Here's the Coins quilt I quilted yesterday - if you click on the photo to enlarge you should be able to see the pantograph design mentioned in the last post.
Hopefully I won't offend anyone with this next comment but I've been watching the Quilt Pink auctions on eBay. You may remember I purchased this quilt in the beginning of the auction and I made and donated the quilt pictured below.They received over 4000 quilts for auction and after seeing how low some of the quilts are being let go for, I've been watching pretty closely for mine. It appears that most of the quilts go up for bid at $150 but if they don't get bid on, they then go to a Buy it Now status for anywhere from $40 - $150. I think it depends on how long they've been up for auction.
I decided that I wasn't going to let my quilt go for less than $150 and that I'd purchase it myself at the end of the initial auction period if it hadn't been bid on. Well - no bids so I just purchased it which is fine because the money goes to Komen for the Cure which is an organization I strongly support.
My personal opinion is that they need to look at this process for next year - I think they tried to auction too many quilts and I'd rather my quilt be given to a breast cancer patient than be sold to someone on eBay for $60.
I will NOT be sending another quilt in for auction but I will certainly bid on one to support the cause. I WILL be making and donating quilts that go directly to people in need or going through difficult times.
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19 comments:
Love the texture of the new panto. I completely agree with you about Quilt Pink. I remember when that started here and the LQS made several quilts for this. I though that if every shop or quilt group did this that there would be waayyyy too many pink quilts! I guess that's what happened. I agree, the process needs to be revised and I suspect it will. I can't even imagine what an administrative nightmare that was for the people organizing it.
I don't blame you one little bit! Your quilt is way too cute to go for next to nothing. I went to a mystery quilt retreat and we all made gifty baskets to be auctioned off for breast cancer. When mine, with a value of $60 was going for $15, I bought it myself. No sense it going to waste!
You do so many wonderful things for others, you needn't feel any guilt for picking and choosing.
I agree totally with you about the quilt pink auctions. Hopefully they will revise their policies. In the meantime though, you're right...it's better give the quilt to a breast cancer patient, rather than just give it away to someone who lowball bids on it.
And on the chinese coins...that panto is perfect for it...but....is it upside down?? or is it me; I pictured the "frogs" going the other way.
I understand completely. I have an agreement with my friend. If something happens to me, she knows to GIVE my sewing machinet to someone who will USE and and enjoy it, than let it be sold at a yard sale for $5.
Mary that quilt is simply lovely and I'm glad you were able to buy it back. I also believe the quilts should not go for less than $150.00. However, I do think the economy is playing a role in what people have to spend. Personally, if I still worked in Atlanta and had to buy gas 2 to 3 times a week, I would not have been able to buy groceries or pay the electric bill. I'm so glad I work from home and have more time to visit wonderful blogs like yours. Thanks for sharing Mary and have a safe trip.
I think someone needs to work out the priorities- if it is raising money it would be far better to donate the cost of the materials rather than sell the finished quilts for so little money. If that happened to my quilt I'd rather have it donated to a cancer patient who it would mean something to. It's just silly to donate your time and material and get less for the cause in the end.
Seems like there should be an option on the form: If your quilt doesn't sell for xxx amount, would you prefer it be donated to a cancer patient. or something along those lines. glad you got your quilt back!
I don't even remember hearing about the auction - another problem with the process... I really like your quilt!
Unfortunately the value of quilts has been so lowered by Denise Schmidt. Pottery Barn and others who sell "hand quilted" quilts for $50 all sizes and say they are sewn by Amish women when we really know they paid some poor woman in Thailand $2.00 to hand quilt it! People have no sense of what labor and materials cost these days and therefore expect to get a completed quilt for $50.
I think you found a perfect solution to giving to the cause and participating that works for you! PS:LOVE the new quilting design!
I agree with you wholeheartedly. True ANY money made goes to the cause, but when it is less than the raw materials cost it is not worth it. It would be better to just donate the cost of the materials right to the Komen for the Cure organization.
You might also consider donating the quilt to a local cancer treatment facility and have them raffle it off. Our quilt group did that to raise money for a local facility and all the tickets sold ended up earning over $1000 which was greatly appreciated. It paid for a number of free mammograms for women who could not afford them. We don't know, but it could have saved someone's life with early detection.
