Homemade Hugs: How Quilters Can Give Back

With the holiday season coming up, many quilters are looking for ways to help others. Quilts and other handcrafted items are wonderful gifts for people in need, and you don’t need to wait for the holidays to start working on a beautiful, warm quilt to donate to charity. By simply doing what you love, you can help to keep a sick patient warm, provide a comfort item to an abused child, or honor a combat veteran. We’ve compiled this handy list of opportunities to give back during the upcoming holiday season and all year round.

Project Linus – http://www.projectlinus.org/

Remember Linus, the Peanuts character who never went anywhere without his blanket? So do the folks at Project Linus, an organization that provides handmade blankets to children, from babies to teenagers, who are seriously ill, victims of abuse, or who are otherwise in need of comfort. In addition to completed blankets, Project Linus also accepts donations of money or materials. Because these blankets are often used in hospitals and other environments where there are very sick people, the blankets need to be free of contaminants such as cigarette smoke or strong-smelling detergents.

Binky Patrol – http://www.binkypatrol.org/

Binky Patrol is another lovely organization that provides blankets to children in need. Whether they are tiny babies who were born HIV-positive or teenagers in foster care, Binky Patrol is there to help with a handmade blanket to provide warmth and comfort. Crocheted, knitted, and fleece blankets as well as quilts are accepted and passed on.

Quilts of Valor - http://www.qovf.org/

The Quilts of Valor Foundation provides quilts to soldiers who have been touched by war. Some of these veterans have been wounded physically, and others emotionally. A beautiful handmade quilt is a wonderful way to show these veterans that their sacrifices are appreciated and valued. Each quilt should be made from quality materials (and should be quilted, not tied) and will carry a customized label featuring the names of both the quilter and the recipient. Check out their guidelines at http://www.qovf.org/content/new-to-qov.html for more information on how you can use your crafting skills to show your appreciation to a wounded combat veteran.

Quilts For Kids – http://www.quiltsforkids.org/

Another organization that provides quilts for children in need, Quilts For Kids even supplies kits for you to assemble so that you can be sure your quilt meets their regulations. Because many of these quilts go to children with respiratory problems, it’s important to use only new fabrics because of the risk of lint or other contaminants. By crafting a quilt from the kit, you can be sure that your work will comfort a child in need.

The 1 Million Pillowcase Challenge – http://www.allpeoplequilt.com/millionpillowcases/

American Patchwork & Quilting is sponsoring a challenge to all crafters to donate one million pillowcases to various local charities. Most organizations prefer 100% cotton fabric, but check with your local charity to see what their guidelines are. By signing up on the website, you can report how many pillowcases you have donated toward the goal of one million.

In addition to the organizations listed here, there are countless ways that quilters can give back, not just during the holiday season but all year round! It’s always a great idea to check with the local hospital, especially the maternity ward and NICU. New babies, especially the ones who have a rough start in life, can always use some extra love in the form of a handmade quilt. Although it is heartbreaking, blankets can even be made for babies who were stillborn.

If you’re a member of a church, check to see if your congregation has a quilting group. Prayer quilts are very popular, with a prayer going into every knot in the quilt. When given to someone in special need of prayer – someone who is ill, homeless, or otherwise in great need – this is a very powerful source of comfort.

Whether you’re donating a fully completed quilt or the materials or money required for other people to make them, quilters and other crafters have an excellent method of making life a little better for people in need. A quick Google search for “quilting charities” or “sewing charities” will turn up a wealth of local and national opportunities to give, and don’t forget to call your local churches and hospitals as well. By doing what you love, you have a golden opportunity to brighten someone’s life. After all, a quilt is a homemade hug that wraps people in love.