When I start a new quilt project, it’s always for my pleasure. I work with the fabrics and design of my choosing. After all, making a quilt is a time commitment, and I want to tackle the projects that will bring me joy with the limited time I have to dedicate to this hobby.
Friends and family members have suggested over the years that I try to sell my quilts. I never do—I won’t recoup the investment of time and money I put into a project. Instead, I gift about 75 percent of the quilts I make. The rest live here at From Bolt to Beauty world headquarters with me and my family.
But recently, I gifted a quilt and raised money with it. I donated my quilt Grape Fizz to an
Instagram fund-raiser to benefit various organizations that fight
racism. This event, hosted by Mathew of Mister Domestic and Amber of Alderwood Studio, wrapped up last week, and my quilt sold for $450!
I made Grape Fizz back in 2016 and 2017, and after being displayed at MQX in 2018, it has been awaiting the perfect recipient. This fund-raiser was just that! I’m thrilled that it’s now at its new home in California and the Equal Justice Initiative received a substantial donation as a result. : )
I on occasion donate quilts—especially baby quilts—to organizations that get them in the hands of someone who needs them. My quilt guild, however, has donated multiple quilts to auctions. One in particular caused a bidding war and sold for a few thousand dollars. Others weren’t quite as successful. (I’m convinced that has nothing to do with the quilts that were donated but was an issue of marketing and getting the opportunity in front of the right eyes.)
If you have experience with donating to or running quilt auctions—online or in person—please share it with the rest of us in the comments below.
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I agree that getting the right audience together for an auction makes a huge difference in the outcome. Unfortunately, I don't have any great experiences to share other than I am also glad I donated a quilt for the auction you mention here and my quilt went away in return for a nice contribution to the NAACP.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations! That's fantastic! I love Grape Fizz and I loved Amy's Icy Waters.
ReplyDeleteThat auction was amazing! Getting the right audience definitely feels more important in terms of how much money will be raised. You need people with disposable income and a willingness to spend, or not much can be raised no matter how beautiful the items up for auction :)
ReplyDeleteWow, your quilt deserved the price, and it's so great to be part of this great auction!
ReplyDeleteVery pretty, and well worth it. I totally agree that it depends on the marketing and the right audience
ReplyDeleteI saw on instagram you were donating Grape Fizz. I am happy to hear it found a good home and a great organization benefited.
ReplyDeleteThat auction was fantastic. I watched as the number of items grew and the bidding progressed. I donated two items. One was a fat quarter bundle of prints by Sharon Holland. The other was a $75 gift cert to the shop. It was interesting to watch the bidding as the items were side by side in the auction. Both items went for $125 but the bundle only had a value of $35. I found the whole thing really interesting. But overall, the auction was a HUGE success and raised tons of money for the right cause. The quilts were gorgeous and the other items so much fun. I bid for a while but everything was quickly bid out of my budget range. :-)
ReplyDeleteHi Michelle! I can easily see why Grape Fizz fetched a $450 price. It truly is a work of art. I'm so glad it found its final home where it will be appreciated and the funds went to a great cause. {{Hugs}} ~smile~ Roseanne
ReplyDeleteWorld headquarters... I ♥ that! That's an amazing amount of money that was fundraised. Marketing and the right audience is definitely key to a good auction.
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