Quilting Guilds and Charity Quilts
 

Does your quilting guild make charity quilts? If so, would you be bothered if the person in charge of distributing the quilts (without consulting anyone) gave some of them to people who were definitely not needy? How do you determine where your charity quilts go?

Yes, I would be upset! My guild has set organizations that get our charity quilts. I don't think one person should decide who gets anothers work.

That happened to me just once,made a quilt to be donated, and one of the ladies liked it so well she kept it.

A committee should be involved. Shame on that guild! If it happened to me, it would be the last quilt donation on behalf of the guild.
sandy

if they didn't go to a guild designated charity, and they didn't pay you for them, that's stealing.

I'm not in a guild (I'd love to be). However, yes I would be not happy if one of my quilts was 'donated' to someone other than whom I deemed appropriate. You have the right to be cranky about it.

Occasionally I make small quilts for newborns at my local hospital. I give them to different special care nursery nurses that I see when at work. From there, it is up to them to distribute the quilt. From what I hear they are super picky about who the recipient is. Which is nice to hear. It may be a newborn that they've bonded with, or a mom or dad they bonded with. It may not be the sickest newborn, but one that is special to them for whatever reason.

Speaking of this. I probably should get off my butt and make another for them. Usually I make one a season, but I'm a little behind!

Our guild found out that personnel at the non profits were taking first pick! The other thing, people have different definitions of "needy". What is needy to one may be different to another. There is usually a volunteer director in towns that can make recommendation of worthy organizations..

If I made a quilt to be given to someone in need, I'd be livid and demand that person be fired or released or shown the door.

BUT, are you positive the recipients are not in need? Maybe there's stuff going on with that person that your are not privy to.

I'm selfish, I guess. I give my quilts to those I want to have them. I've more than once given a quilt to an ill or ailing person who could well afford to buy the finest. But my intention is to give friendship------------not something of value.

I think the gift of friendship - is something of very high value!

Thank you. Certainly what I've hoped for.

our guild gives quilts to specific organizations- mainly we do pediatric quilts which go to our local hospital pediatric floor- the quilts are given to children who have to stay in the hospital for what ever reason- at times we do other donation quilts - it is always discussed, decided on at a meeting- those who want to participate do, and the *group, organization contact person, who ever we are going to present the quilts to are invited to a meeting to be recognized & presented with the gift. nothing is ever 'taken' or given without it being decided by the guild as a whole.

There's a reason why they're called "charity quilts". I would be upset if I knew they were given as gifts to acquaintances who were absolutely not needy but had an impending b-day or such.

Our quilts go to victims of fire or other issues like that. We also do Project Warmth. Right now we have so many quilts to give away that the group will make quilts to sell at the quilt show. No one person does not make that decision.

At the beginning of each year our guild discusses where we would like to make quilts for donation. Hospital units, shelters, nursing homes, etc. During the year have several work shops to make quilts and many people bring in simple or fun patterns for those that cannot come to the quilting sessions. At the end of the year several volunteers will take the quilts to the places we have chosen. Sometimes they just go to families in need. One year a group home was doing an update in all of their 8 rooms. We found out male or female and all the bed sizes were single so made each a new quilt for their room. Were they needy, not really but it was fun to do. Yes I do think any of these things that we do with the guild should be decided by the guild.

The definition of "in need" is not always determined by socio/economic status. It may pertain to emotional need as well.

That having been said, if you donated to a group project, everything should go to the group designated recipients.

It's funny that this topic is right up my alley.. I was given two quilts from a member to give to people that were affected by Sandy. That was a couple of months ago. I had one person in mind, and was having a little trouble trying to figure out who should get the other. I got to talking to a person that came into my office, and I am so glad I held onto the quilt.. It will be my pleasure to give it to the 85 yo woman that is still not back in her house, and is saddened by the idea of rebuilding the house that she has lived in for sixty years. In all probability, she will be spending the rest of her years at her daughters house.

Yes, our guild has set charities that we vote on every year to donate too. Then if a special circumstance arises if possible is voted on at the next meeting. If not the guild board votes on it.

I used to make quilts for a local Quilts of Valor group until the leader awarded one to her husband who had never served a day in his life and even had the gall to send his name to the national organization as a recipient. She then decided that anyone who had ever served in any capacity had PTSD and should get a quilt. She just wanted to increase her numbers of awarded quilts. As the mother of a disabled Iraq war vet, this really made me angry.

My Guild calls them Giving Quilts. We have a few organizations that we give to each year but also for special reasons, fire, sickness, etc.

The guild that I am part of gives away over 600 quilts a year. All are given to organizations that the guild, or at least the board, has voted on and approved. I love how giving my guild it!!!

What some people (non quilters or sewers) don't realized that even charity quilts take time to piece, quilt, and bind, let alone the cost of the fabric. I do a lot of free longarming with QOV and IF I would charge for the intricate long arming I do there, it would be a 200-300 dollar long arm job. I am glad that we can distribute to the vets locally. I would be very upset if a guild member were to give away the quilts that I labored on to people who should not be recipients. That is my philosophy on that,.

This is totally wrong of your leader. There are rules on the QOV site and she has broken so many of them. The recipients have to be touched by war, meaning that they had to be overseas fighting. If they were sitting on the beach in Florida being a vet, they don't get a quilt. There are so many veterans who are needing it. When we make presentations to the WWII vets, and Vietnam, and Korea, they always say, "Why did I get this? I was only doing my job." That makes you feel so good inside just providing that quilt to them.

