johans

My guild is making quilts for returning military as our quilting day event. I ordered (with guild money)53 yards of fabrics in reds, off-whites, and blues for the event from Thousands of Bolts. The fabric came today, and it is beautiful. Half of those yards are for backs.

par4theday

What would the charity receiving the donation do? Turn it down, I don't think so. Seriously, charity quilts can be made out of any fabric, preferably fabric on hand, that needs to be used up. Our guild will happily take any quilt that is donated. I don't waste my time sewing of fabric you can see through, but I have found some awfully good deals on good fabric. All you have to do is keep your eyes open and look around. Our LQS has a flat fold table, and I find pieces there that I have paid $10 a yard for 1.99 - 2.50 a yard. If it passes my touch test, I buy it.

Rose_P

Our guild also uses whatever fabric we can get, and much of it is donated by our generous members. Most of it that I've seen is nice quality - just stuff that someone had left over or decided they couldn't use. I can understand the notion that it is not nice to give less than decent quality, but there are many lesser fabrics that would serve the purpose of keeping someone warm. Some charities, I read on this board recently, actually encourage the donation of ugly quilts because, sadly, homeless people may be victimized by thieves if the quilt looks like something that might be sold for drug money.

I'm a little concerned that if a guild is tax exempt as a charity, perhaps it is not even ethical to promote certain businesses over some others. I'm not saying that can't make rules about the quality of fabric, but when it comes to where you should or should not buy it, that does not seem right, IMO.

If your guild's rules are not to your liking, perhaps you could organize a small group to do as you prefer. Someone will be happy to have whatever quilts you make.

bunbytes

The guild sounds a bit snooty to me! I have quillows that were made years ago and have been washed with towels or whatever and they are made of fabric from JoAnn's and such. They hold up just fine.

Annaquilts

I purchase every where including Walmart, online and LQS. Just besure to check the quality of the fabric no matter where it is purchased or bought.

onaemtnest

I agree with the majority of responses that I have read here, for charity quilts, for a guild to dictate where one can buy fabrics is stepping across the line. The charity quilts are made from stash so I cannot guarantee where purchased. I can guarantee a nice hand fabric as I don't have thin or poorly woven fabric in my stash. If that isn't good enough then I guess the guild doesn't consider me good enough to belong to it.

homebody323

You can still do charity quilts but just don't give them through your guild. I often do charity projects and give them directly. Anyone will have a hard time telling me to do anything let alone where to shop. It may be my first born status or my Aries sign, but I'm hard to bully. Stand up for yourself, do your own thing, give - but on your terms.
Happy quilting.

Maybe1day

I only buy fabric for my charity quilts when I am unable to match to what I am using or just need a little something to give the quilt a lift. I belong to a group with 5 other wonderful ladies who make comfort quilts for kids and when the word got out that this is what we were doing we were inundated with donated fabric and so far we have made many quilts using this. Without the donated fabrics I would not be able to make as many as I currently am doing so.

Marni

My guild accepts any and all fabric-as long as it is 100% cotton! I would not participate if I was told where I had to purchase fabric.

117becca

I would think charity quilts would be a great way to use up my stash!