THE SHORT ANSWER: We gladly accept ANY AND ALL ITEMS related to quilting, sewing, needlework of any type, and any craft related items.

However, since we are not a registered charity organization, we are not able to provide receipts for any form of tax deduction.

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PLEASE NOTE: Effective immediately, some portion of your donations, in part or whole may be used in fundraising efforts to help defray the costs of supporting this website. By sending your donations you are giving permission for such use without restriction.

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ALL FABRICS ACCEPTED. Especially Sewing or Quilting Fabric (love those 'uglies'), flannel, fleece, & cotton batting or cotton batting scraps. Cotton fabric scraps measuring a minimum of 1-1/2" in width or 2" square. All other fabrics of any size or amount. Partially finished, or imperfect quilts, quilt tops, quilt blocks, sewing projects, etc.

Please send all Polyester Batting (4oz or less) to: Quilts From Caring Hands.

Whenever possible, PLEASE LABEL all non-cotton fabrics, wools, polys, blends, etc. to help me direct fabric easily to senior, sewing and other charity projects. (This step is not required, but is certainly appreciated!)

Sewing, Craft, & Quilt notions, patterns, magazines, books, trims, thread, etc.

Craft and needlework supplies or projects no longer of interest to you.

Yarn, knitting or crochet supplies, projects, books, patterns, hooks/needles, etc.

Books, magazines etc. related to Quilting, Sewing, Needlework, and Crafts.

What Is a "UFO"?
A UFO in quilter’s terms is an ‘UnFinished Object' and in this case is one that is not likely to be finished by its owner for various reasons.

What is the UFO-rphanage?
The UFO-rphanage was founded in the fall of 1996 by Laura Starr to make a home for all of your unwanted, no longer of interest, quilt or sewing related things. It was inspired by seeing so many fellow quilters asking what they could do with perfectly good "cast-offs" so they did not have to feel guilty about not using or completing them. The UFO-rphanage takes these items, finishes or re-designs them, or simply passes them along to others who might not otherwise be able to afford supplies to enjoy the craft, to finish. In this process, they all go to good homes!

Is it a money making venture?
No, not at all. Quilting is one of the primary forms of creative expression for those involved in it (most on a fixed income). It is something we do to bring joy to friends, family and strangers, and to make a difference in our communities. For our work to continue to be a joy, and not become a job, or a chore, or an obligation, we have chosen not to seek non-profit tax status. While is is a good thing to keep the joy in our work, it is unfortunate for those who simply must have a receipt in order to donate.

Why don't you have a photo gallery of projects?
There are two primary reasons...
This site has to pay for its bandwidth, and as a volunteer based organization, we need to keep costs to a minimum. Also, many quilters who donate items want to retain their own privacy and anonymity or for some reason don't want to be associated with a donation for one reason or another. Although many projects are disassembled and reassembled with pieces from other projects, it simply becomes too difficult to keep up with which parts are okay to show and which are not. In order to protect the privacy of those who wish it, we made an across the board decision not to have photos of finished quilts or other projects that contain any donation blocks or parts.

What happens to the donations?
They are oohed and aahhhed over many times, and then sorted and designated. Many donations are passed along to partner groups that have more resources to help get them made into finished pieces. Other donations are planned into a quilt or other suitable project. We machine piece and machine quilt, and donate to women's shelters, senior centers, quilts for kids projects, the Pine Ridge Reservation project, churches, or any other good cause we run across in the course of daily living. Nothing goes unused, or unappreciated. We find a way to put everything to use somehow or other. Some projects or organizations that have received donations, supplies, and finished items include:

Little Sisters of Mercy	Three chapters of 4-H
Girl Scout & Brownie Troops	County Relief Programs
Senior Stitchers Group	Nursing & Convalescent Homes
County kids programs	Quilts for Kids Programs
Local School Plays & Events	Local Seniors

PLEASE NOTE: Effective immediately, some portion of your donations, in part or whole may be used in fundraising efforts to help defray the costs of supporting this website. By sending your donations you are giving permission for such use without restriction.

E-mail Niki & UFO-rphanage for Quilters

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