I've kept an eye on the Quilt Pink quilts at e-Bay ~ and I, too, have been disgusted at the low selling prices. I heartily second Tonya's suggestion for an option to donate directly or return to sender if a particular quilt is not sold for $XXX.00.
When the market is saturated, prices are going to be lower...Econ 101. That being said I can totally relate to your disappointment of donating a generous thing like a quilt, only to see it go for pennies on the dollar. One year a quilt I coordinated and assembled went for over $500 in a silent auction. The following year at the same event for the same organization a prettier quilt (IMHO) went for a little over $100. Had I known, I would have bought it back. This past year I switched organizations. A quilt I contributed to went for $750 in a live auction....proceeds to our local children's hospital. We're working on another one now. =)
I think Tonya's solution is a good one. I'm much more inclined to give a quilt to a person in need than sell it for next to nothing to someone looking for a good deal.
Love your Quilt Pink quilt :)
Mary I second your opinion! That is sad that they had over 4000 quilts donated for a great cause and a great opportunity to raise MEGA funds for their organization but they are letting them sell for so very little!
Everyone looses... the charity organization, the quilt makers, the quilt stores (several I know providedthe quilting, and even the fabri manufactures.... the fabric I used to make my block was provided by my LQS who said MODA provided it to them... so many people are involved when you think about it and to think we all donated our time and talent for them to let them go at a "buy it now" price!? They should rething this before doing it again next year for sure!
Why didn't you make a post earlier adn alert your blog readers when your quilt pink came up for bid? I bet it wouldn't have gone into the buy it now status and you would have had a lot of bidding competition ;) Honestly, I had forgotten about the quilt pink auction. I knew about it a couple months ago when it began, but haven't checked on them in a long time.....
Thanks for bringing this up and have a great time on your trip to San Diego with Keith!
Happy Weekend! ~Bonnie in SE Texas
I've noticed that too and thought "How very sad!". I think you are right - there were just too many. Mine was put up the very first week I think, and went for $185. I was happy about that. The one our little guild collaborated on that was also made from the scrapaholic block went for $230. Made us all very happy!
Boy, I totally missed the boat on the auction in the first place---must have just climbed out from under a rock.
I don't blame you a bit, Mary and no doubt there are a lot of disappointed quilters out there who also donated their quilts hoping to raise a lot of money for the cause. Sadly, that probably translates to less quilts for next year.
Too sad that people forget that this ievebt is not the time for bargain hunting it is intended to raise monies for Komen for a Cure. Sign of the economic times perhaps.
I wondered about that auction when it first started, too. It was exciting, but I knew the prices would drop with so many to sell. Glad you got yours back.
I think I have to agree with so many other posters about the prices for the quilt pink quilts. I'm glad you got yours back and that the money will be going to a good cause. I was wondering what would happen when so many quilts were going up for auction, and the plain economics of it are that they weren't all going to be able to sell for $150 or more.
I do have to say one thing about another posters response -- while large chains charge minimally for their mass produced quilts (and no, they aren't labeled as quilted by Amish women) Denyse Schmidt's quilts hand quilted ones sell for considerably more. Last I checked on her site she was charging somewhere in the neighborhood of $6000 for a king sized hand quilted semi-custom piece. She does have a mass produced line -- made in India. Which is clearly labeled as being made there. And the LEAST expensive of those quilts is listed as $105 for a twin. And if you look at the design -- um, I wouldn't pay that much for it. And I LIKE her designs, I just know I could do something similar with my scraps for less. Yes, the difference between imports and crafter made is important to understand and most people don't -- but don't blame a quilter who is running a business that caters to BOTH markets.
I'm a little behind on reading..but have to jump in and thoroughly agree about the Quilt Pink quilts--I, too, donated one and it's up for auction in a few weeks. I had a group of friends/students who helped, and one of them wants to buy it--so it will get at least the minimum bid. But how sad, I and many other quilt shops I talked to have decided to make a quilt this year and then DONATE it to a cancer victim directly. I feel bad for the Koman organization, I don't think they expected that type of response. I hope they are at the drawing board coming up with a better idea. :)
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