Quilting for charity is something that most quilters I know do at some point in our quilting careers. Giving back in ways large and small is wired into many of us. After all – how many quilts can we put on our beds, display on our walls, drape over the back of chairs, or stack on a shelf? Even after making quilts for family and friends – I’m not done making quilts – I enjoy it too much.
The beauty of creating quilts for charitable organizations is that it frees me up to try new color combinations, techniques, and patterns. It’s fun to stretch my creative wings and it’s a FABULOUS way to make a dent in my scrap bucket.
I’ve talked before about places you can connect with to create and donate quilts. Each has their own guidelines to follow so that the quilts they receive can be matched with a recipient. I’ve worked with all of the organizations I listed on my page – Giving Back. They are awesome organizations – doing good work, and I can recommend all of them.
Today, I thought I’d share two different (very local to me) options with you. Both of these happened to come about through my daughter’s work. The cool thing about both of these options is that you can get involved too, if it’s something that touches your heart.
The Pillowcase Project
More than a few years ago I was having lunch with my daughter and a very close quilter friend – as always the conversation turned to work topics. My daughter worked for DHS at the time and her job was to make the decision as to whether or not a child needed to be removed from an unsafe situation. It’s called removal day and it’s a traumatizing experience for everyone involved. She (like all other DHS personnel) carried a roll of black plastic garbage bags in the trunk of her state vehicle. These bags were used to gather a child’s possessions. Heartbreaking.
She said she wished she had something else she could use – like a pretty pillowcase the child could keep. I loved that idea – and wrote up a pattern for an oversized pillowcase with an integrated drawstring closure. It could also double as a laundry bag. I made up a few, individually packaged them in plastic zip bags to keep them clean, and gave them to my daughter. From there – I shared the idea with other friends, my quilt guild, and customers in my quilt shop. Thousands of these pillowcases have been made and delivered to our local DHS office for distribution to DHA personnel in our metro area.
Want to get involved and make these pillowcases for DHS or Children’s Protective Services (or police and fire) in your area? The pattern is available right here on my website – and it’s always free. You can donate the pillowcases you make locally to a DHS office or the police and fire departments in your area – or you can send them to me, and I’ll make sure they get to the right place. You can reach me using the contact form at the end of this article.
Tina’s Angels and Donna’s Divas – Quilts for Teen Parents
The second option I’d like to share with you – also came about because of my daughter. A few years ago, she left DHS to go to work as a social worker at one of the alternative high schools in our school district. That high school is home to a variety of amazing programs for kids who don’t thrive in the mainstream high school environment or who need a little extra support.
One of those programs is for teen parents. Teen pregnancy isn’t new – it’s always been with us. What is new – is the program at this high school that provides support for teen parents, during pregnancy – and after the child is born. The parents get to stay in school – and the child is cared for onsite.
My daughter reached out to me to see if I had any quilts I could donate for a planned group baby shower for the teens in her program. Obviously – I said yes. I also reached out to my small quilt group – Tina’s Angels and Donna’s Divas – and we all got busy. 10 quilts needed – 10 quilts delivered in time for the baby shower.
If you are interested in supporting this program by donating a quilt – YAY! The quilts should be crib or throw size, and pre-washing is a great idea. I am happy to serve as a drop-off point for any quilts you would like to donate to this program.
Use the contact form below to reach out to me and let me know if you have pillowcases or quilts you would like to get to me. I’ll follow up with you and we’ll get those pillowcases and quilts delivered to where they can make a difference.