I’ve been mulling something over. It’s the charity quilts that really have me thinking. Long ago I started wanting to do more with charity quilts. I think I got started after a disaster when I offered to do the machine quilting on some quilts if blog readers donated them. I’m pretty sure it was after the Disaster in West Texas.
Well truth be told I actually started doing some charity quilting long ago through church. Before Kalissa went to school I would go out and quilt with the church ladies to make charity quilts for Lutheran World Relief. I loved that experience and was so sad when I started childcare and had to leave that behind….but the bills had to be paid and by ending my time as a stay at home was necessary.
Here is one of the many quilts I finished for West, Texas.
Some of the women I most admire were part of that church quilting group. They were the nicest ladies ever….all in their 80’s still working to care for others. I brought Kalissa with and those ladies treated her like their own grand daughter. She loved it too. The spirit of giving that these ladies had went way beyond quilting.
When I started doing some long arm quilting for charity, I came in contact with yet another great group of people…ones with generous souls as well. I’ll be honest, I’ve never met a lady who quilted for charity that I didn’t feel an immediate connection to. For that matter, even those that support the charity projects through the quilting of others I feel are kindred spirits.
At the time I did that first charity quilt for the Joplin, I had no idea how this all could or would eventually explode. Donations of fabric and quilt tops came pouring in. It was amazing. From there we decided we needed to expand and support other charity endeavors. That’s when we started the new system that allowed people who were wanting to find places for their fabric to go, to find people or groups who would make charity quilts using the fabric.  I loved that and have heard from recipients that they are getting donations. That’s AWESOME!! Find that here if you missed it.
Another West, Texas quilt.
Well I know that there are many of you out there that are doing your own charity projects. I know there are those of you helping in church groups like Lutheran World Relief quilters I quilted with. I know those quilt are often not glamorous but instead designed for functionality. That doesn’t mean that those project don’t need praise. They do!!
So from here on…on Thursday morning, I am putting in a linky in every charity quilt blog post. I’m hoping that you all who are charity quilting will take a moment to add a link to your blog showing what you did in regard to charity quilting or leave a comment in the comment section. I’d love to know how many of our readers are plugging away at charity quilts. Share about anything from getting some thrift fabric that you plan to use for charity quilts- to having cut out 10″ blocks to be pieces for backings- to tying a charity quilt. (Gasp, yes MANY charity quilts are tied…and that’s GREAT) No one in a receiving a charity quilt care if the quilt is tied or machine quilted.
Here’s a picture of the lady who received the nine patch quilt above. How cool was that?!
This will be a regular feature of the Charity quilting posts that happen on Thursdays. If you have a quilt that you’ve finished that I’ve sent you, please remember to send a photo and information about the quilt to me at rogjo@iowatelecom.net.
What a great idea to have a Charity Quilt Linky Party! I don’t have a blog, but I will send pictures. I look forward to seeing what quilters are doing for charity.
My church also has a quilting group. I am a retired homeschool mom looking for meaningful projects to do. I asked several other homeschooled children in our church if they wanted to learn how to quilt. We would give the quilts to a local retirement community. They happily accepted. We have made over 20 lap size quilts and are still busy working. We have given 3 of our quilts away already to very happy recipients. The girls are learning to sew, but most importantly to minister to others! We have been given fabrics to use and it has spread to other ladies helping our efforts as well.
Although I’ve informally done charity quilting with my last guild (Bayou Belles, LA), i recently moved to PA and am doing two or three baby quilts a month for Quilts for Kids. I don’t have a blog or website, but enjoy making these quilts that go out all over the country.
Love this idea! I’ve been meaning to finish and donate some children’s-sized quits to a foster care group in our area, and the link party may be just what I need to remind me to DO, and not just PLAN!
So I know the 18 quilts I wanted made in memory of my late MIL aren’t exactly charity. I made them for her grandchildren. But reading your post made me realize something. In all the hustle of having family visiting, I sent 12 of them on their way to Texas without taking pictures! Oh well. Maybe I will remember to photograph the last 6.
For more than 10 years, our church has “adopted” every child in our county who has been taken into protective custody. We provide clothing, shoes, toiletries for each child. Our Quilt Ministry gives an appropriately sized quilt we have made for each child. We also give a patriotic quilt to each person serving in the military who is connected to our church. It has been a most rewarding experience.
I live in a small NH town and participate in making Lutheran Relief quilts. In our area you do not have to belong to the Lutheran church to participate and most of the quilters do not belong to the church. We generally make over our goal of 250 relief quilts per year. And after tying hundreds of the relief quilts I now prefer the drape and feel of a tied quilt and tie my own quilts. It is such a good feeling at the end of a day of working on relief quilts to see a stack of colorful quilts ready to go to people who have so little and hopefully make a bright spot in their lives.
What a great idea to share all types of charity quilts from everyone! Also that tied quilts are appreciated ~ some tied quilts with the thicker batting are just so cozy!!
Great idea! I had a weekly charity quilting linky for a while but let it lapse. I’m glad you’re doing it!
Jo,
I belong to the quilting group at my Lutheran Church in Sherwood Park, Alberta, Canada. When I retired from nursing (40 years altogether, the last 30 at the Cancer Clinic here where I live in Edmonton, Alberta) I decided I was going to join this group. I never knew how to quilt before, but had sewn since I was knee high to a grasshopper. I have learned so much.
We donate quilts to LAMP (Lutheran Assoiation of Missionary Pilots). They fly to different northern places in Canada. We donate to Wonen’s Shelters, A special School for unwed mothers, to some of the hospitals geriatric units, etc.
We have donated fabric arriving on our doorstep all the time. So many blessings we receive. There are usually 11-12 ladies that meet each Wednesday morning. We have sewers, sorters, designers, sanwichers, tiers, and labellers. It seems we all make a great team.
I really appreciate all the charity quilts you continue to make and give away.
Bless you.
I first learned to quilt in 2010, after being injured at work and becoming disabled. I was feeling pretty useless and down when I could no longer work, until I found out about making comfort quilts. Now I make comfort quilts and gift them to people who are having chemo or dialysis. I also make them for military and other situations that speak to me to give a quilt.
Since 2010, I have made and donated over 250 quilts to those in some kind of need in my area of reach. I hear by word of mouth about those in need, and always keep an ear open online and at home. I have quilts in England, Africa, Afghanistan, Mexico and a few other places outside the USA. Most go to my local area, but I never hesitate because of where someone lives.
I wish I had kept track of all the places my quilts have gone to live, but didn’t start out doing that. I never dreamed I would be able to touch so many lives, but it has given me a reason to welcome each day even tho I live with chronic pain and disability.
I don’t have a blog or website, but I do have a lot of my quilts posted on Pinterest under My Quilting Style, in case anyone wants to take a look.
Is there a “JO” from Oregon who knows where to either send quilts that need finishing or finished quilts that need loving homes?
Love this idea of a Charity Quilt blog on Thursday. My quilt guild give to our local hospice and we make fidget quilts for them and also quilts for each person who stays with them, something they can keep or hospice can give to there families. We also give to a local school in Ky that is part of the Red Bird Project. We love our time sewing and stitching for both of these charities.
My church sewing group (Sew Bless) not only makes small quilts but also does a lot of other projects, infant growns, diapers, wheel chair bags, etc. We are a very small group but we turn out a lot of things. We love the fellowship of sewing with others.