Yes I would be upset. Our guild has two ladies on charge of collecting and storing the charity quilts. Our guild president and a couple of other members go to several nursing homes in the area and choose two to donate the quilts to. The president and several members take the lap quilts to the nursing homes and drape them inside the front rotunda receptionist area. Each resident is then allowed to choose their lap quilt. They do this around the forst week of December. After they choose our members label each quilt with the residents name. The quilts are then wrapped and placed under the Christmas tree. They are allowed to open them the day the center celebrates Christmas. Our ladies do a fantastic job and I appreciate all they do for our quilt guild.

I would certainly be upset!

Our guild's "charity" quilts (we call them community quilts) are all made and donated by committee. On very rare occasions we acquire one that is larger than our usual donation and we, as a group, make the decision where it will go...maybe Habitat for Humanity, or the church where we meet for raffle purposes.

If I knew a quilt I had made specifically for these purposes was taken by someone 'who liked it', you can bet I'd go get it back from her, immediately. And the episode would be mentioned (without names) during a meeting as a warning to others of like nefarious mind.

As another option, I might have strongly suggested she pay for that quilt, perhaps for less than I might usually ask, and then donate the $$ to our batting fund, as an option to taking it back from her.

Jan in VA

I usually make one or two preemie quilts a month for the Threads of Love group I sew with. I had been sewing with this group for several years before my latest GS was born and he became one of NICU babies. He wasn't a preemie but had complications during delivery and spent several days in the unit. So now I understand better what the items we make can mean to the parents of a NICU baby.

As I work on a quilt, I pray for the baby who will the receive the quilt and that seems to take help take away the concern of who will get the quilt because that perfect baby has already been chosen. I recommend as you work on a quilt, try thinking about the individual who might get the quilt; when you put in the context that you are making this quilt for one special person it seems to make the effort all worth it, and the person who receives the quilt will know that there is someone who cares enough to make an effort to show they care.

These incidents would have absolutely infuriated me, and I would have raised holy H-E-double-hockey-sticks. These people are supposed to be HELPING those less fortunate, not STEALING from them. Shame on them, and may the bird of paradise fly up their nose. And lay a few eggs. Ha.

I belong to 3 guilds (like in Goldilocks, there's a large one, a small one, and one that's "just right"), and all make charity quilts, which we call comfort quilts. I'm not sure how all the quilts are distributed, though I do know some of the organizations receiving them. Your question about "would you be bothered" is provocative, but without more information I can't really say. For instance, if a quilt were given to a family member of the person in charge, then yes, I would be bothered, even if that person was in need, because it's too much of a conflict of interest not to have consulted with other members of the guild. But if a quilt went to the director of one of the charities because that person, although not financially needy, was always there for others and was going through a tough time with illness or emotional stress - then I wouldn't be so upset. I do think you should bring this subject before the guild's board and ask about the circumstances if you don't already know them.

Wow, that's so WRONG!

about 6 yrs ago, I made and donated 50 quilts to a local hospital, kinda with specific directions on who to give it to, cancer kids and cemo kids. Well, my friends neighbor got one. he lived in a very well to do area and didn't get stitches. cleaned his knee and got one!!!!. I don't donate to that hosp anymore

WOW, that is a touchy situation. The guild I belonged to makes charity quilts for foster kids that go to a summer camp. They each receive a pillowcase and a quilt. I heard from some of the members that some kids show up with ONLY the clothes on their back. Makes me want to run to Walmart and buy some clothes but you can't, everything is done anonymously. No quilt labels on the back.

Why not stand up and ask in a meeting why this was allowed? Ask what is the guild definition of who is deserving of a donation quilt? This way you will know. My guild decided to make quilts for local heroes. Law enforcement, firemen, EMTs, returning military, community volunteers, etc who get hurt or sick. That is where our quilts go. We make children's quilts that go to a local volunteer group that help foster kids in the community. Most of the volunteers are all guild members or family of guild members so we know the quilts are given to the kids. Each year the Community Service chairman makes a suggestion where to donate the quilts and the guild members vote on it.

The way I see it if they did not go where they where intended and agreed upon, then its a theft. It does not matter if the person did not receive any money for "diverting" the quilt. If it was honorable they would have had no issues bring the matter to the group.

I would be very upset and would not hesitate to raise a ruckus within the group about it. That is just wrong!

It depends on the situation. We had a Heritage member who was passing and a person in our Community Quilts gave her a quilt she had made from donated fabrics. It was adored by this lady who had only a few weeks to live. That was justified. Our Guild has Community Quilts but, they sometimes have to scrounge for fabric at the free table. I say, those quilts can go to wherever they are needed. Now giving one to your husband from fabrics purchased by the Guild, no way. As for what the donation sites do with the quilts after they are donated. It's a donation, you can't do a thing about who it goes to.

There may be circumstances you are not aware of. However, the person in charge had an obligation to check with the guild before making any decisions on her own. The decision was not hers alone to make.

Yes, I would certainly be upset, I don't below to a guild, but me and a couple of friends make donation quilts and either one of us would be "upset" if one of us decided to give one or some to people that were in need.

Our guild votes on charity projects. As a group we make sure the quilt reaches its destination.

We had the same thing happen where the personnel where helping themselves before distributing the quilts. I was so disappointed!
Our guild was also giving them to the fire dept. for children going to the hospital, but found out that if there was blood involved the quilts were discarded.

I have seen this done at my local guild, which is the reason I left it. I love to create quilts for little ones and have found that by giving them to St. Jude's or my local children's hospital that I know who is receiving the quilt- the KIDS!. Maybe it is time for you to start making quilts for other charity organizations. I bet there is several here on the QB that can make a suggestion where to donate your gift and know that it is going to the one intended for it to go to.