I would call them quilt snobs

Just a question on the double knit fabric. I haven't done much quilting, but did get a box of double knit fabric cut up in strips for a quilt or two . What do you use in the middle and back , as the fabric is quite a bit heavier than the cotton fabric? Would you use flannel on the back and no batting or just us batting and a cotton on the back? thanks myra

I would not make charity quilts for that guild.

It's one thing to ask that quality be good 100% cotton however telling folks where to buy is not their place to tell you so.

I'd recommend you buy where you want, make the quilts,and donate them yourself if they won't accept yours.

I belong currently to two guilds and one of them we have been told recently to patronize a LQS and a member of the guild who has a studio and sells AccuQuilt machines and dies. We pretty much told her to KOAS and that we would purchase our fabrics and AccuQuilt machines where we wanted to.

Personally with both guilds I'll do certain things for them but handing them quilts is not one of them to donate to whoever. I help them in other ways.

Personally I make charity quilts but I chose the fabrics I want to use and I make contact myself with organizations I want to donate them to.

No guild has any right to dictate where we buy our fabrics as long as it is good quality 100% cotton. And I can understand that part of it. Personally I feel we should make charity quilts of the quality we ourselves would like to receive.

I just finished cutting 1200 charm squares for one of the guilds and I have to say a bit of the fabric donated was awful to the point of being able to see light through the fabric. To me if I can put my hand behind the fabric and see it is not good qualty fabric. Fortunately only about 1% of it was like that. I still cut it and will let them decide if they want to use it or not.

was at the local wholesake fabric company today and they had bundles of Thimbleberries for 1.75 per yd.
I have fabric to send out if one can pay shipping. pvt me

most of our fabric is bought at rummage sales or at auctions. Got more coming.

Maybe this whole topic is a sensitive one for me, but I will not make a quilt to donate made of fabric I wouldn't use on a gift quilt. 'Charity' does not mean 'ugly, cheap, thrown together with whatever is left over, who cares'. I don't differentiate between types of receivers, known to me or strangers. I trly to learn something from every quilt I have the joy to make.

This being said, unless there was a really good reason for it, I don't think I would appreciate being told where to buy my fabric.

My guild uses any thing they can i always buy on sale

I can see why they may suggest you, the group,give the lqs some business, to support them. The lqs does give some support to our local quild however to suggest you buy everything there or to be told to is a bit much. Personally, when I make charity quilts, it is often fabric from my stash, or fabric that was given to me or clearance material otherwise I couldn't afford to make as many as I do.

I do agree, use good quality fabric in whatever we do! I don't think there is any place for the chinzy cheap fabric in quilts. If you can see thru them, put them in a bin to make dog beds.

I would not feel comfortable in a guild where they TELL me where to buy. On the other hand I would not feel comfortable making a charity quilt of fabric I didn't feel was of good enough quality to use in my own quilts.

I think they should be grateful that you make them and donate them. I think you s/b able to buy your fabric wherever you like and as long as it is decent if they don't want them donate to someone else they will see someone who needs it gets it. Sue

I agree with you. one should not dictate where the fabric comes from as long as it meets the quality standards of the organization where the finished quilts are going. I was fortunate to be able to get fabric from one of the major manufacturers before they closed their warehouse near here and at a very good price. So I loaded up for the future.
I have been using it for my own charity quilts and sharing with many here on the board. It is not all LQS quality but certainly good enough for the chairity quilts (do you read into this big box store). Although they also had the LQS quality as well. If I were you I would ask why they specify the certain stores. There may be something underfoot going on there. On the other hand why pay $12.00 per yd for fabric that is going to be dragged around on a dirty floor. The other gets just as dirty and lasts just as long. One time I sent a box to a quild in South Florida and there happened to be some blends in the box. The guild would only pay shipping for the portion that was 100% cotton. What stuck up people. Who did they think the quilts went to in South Florida.

I love the independent attitudes of the quilters who have replied and agree wholeheartedly. My opinion is that we should use fabrics for charity quilts that we would find acceptable for use for ourselves.

Personally, I tend to shop at the LQS more than any other place but have stocked up on good finds in the clearance room at 1/2 price for planned charity quilting which ends up to be less expensive than most other retailers. Of course the selection is hit or miss.

I did find a local retailer with very inexpensive quilting cottons, many made by the same manufacturers that I often see at the LQS. Last time I was there, the price was 1.99 to 2.99 a yard and they had a really nice selection of kid-type prints. Mixed reviews on customer service though they've always been pleasant when I've been there. In the Boston area.
http://sewfisticated.com/

My Guild also. We have a large community outreach program that makes quilts and pillowcases and most of the fabrics we use are donated. Many of the fabrics were bought at LQS, online or even Joann's but we all have been quilting for some time and can weed out the fabrics that aren't worthy of being used in a quilt.

