I made this quilt top last year (or maybe it was two years ago..) and quilted it up earlier this week when the itch to quilt suddenly struck (a great way to go through some WIPs- love when the quilting bug arrives in full force!). I thought it would be a good quilt to donate for the 100 Quilts for Kids drive over at Swim.Bike.Quilt, but now I'm not so sure.
Here are my concerns:
1. I was reading on a charity website and it said quilts had to be "heavily machine quilted". Do loops count as heavy quilting?
2. I bound it by hand with fabric from an IKEA pillowcase. Will it stand up to kids/many washings?
and
3. If it is ok to donate, any recommendations on where to send it? I live in Central Florida and would like to send it someplace locally, but can't seem to find anywhere asking for quilts. We have a Nemours Childrens Hospital, do they take donation quilts? Or is there a charity you send them to and they pass them on to hospitals/kids?
I would love to hear your thoughts please! I would like to donate the quilt, but not if it is just going to come apart and eventually disappoint a child. Am I better off just holding on to it for my own (one day, not yet) baby? (yikes, is it bad that I don't want to disappoint a child I don't know, but I'm ok with it happening to my own one-day, not-yet child?? Geez, didn't know mommy guilt could strike before you were even pregnant!)
Thank you for your help!
Linking up to CrazyMomQuilts Finish It Up Friday.
EDITED TO ADD: Thank you to those who commented with advice and suggestions, looks like the quilt will be ok to donate- yay! Now I just need to find somewhere to send it to- off to Google now!
EDITED AGAIN: After a little Google searching I remembered a Central Florida resort I visited with friends about 10 years ago- Give Kids The World. I doubt my words can do justice to this place (seriously, click on the link and take a look- amazing). It was built by a hotelier with help from our local theme parks back in the 80s and is a 70 acre resort facility for families of children with life threatening illnesses. The resort is a kids dreamland- mini golf, trains, a carousel, a theater, pool, ice cream shop (always open and free, everything here is free),...Even the trashcans are fun- I specifically remember an elephant one where the elephants trunk would suck the trash out of your hand. GKTW works closely with Make-a-Wish, as it is so close to Disney which is one of the top (if not the top) Wish locations.
It looks like a quilt shop in Haines City donated a bunch of quilts to GKTW back in January. I wonder if they would take my quilt too. I would LOVE to donate it to them- I fell in love with GKTW and their mission when I visited and would love to help out (I would volunteer, but I'm pretty sure I would be crying my eyes out everyday which is probably not the image they want - I was lucky and went to visit with friends as a guest of the recreation director, so the family I was with did not have a sick child, though we did met one and he broke my heart. Such a sweetie, so hard to believe all that he was going though).
I am going to email them and see if they would like my quilt. Is there anyone else in Central Florida (or anywhere) who would like to send a quilt to them?
Sounds like it will be fine. That's how all my quilts have been finished, and they've been able to handle my two destructive children.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure about donating in your area, but I bet the Children's Hospital would take it.
Yay, glad to hear you think it will be ok to donate- thank you for your help!
DeleteYour quilting would be heavy quilting. They just don't want 4-6 inches between line quilting so it holds up better. As long as you've sewn it really well by hand it will hold. We have handmade quilts from my great grandma where the fabric is getting holes but the hand quilting is still holding. I'm a nervous nellie too but a child would love your quilt.
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear I am not the only nervous nellie :) I would just hate to disappoint a child. Sounds like I will be ok though- thank you for your input!
DeleteIt looks awesome! I think if you run over the binding with the machine it will be good to go. I donate to Quilts for Kids and if you find your local chapter, you can send it there and it will be sure to go to a kid in need locally. You can also donate to a shelter that specializes in moms with kids. It could be warmth to an entire family!
ReplyDeleteOh, thank you! I will look up Quilts for Kids and see what I can find down here.
DeleteI'm sure any child would be delighted with this quilt - your own someday child, or the recipient of a donation. The loopy quilting certainly qualifies as heavily quilted enough to hold up for a child's quilt. If you're concerned about the binding, you can always machine stitch in the ditch from the front, which should catch the back of the binding securely. Good job, and congrats on your finish!
ReplyDeleteThank you for your input and suggestion. I hadn't even thought to run the binding through the machine until you and Melissa (above) suggested it. Another reason to love blogging and the quilting community!
DeleteWhat a great quilt - and what a generous donation!!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on this finish! Your idea to send it to the foundation sounds wonderful!!!
ReplyDeleteI am sure they will love the quilt as we do!
Esther
esthersipatchandquilt at yahoo dot com
Ipatchandquilt dot wordpress dot com
Thank you! Surprisingly I have not heard back from GKTW. Looks like I may be sending this to another charity instead.
Deletehttp://www.projectlinus.org/
ReplyDeleteCheck the website for chapters in your area? Our local quilt guild collects for them and I have it on good authority ( my daughter in law's sister is a hospital nurse ) that patients Love getting quilts, and blankets of all handmade kinds.
Oh, thank you! GKTW has not gotten back to me, so I will definately check out Project Linus.
Delete