Benefit Quilts
Part of our mission as a non-profit group is to make quilts for charities. We provide quilts to the following organizations:
- Welcome Baby needs baby quilts, dimensions at least 40" x 40" for a square quilt and at least 40" x 46" for a rectangular quilt. Baby quilts that are larger than the minimum sizes are always appreciated.
- REACH Beyond Domestic Violence needs quilts for twin beds (70" x 85") and baby quilts (36" x 45").
- Tufts Medical Center Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Would love 48" x 53" but will take any size.
Handout for Jan. 2021 meeting. Benefit Quilt directions for Disappearing 4 Patch (pdf)
Handout for Jan. 2021 meeting. Benefit Quilt directions for 4 Patch Baby Quilt (pdf)
General Guidelines for Making Quilts
The color, pattern, and design choices are up to you! Use 100% cotton fabric (this includes flannels). Please do not use metallic fabrics in any baby quilts. It's fine to use metallic fabrics in quilts for teens and adults. Batting can be polyester or cotton. Quilts need to be machine quilted so they last a long time and hold up to numerous washings. We have a large stash of donated fabric that you can use for benefit quilts. To pick up fabric or a project kit, please visit the benefit quilt table at the monthly guild meeting, attend an in-person benefit quilt session, or contact the benefit quilts team (see contact info below). Whatever you make, it will be appreciated. Do what you feel comfortable with, and have fun.
Donations
We depend on donations of fabric to make our benefit quilts.
We gratefully accept donations of quilt shop quality 100% cotton fabrics. We cannot accept scraps, home dec or other heavyweight fabric, or used fabric (such as costumes, clothing, curtains and so on). All fabric must be clean and odorless.
Guild Meeting
Every year at one guild meeting the Benefit Quilt Committee runs an evening workshop to make quilt tops for our charities. The committee provides the fabric and the pattern. Members work in teams to cut and sew blocks and assemble tops for one of our three designated charities.
Benefit Quilt Bee
Each month the Benefit Quilts Team sends an invitation to members. The invitation may be to a session to drop off or pick up benefit quilt items like kits, completed quilt tops, completed backs, tops and backs to be quilted, etc. Or, it may be an invitation to an open sewing bee, where the committee provides fabric, simple patterns and pre-selected projects, and everyone has a chance to sew, cut fabric, iron, apply binding, or work on a benefit quilt project of your own. The invitation will provide the details about date, time, and location.
Other ways to participate
- Make a quilt on your own (and don't forget to bring it to Show & Tell!)
- Become a foster parent to a quilt top, and finish quilting & binding
- Hand-sew bindings
- Hand-sew quilt labels
- Share easy quilt patterns with members
- Donate coordinated fabric from quilt projects you bought but never started
- Help arrange benefit quilts at show
Long Arm Quilting
Thanks to Louise Rains' generosity, we meet at Burlington Electric Quilting once a year to quilt our tops, in the early-summer. The batting is donated by the committee and the Sewatorium Sisters. Louise gives us the thread and her expert supervision. These marathons last all day. Individuals and bees who want to quilt their own projects need to let us know what they're bringing so we can build the schedule.
Throughout the year, there are benefit quilt tops and matching backs at Burlington Electric Quilting all ready to quilt. If you want to practice up before starting on an heirloom or a wedding present, please feel free to tackle one of ours. The batting and thread are donated. You must pay for machine rental.
Benefit Quilts at the Quilt Show
Benefit quilts made during the year are on display at the annual quilt show. Drop your quilt off at the show any time before Saturday afternoon. We present them to the charities at the end of the show.
RSQ Benefit Quilt Patterns
- a basic rail fence (pdf)
- our split rail fence (2011 benefit workshop) (pdf)
- our 4-patch (2013 benefit workshop) (pdf)
- basketweave (2014 benefit workshop) (pdf)
- house block
- and patchwork of simple squares is always great!
Resources for quilt patterns on the web
- MaryQuilts.com Mary Johnson's clear, easy to follow directions for donation quilts.
- For string quilt inspiration and instructions.
- A comprehensive site with instructions for quilt blocks
- Bonnie Hunter's wonderful website full of patterns and info and her Scrap User's System
- For inspiration, and a handy chart on making "jelly-roll" quilts
- More benefit quilt patterns
Contact info: benefit-quilts@lists.risingstarquilters.org