Is there a limit as to how ugly a charity quilt can be?
01-17-2012, 07:54 PM
#41
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 605
I commented on your earlier post about LWR quilts and will not discuss that again. We try to make our quilts as attractive as possible while still strong, warm and serviceable. We do not mix fabrics, cotton with cotton, flannel with flannel, corduroy with corduroy, etc. Our aim is to provide comfort and show Christian love to the recipients. We take great pride in our quilts and would not have to feel ashamed to give one to a neighbor in distress. We like to think that our quilts will also bring much joy to someone in dire circumstances. Seems like some inyour group need an attitude adjustment. Maybe the group needs a new, strong leader (you?) I wish you much success and God Bless your work. Feel free to PM me, if you so desire.
Last edited by scraphq; 01-17-2012 at 08:02 PM. Reason: Add-on.
01-17-2012, 08:25 PM
#42
Junior Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Portland Oregon
Posts: 292
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder! I have seen some quilts that I thought were super ugly done by the hautiest quilters and there are those quilters who simply cannot afford to offer any better. If I was cold and someone had taken the trouble to make something to keep me warm, it might be looking pretty good even if I didn't like the color. Making quilts for the needy is not an outlet to show off expensive fabrics or whatever and, if that is your case, you need to go back and think what the purpose of these quilts really is.
01-17-2012, 09:02 PM
#43
Junior Member
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Elkhorn, WI
Posts: 127
I'm in charge of the ladies group at church that makes charity quilts and I find it best to handle it like Dayle suggested. Weed it out when the others aren't around and even notice. We have soooooo much fabric that now I need to consider the suggestion by Lori I think that said to only keep a few years worth of supplies around as more keeps coming in. I like that. My problem is that I keep hoping and praying that more ladies will step forward to offer their help in making them. It seems the bigger problem we have in our group is what size to make them. 2 of us now have long arm machines and are willing to do decent bedsize like our recipients are asking for rather than the crib size that is sew easy to handle especially for the 70 year old ladies in the group.
01-17-2012, 09:35 PM
#44
Super Member
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 3,372
Here's my opinion. My Grandmother made beautiful quilts out of polyester and the backing was made from blankets. She, her sister (my aunt) and my Great Grandmother also made quilts out of upholstery fabric scraps, usually by hand. They are the most durable and warmest things I've ever seen! They have been washed and used for years over and over.
I suspect some of the quilts will not only be used for cover but also for doors to huts or dwellings, to separate rooms, wall hangings and rugs. They will be worn as shawls and often the only covering a person may have in terms of clothes.
What we think of as ugly might be beautiful to them. I see some of the lines of fabric that's made and I think How ugly, Who'd want that? Well someone does.
I think a charity quilt for Linus would be different than one going to Ethiopia where it may be used as a door to a hut or dwelling. (Not in sentiment but in the difficulty of piecing required and quality.)They may be used for hospital beds or wrapping the dead.
Some of the material not suitable for quilting could be used to braid rugs or make shawls out of to send with the quilts.
I promise you one thing for every quilt or fabric I think is ugly there are at least 2 people somewhere who will like it.
I suspect some of the quilts will not only be used for cover but also for doors to huts or dwellings, to separate rooms, wall hangings and rugs. They will be worn as shawls and often the only covering a person may have in terms of clothes.
What we think of as ugly might be beautiful to them. I see some of the lines of fabric that's made and I think How ugly, Who'd want that? Well someone does.
I think a charity quilt for Linus would be different than one going to Ethiopia where it may be used as a door to a hut or dwelling. (Not in sentiment but in the difficulty of piecing required and quality.)They may be used for hospital beds or wrapping the dead.
Some of the material not suitable for quilting could be used to braid rugs or make shawls out of to send with the quilts.
I promise you one thing for every quilt or fabric I think is ugly there are at least 2 people somewhere who will like it.
01-17-2012, 09:51 PM
#45
Super Member
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 3,372
Originally Posted by NikkiLu
I was given a flyer from a church group that was making baby quilts for their missionaries in third-world countries. They requested only simple quilts, washable fabrics and NO hand quilting - either tied or machine quilting - most of these quilts were washed in rivers and beaten on rocks.
