The San Diego Modern Quilt Guild is proud to support local organizations that are making a difference in people’s lives with the donation of quilts to comfort and cheer. Each trimester, our charity committee runs a drive to make and collect quilts for a selected organization. We offer varying opportunities for members to become involved with our outreach efforts.
How to Help?
- Make a block: The charity coordinator puts together packets for the group charity quilts. Get one at a meeting or contact the charity coordinator. Many group projects lend themselves to using your stash as well. See the Current Charity Drive page for the this trimester’s details.
- Quilting: There are several charity quilt tops that are in need of quilting. These are great for practicing your free motion skills or straight line quilting. Batting and backing materials are available.
- Binding: contact the charity coordinator if you’d like to bind a quilt. Binding materials are available.
- Make a whole quilt: Use your stash and get creative! Quilts of all sizes are welcome. See the list of charities we support below.
The guild keeps a small stash of batting and backing fabrics. If you’re ever in need of something to finish up a charity quilt, please send an email to sdmqgcharity@gmail.com to let Kristyn know with at least a week lead time before a meeting to have the material gathered and cut.
Finished quilt prep: All of our quilts are labeled and washed before they are donated.
- SDMQG label – you can attach that before donation or one will be sewn on if it doesn’t have one. If you are in need of a label, please contact the charity coordinator.
- Washing – If you wash your quilt before turning it in for donation, do so with unscented detergent and fabric softener (if you use that). If you don’t wash it before donating, the Charity Coordinator will do so.
- Also on the subject of labeling – please make sure to have your name in some way (painters tape, paper pinned to quilt, labeled on a bag with the quilt inside, etc) on quilts you are donating. This will ensure that your donation is recorded for both donation tracking purposes as well as for the prizes that are given at the end of the year for those that participate in the guild’s charity efforts.
The current charity drive details can be found HERE.
Past charity drives can be found HERE.
Primary Charity Efforts
Ronald McDonald House Charities of San Diego provides a “home-away-from-home” for families with children being treated for serious, often life-threatening conditions at local hospitals.
We support them by donating quilts for their welcome bags that every family receives as well as donating quilts for other needs as they arise at the House. Quilts of all sizes are accepted.
Just In Time (JIT) is a program that helps support those in San Diego County, ages 18 – 26, that have ever spent time in the foster care system. They provide various services to these individuals to help them break the cycle of foster care, become self-sufficient, and build a secure future.
We support the My First Home project, which helps to set up a first apartment and furnish that apartment for each individual. Our donation focus for this trimester is on throw and bed sized quilts.
Quilts should be throw or bed sized – 50″ x 60″ or larger.
We support Moores Cancer Center at UC San Diego Health by providing quilts for patients to use during their treatment at the center. Patients are able to keep the quilt.
Quilts should be lap/throw size – approximately 50″ x 60″ or larger.
Additional Charity Efforts
Each year, the Modern Quilt Guild has a Community Outreach Challenge quilt design challenge. Our guild’s quilt for 2026 has been designed by Elizabeth DeSilva and has been co-coordinated by Jen Collins. Block kits were handed out at the September 14, 2025 meeting. Block kits were due at the October 12, 2025 guild meeting. Elizabeth showed the guild a glimpse of the beginning stages of the piecing at the November 9, 2025 guild meeting.
The design image has been emailed to current guild members. The final quilt image will be shared to the public once it has been completed.
We accept placemats and potholders for Meals on Wheels. Items are accepted throughout the year with the intent to do a donation halfway through the year (June) and then one at the end of the year (December).
- Placemats should be approximately 12″ x 18″
- Potholders should be approximately 9″ x 9”
Instructions can be found HERE.
Guild member, Shelly Hoffman, collects gently used baby clothing, toys, quilts and blankets on behalf of the Gently Hugged organization. These items are for the baby’s first year of life. Quilts should be 30” x 34” for stroller blankets or 31”-40” wide and 35”-40” long for other quilts. No religious, holiday or sports team fabrics allowed.