Quilts for Kids: From Stash to Snuggle

Quilters are known for building up their fabric stash any way they can, from shopping at local quilt shops to taking in “orphan” stashes from people and places who are giving it away. We never want to see good fabric go to waste.

Interior designer Linda Arye had the same thought when, on a visit to the Design Center in Philadelphia, she noticed a showroom filled with large trash bags of fabric samples being thrown out.

But she didn’t want the fabric for herself; she saw a way to use the fabric to help children in need by using the cotton fabrics to make quilts for children in need.

“My own daughter, Mollie, was hospitalized with a life threatening illness and didn’t have anything to hold onto while she was scared. Her stuffed animal had ‘allergen issues,’ so wasn’t allowed.

“I wanted to make a difference in the lives of children in need, and keeping fabric from landfill and repurposing it into quilts that comfort children made sense,” says Linda in a profile on the Timeless Treasures website.

From this idea, Linda created the Quilts for Kids charity. To date, hundreds of thousands of children have received handmade patchwork quilts from the organization, and millions of pounds of fabric samples have been kept from landfill and repurposed.

The quilting community has helped the cause: Our sister brand, Fons & Porter, has encouraged participation in the Quilts for Kids program and Timeless Treasures has paired with Quilts for Kids to create brightly colored fabrics that appeal to children, among others.

At Keepsake Quilting, we carry several quilt patterns designated with the Quilts for Kids logo, meaning the pattern adheres the organization’s requirements. Favorites include the Carter Lake pattern, the Pixie Sticks pattern, the Shadow Boxes pattern, and the Teething Rings pattern.

There are many organizations to which you can donate quilts (or fabric to make quilts), and Quilts for Kids is just one. But it may be the one for you or someone you love!

Please visit the Quits for Kids website and if you’re looking for kids quilt patterns—we have them!