The Quilt SOS project’s aim is to co-ordinate the sewing and donation of lots of beautiful quilts so that we can give women and children, in times of need, something beautiful to treasure. Previous years have supported the charities of ‘SOS Children’s Villages’, ‘Hestia’, ‘The Nelson Trust’ and ‘GARAS’ (Gloucestershire Action for Refugees and Asylum Seekers) with over 380 handcrafted, unique and cosy bedspreads which the recipients will treasure for years to come.
In 2023, we are coordinating the project in partnership again with the wonderful charity GARAS (Gloucestershire Action for Refugees and Asylum Seekers) This is a well established Gloucestershire based charity that work closely with their clients to give a long-term positive outcome for their lives.
Alice says “I am thrilled to be able to support this Gloucestershire based charity once again with our Quilt SOS project this year. GARAS do wonderful work to support people in times of crisis and the quilts our customers make will bring comfort to people’s lives. We will be delivering the quilts personally to GARAS who will ensure that the quilts reach specific families in their new homes. Many of the wonderful quilters who take part in the project have done so since the start – they love to sew and especially for a good cause. I hugely value their time and effort put into supporting our project. And the quilts we receive from them are all stunning. We would love to hear from anyone else who would like to take part.”
You can find out more about GARAS from their website here:
www.garas.org.uk
Where will the quilts be going?
The quilts will be heading off to the women and children later on this year. The quilts will be provided for specific families that have been granted asylum in the UK. These families will be relocating to homes set up by GARAS and they will be provided with the basics that they need for their new lives. We are delighted to be able to give these families a more comforting and luxurious quilt for them to brighten their new homes and to keep forever.
2023 – How it works
All SOS quilts must be received by Friday December 1st 2023.
We are delighted to offer an electronic gift voucher of £30.00 to any UK-based customer who makes their quilt with a Quilt SOS fat quarter pack (option 1 below). We are unable to guarantee a voucher for overseas quilters due to import charges that are often imposed when we receive a quilt from outside the UK. Please contact us before starting your quilt if you are not based in the UK, so we can find out the likely customs implications of receiving a quilt from your country.
This year, there are two ways of sourcing the materials for your quilt:
Option 1
Make a single-size quilt using one of our Tana Quilt SOS fat quarter packs. Each pack includes enough Liberty Tana Lawn fabric for the quilt top, which you can mix in with your own binding and backing. There are several different packs to choose from.
Send it to us including a submission form (see below).
After we receive your quilt we will send you a gift voucher for spending in our shop (online).
Option 2
Make a single-sized quilt with your own fabric, either Liberty or other brands, as you wish. If purchasing fabric for your entire quilt top, you will need about 16 fat quarters from a 110cm wide roll (e.g. quilting cottons), or 13 fat quarters from a 137cm wide roll (e.g. tana lawn).
Send it to us including a submission form (see below).
You can make more than one quilt if you like, and mix and match the different options above, just make sure each quilt includes its own submission form so that we can keep track of who has made what.
Postage
You will need to meet the cost to post your quilt to us before the deadline. We recommend that you use a tracked and insured service for your peace of mind.
Quilt size required
In inches: width: 51 to 54″; length: 80 to 90″.
In centimetres: width: 129 to 137cm; Length: 205cm to 228cm.
Don’t worry if your planned quilt is a different size to this. This is just a guide.
The Thank You Gift Voucher
The gift voucher code will be emailed to you within one week of receiving your finished quilt. It is valid for 12 months from the final submission deadline.
To use it, shop on our site as normal, and enter the gift voucher code when you see “Have a gift card?” on the Shopping Cart page. You can use the voucher for full or part-payment of a new order, including postage.
Submission Form – you can find the submission form here for you to print at home and send with your quilt.
Top tips
The children and their families love receiving quilts which included a personalised message embroidered or printed on the corner, such as “made with love, from me to you”.
We need quilts to suit a variety of ages and tastes. We do not know who will be at the houses at the time of delivery later on this year but the quilts will be given to women, boys and girls of all ages.
Take a look at my Pinterest board for inspiration about the quilt design.
There is no need to pre-wash Liberty Tana lawn or quilting cotton before sewing, but other fabric manufacturers, often recommend pre-washing their fabrics. It won’t do any harm to pre-wash all fabrics if you are making a mixed-brand fabric quilt top.
Wadding can be purchased from your preferred supplier. One of our favourite brands of wadding, which has a nice “vintage” handle and drape, is Hobbs Heirloom. This is an 80% cotton, 20% polyester mix and will be available very soon in our Haberdashery section.
Thank you for your interest in our Quilt SOS project. We are really excited about running this valued project once again.