Good Morning, Quilters and Quilt-Lovers!
Welcome back to Open Line Fridays!–Everyone asks and Everyone answers…
We’ve got more than 5000 experienced quilters out there and someone will be able to answer YOUR question!
This week, we have a question from sister, Pat…(she’s not just a sewing-sister, she’s one of my REAL sisters!)
Here’s Pat’s question:
“I would love to get advice about making a raffle quilt—everything from what brings the most interest(and $) related to size, design and color.
Does anyone have advice about coordinating people who are able to assist….
This could be an entire book— is there one?”
My Experience…
I chaired a group raffle for an event at our church held every Valentine’s Day.
I was a newbie quilter so, naturally, I jumped right in as The Chairman! (Mistake One)
I pulled out my quilt Bible: Quilts! Quilts!Quilts! and found a gorgeous heart appliqué quilt. (Mistakes Two and Three)
The group finished the quilt just in time for the event on Valentine’s Day weekend. (Mistake Four)
The quilt looked gorgeous hanging in the venue for the weekend! (Not a mistake!)
What I learned…
Aside from the obvious “No good deed goes unpunished…”
One-Newbies shouldn’t be Chairman–or should they?–what they lack in knowledge they make up for in enthusiasm…and there will probably be some wiser quilter to take pity on you and help clean up your mistakes–at least that’s how it worked for me–and we still are friends to this day.
Two-Know your quilters. Mine did not like appliqué! So I started uphill…
Three-Choose a quilt pattern that has broad appeal. Hearts and Airplanes eliminate half the buying audience.
Four-Complete the quilt well in advance of the raffle so there is plenty of time to sell tickets and market the quilt.
Five-Have fun! You’ll meet lots of new people and as Mom always says ” You’ll get out of it what YOU put into it…and probably a lot more!”
Experience as a Teacher
I continued as the Quilt Raffle Chairman for several more years.
The following year we did a log cabin in creams and whites. This was a great quilt block to do as a group because the inconsistent size of the quilt blocks (part of every group quilt) could be easily adjusted.
The Most Successful Quilt Financially
Surprisingly, the quilt that did the best was a White on White quilt that was elaborately hand quilted in single blocks and then assembled already quilted…Quilt as you go style. It was from a book we found…and have since lost…maybe I gave it to one of my sisters???
Marketing Your Quilt
Find someone in the group to be your marketing person. The marketer does not have to be a quilter. You will be too busy quilting to do both jobs properly and marketing is key to making your quilt a financial success. (I hate to admit it, but it may be more important than the quilting…)
Find quilt shops or local businesses that will hang it for awhile and sell tickets.
Maybe someone has a sister that has a blog that will advertise your charity’s quilt?..
This Week on Open Line Friday…
What experience do YOU have with Charity Group Quilts?
What has worked?
What didn’t turn out so well?
All Month or Any Time…
If anyone has a Charity Quilt they are working on…let us know…We’ll spread the word!
Lori
PS…All tutorials, information and images are the property of Lori Kennedy at The Inbox Jaunt and are intended for personal use only. Feel free to re-blog, pin, tweet with attribution to The Inbox Jaunt. For all other purposes, please contact me at lckennedy@hotmail.com. Thanks!