Yep, sentiment and compassion can be the same and I promise what we consider ugly others won't.
Once again these quilts may be used for the following-
A door to a hut or to separate rooms
A rug
A hospital bed
To wrap the dead
A shawl
Cover etc.
As I stated before I would expect a quilt going to Ethiopia might be used differently from a Linus quilt.
It's my understanding they are usually handed out to large groups of people who are thrilled to get anything because they are starving and have nothing.
01-18-2012, 01:36 AM
#46
Super Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Washington
Posts: 4,001
I agree with this. We also used the polyester double knit for a lot of overseas places because it could go through about anything and not get hurt and will last forever.
Originally Posted by PatriceJ
From My Own High Horse ... ( LOL )
I wouldn't worry about fabric content.
I would make sure it was sturdy enough to survive rough handling and machine washing/dryer.
If it was obviously damaged - which includes stains and faded spots - I would not use it.
If I wouldn't want to snuggle up under it, I would not donate it for use by people. I would donate it to a pet shelter. (I donate any quilts I'm not happy with to a local pet shelter.)
I don't have to think it's pretty, but it does have to be a good quilt and well enough made. Taste varies from person to person. What I think is butt-ugly might be beautiful in somebody else's opinion (and vice versa).
If it isn't good enough for me, a friend, or a relative, then it isn't good enough to send to a stranger to who I claim I want to demonstrate compassion and support.
I wouldn't worry about fabric content.
I would make sure it was sturdy enough to survive rough handling and machine washing/dryer.
If it was obviously damaged - which includes stains and faded spots - I would not use it.
If I wouldn't want to snuggle up under it, I would not donate it for use by people. I would donate it to a pet shelter. (I donate any quilts I'm not happy with to a local pet shelter.)
I don't have to think it's pretty, but it does have to be a good quilt and well enough made. Taste varies from person to person. What I think is butt-ugly might be beautiful in somebody else's opinion (and vice versa).
If it isn't good enough for me, a friend, or a relative, then it isn't good enough to send to a stranger to who I claim I want to demonstrate compassion and support.
01-18-2012, 01:46 AM
#47
Super Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Washington
Posts: 4,001
Originally Posted by Quiltngolfer
I would not want to give something "ugly" to be used for a person of any age or situation. The "ugly" quilts can be donated to an animal shelter. The animals don't care what color they are as long as they are soft and warm.
01-18-2012, 01:52 AM
#48
Super Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Washington
Posts: 4,001
This sounds like a great thing to do. I can see how this would work better than "pretty" because no one would want to steal them so much. Also when I am cold, I don't care what it looks like just as long as it is clean and warm! Think about if you lived outside in the freezing damp cold would you care what color your quilt was? No, but you would be thankful you had it and that it was made well so you could keep it!
Originally Posted by ckcowl
the ugly quilt project is such a great one! our little sewing group meets once a week just to work on these- we've made 17 in the past 5 weeks!
one of the ladies visited the habitat re-store and found a dozen mattress pads, old blankets- when she got to the check out and told the sales gal what they were for she was given the whole lot for 50 cents apiece! we use old ties= make them so warm....it is really cold here-and we have quite a few homeless even though it is a small town area-
i found a place for old (pilled) flannel sheets---they work for liners- they are actually kind of fun to make-
and groups popping up all over the country!
great program!
one of the ladies visited the habitat re-store and found a dozen mattress pads, old blankets- when she got to the check out and told the sales gal what they were for she was given the whole lot for 50 cents apiece! we use old ties= make them so warm....it is really cold here-and we have quite a few homeless even though it is a small town area-
i found a place for old (pilled) flannel sheets---they work for liners- they are actually kind of fun to make-
and groups popping up all over the country!
great program!
01-18-2012, 04:43 AM
#50
Super Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Delmarva Peninsula
Posts: 1,151
I guess from reading these posts that my opinion falls somewhere in the middle. I am making "charity quilts" out of good quality flannel, but I am making only 10 of them for a hospital home away from home. My next charity project will be (hopefully), making lap quilts for our local senior home. For these, I will be using fabric of unknown fibers (they are blends) from my stash. They will be scrappy,but tasteful. Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.
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