

One of the things I recommend is to ask the organization you're thinking of making quilts for, what preferences they have. A few years ago, a friend and I were going to make quilts for our local nursing home, but not for a specific resident, but whoever wanted them, the CEO said that would be fine, but when that resident died, if the family didn't want the quilt, then the nursing home tossed the quilt in the garbage. Needless to say, we didn't donate quilts to the home.

If you are donating to children/young adults, do things for boys and men. Most quilters are women, and we just love flowery prints. The guys? Not so much. There are more boys in NICUs, more boys in foster care, more boys aging out of foster care, but not so many quilts for them. And graphic prints for young folks (under 35-40). Bright colors or muted, but graphic, modern prints go over better than flowers.

I make quilts for Foster Kids in my county. The workers and foster parents are happy to get them. Of course mine are mainly girlie as I mainly use fabric from my stash. I do try to make some boy quilts. I don't worry what happens to the quilts once they leave my house. I make them to keep the kids warm. I hope they are loved but I don't know.
I love making quilts and hope they are used. I make 43 x 58 size. I buy battings I would and do use in my own quilts.
Last year I was able to make and give 33 quilts. Since cost of everything is going up and I have limited funds I probably will not come close to that number this year.

I am part of a group that makes quilts for Ronald McDonald house. Our Ronald McDonald house serves patients/families at the Cleveland Clinc in downtown Cleveland. We donate year round and also serve lunch one day during December so we get to see at least a few children pick their quilts. We do try to have many quilts that appeal to boys but it was a little girl that took the one wiht baseball fabric.One lady picked for the infant she brought to the Clinic from Minnesota. This was her third adopted spina bifida baby and she just wanted something warm. I loved seeing a little girl pick out a cat themed quilt I had made. One lady from Egypt asked if we had larger quilts to put on her bed in her room because "your winters are so challenging". The one that I will never forget is the young lady who was supposed to be home in Maine by Thanksgiving. Still there in mid December, she picked out a Christmas themed quilt, just a panel with several plain borders. She finally made it home in the Spring. Every year after, that quilt is the first thing she gets out when Christmas decorations go up in her home. She was back for a check up and told us that story. I like that Ronald McDonald house distributes our quilts to places that need them if they don't have a real need at that moment. They asked if they could send some of our quilts to New Orleans after Katrina so people in shelters could pad the cots. floors and bleachers they were sleeping on. I feel that most of the time the design does not make that much difference. As has been said though, it is important not to skimp on time spent or the quality of materials. There will be someone for every quilt.

Our group makes quilts for a Cancer hospital. They let us know what size they want and tell us that all the quilts we send are appreciated and always remind us to use colors that men would like. We also donate patriotic quilts every Veterans Day to Veteran residents at our local nursing home. The residents are so thankful and treasure those quilts.