I stock up with good quality fabrics when I'm in Lancaster PA and the half priced ones at LQS, these fabrics are used for my own quilts and the pillowcases and charity quilts I make for my guild and several other groups.

cmw0829 wrote "I did find a local retailer with very inexpensive quilting cottons, many made by the same manufacturers that I often see at the LQS. Last time I was there, the price was 1.99 to 2.99 a yard and they had a really nice selection of kid-type prints. Mixed reviews on customer service though they've always been pleasant when I've been there. In the Boston area. http://sewfisticated.com/

Thanks so much for this site. Will stop at one of the shops next time we visit family in Rockland. I miss the Fabric Place shops where I could get quilting and decorating fabrics at good prices. May in Jersey

Oh how I miss The Fabric Place. One year, when my DS was still young enough (9ish) to wear mommy-made clothes, I bought a ton of remnants and made him a shorts and t-shirt summer wardrobe on my serger. That was before I started quilting but remember the rows and rows of cotton fabrics.

I've only been to Sewfisticated's Dorchester store. The Framingham store is in the old Fabric Place building. I suspect that's where they have the home-dec fabrics because there isn't much in Dorchester.

I've met those people before...cousins to quilt police. When I was in a quilt group, one of the ladies even made them out polyester which is actually way better than it sounds. That's all she could afford and picked up a lot at garage sales and I said more power to her! They were well done and was happy for each contribution. Some of the other ladies were almost competing for biggest and best which seemed almost inappropriate for kids. Your local quilt shop may offer good discounts if you are a bonafide guild. Also, buying good brands is important and most well established stores carry those and not the cheap stuff.

Face it, the LQS is not the one and only source of quality material for quilt making. Bonnie Hunter makes show quilts out of mens shirts from places like Goodwill and thrift stores or out of closets. Easy enough to pick out the 100% cotton ones. I would use them for a quilt for husband or sons.

I got hundreds of yards of properly stored 1970 vintage cottons at a garage sale once. Fabric was still on bolt, kept out of sun, and strong. Who is to tell me not to use it for lovely charity quilts and their backs?

It is up to each of us who use a variety of fabric to sort and determine what is a quality cotton of whatever vintage and would make a useful and lovely quilt. I got bags and bags from a previous quilter and went thru each piece to ensure it was useable. I like to sort and iron at the same time.

Let those who want LQS specific fabrics join their groups and those of us with more creativity and flexibility join their own.

I feel the same way. I try to do my best on each & every quilt I make... the best fabric I can afford, the nicest pattern I can find, the best workmanship I can do. The end receipiant (SP?) doesn't figure in for me.

I question the dictating of where to purchase fabrics for anything --- as far as i know it is my dollars and my choice. I have been fortunate to get a bit of a discount for charitable work, but that is not the deciding factor where I purchase. That said, the type of fabrics for donation quilts depends on where it is going --- Children's Hospitals have specific requirements and I check before making. I have also found that cotton holds up well to children and animals and is washable. So, good quality cotton with a cotton batting --- in case of the unimaginable fire situation, cotton chars and falls away not melts into bodies. I also try to avoid using flannel for that reason. I remember using a quilt with an old wool blanket that was the batting to put out a fire when my son was at the exploring age. Thank God that the person who made the quilt used good quality (even if recycled) fabrics.

I buy from Wal Mart, Joann and Hancocks and lots of people know I do charity quilts and they give me scraps and fabric....no one has complained yet.....they are for warmth not to put in a show.

I buy mines at Hancock and Hobby Lobby that is on sale and with coupons. I don't belong to a guild. I can't afford to by expensive fabric to make stuff for my family. Hope this is not mean. But hobby lobby and Hancock have good quality fabric.

I would be willing to put up some of my INEXPENSIVE fabrics against some of my MORE EXPENSIVE fabrics any day.

In fact, I prefer the feel of some of the less costly ones to a couple of the more expensive ones.

If I were blindfolded, and just went by 'feel' - I would not be able to tell which was which.

That said - there are some less desirable fabrics available - and I just don't buy them - not now, anyway.

I would not make quilts for that group. They could go fly kites or something!!!

Fortunately, I have enough fabric in my stash so I can go "shopping" in my sewing room. I agree that charity quilts shoud be made with decent fabric as should ALL quilts. However, nobody is going to tell me WHERE I must buy this fabric. I think it is a good idea to SUGGEST supporting the LQS, but demanding it sounds outrageous to me. This guild would not get my support, and if the LQS is associated with this plan, then neither would they.