What do digitizers do with their test stitch outs? I have already covered the garage door in my studio with them and I just keep producing more. Any suggestions?

I have found a solution, my mother's church has some quilters that sew for charity, so now they are all getting piled off to my mum.

When my friend was at a craft fair recently she put all of her test stitch outs into a box and sold loads at $1 each.

I use old t-shirts and then a friend of mine cuts them out and sews them on her grandbabies shirts and pants and she also sews them on to her quilts that she gives away at nursing homes. She uses some for purses that she makes for herself.
Dawn Happy Stitching!!

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Alice, you could make them into an I Spy patchwork quilt for the hosptial for the little babies or kids....you don't have to be much of a quilter just sew them altogether and attach a backing could be made into a doona cover? Or frame some of them. Perhaps someone from your church could help you if you do not quilt. Hugs Sally

I try to incorporate them into my quilts as much as I can. some are appliqued to other items like bags or dish towels.
Your Garage door must be a masterpeice! :)
From Bev

I belong to a group called The Log Cabin Angels. We make quilts for the needy with donated materials. The really nice quilts are given to charities for fund raising. I use all my successful stitch outs to make quilts for our group. They are always very popular, especially with those charities that need a continuing supply of quilts such as the Cranio- Facial unit at the Women's and Children's hospital and the Northern Domestic Violence Service as well as a lot of nursing homes.The Flying Doctor Service has also received several quilts from us to use as fund raisers.
Did you ask your church group where the money that they got from those bibs went too? They may have used the proceeds to go to a charity or used it as a fund raiser for your church.

5 comments

by fannyfurkin 01 Jan 2011

Thanks Ricky, the funds go to the church but a few people have become disconcerted as they feel that they would be better just donating the money as the group sells the items for far less than the cost of the materials. But you have given me a really good idea. We do have a lady who is a quilter at our church, she has a huge stippling machine I will contact here and see if she can incorporate them into quilts that she donates to charity.

by mpo14011 01 Jan 2011

The beauty about doing these type of quilts is that they really only need to be quilted in the ditch, which can be quite easily done on a normal sewing machine.
The quilts can be any size. Most of mine are lap quilts or quilts for kids.
I have been doing patchwork for about 15 years and still use my normal sewing machine to quilt, either free hand or in the ditch. I also do a lot of hand quilting using Perle cotton or hand embroidery cottons.

by fannyfurkin 03 Jan 2011

Ricky I don't know what "quilted in the ditch" means
Alice

by mpo14011 03 Jan 2011

Alice,do you know anything about patchwork and quilting? Would you like to learn? It would be nice if you could do a wall quilt or a lap quilt with your stitch outs. If you know basic sewing it is very easy to learn. Let me know and I will PM my e-mail address to you.
The door in your studio would look much nicer with wall quilts on them. You can make them as big or as small as you like.

by fannyfurkin 03 Jan 2011

Thanks Ricky, No I am not a quilter, I have never really been interested. I have been sewing since I was very young but I rarely feel inclined to sew much any more. My passion these days is digitizing and embroidery.

When I was first starting out I used them to make a crazy quilt. Right now I've a pile I should use or donate. Thanks for the suggestions

Lots of things to do with the stitch outs: Make greeting cards, use as a patch on clothing, cut to size and put them in a photo book to show your work, sew them to the hems of towels, show a small girl how to make doll clothes, donate to nursing homes as some of them still can want to do crafts. Lots of choices.

Oh Alice, I have the same problem, and I'm not a quilter, I even didnt know what a quilt is, until I move to Australia. I did some shopping bags, using the tests as a pocket. I'll try to sell them at the market...

I know a lady in Texas who will gladly take them! She has a group that makes quilts for nursing homes and the homeless. She has quite a group of volunteers. Her name is Sylvia Gonzales and I've sent her mine before. I'll see if I can find the link to her webpage. If you'd like her address, pm me and I will happily give it to you.
Meri

2 comments

by fannyfurkin 31 Dec 2010

Thank you for that That certainly looks like a worthy cause but I live in Australia so I may look for something closer.
Alice

by eyeztodiefor10 31 Dec 2010

Oh Alice, so sorry! I didn't realize you were so far away! ( I'm in NY). Perhaps you can inquire at your local hospital or nursing home to see if they have anyone who'd be interested in the stitchouts. Surely someone is making lap quilts for these folks.

Yes, I think the best thing to do with them is to find a group, who would make them into a quilt to raffle to raise funds for a charity or to find someone or group who would make them into a quilt for a deserving person.To find such a group ask around the people you know or keep a lookout for stories that appear in your local paper about similar groups eg pink ladies in hospitals

Alice, I see you are not a quilter and neither am I at this point - but I did send a rather large quanity of them to a quilting guild and they loved them - they gave them out to those that wanted them and I have seen a couple end up in a quilt show or two in the local area or on display at a fabric store. Hehehe! *4U

2 comments

by fannyfurkin 31 Dec 2010

I will definitely look into that, I won't give them to my church craft group though. I got very annoyed when I embroidered some really nice baby bibs and they sold them for $1 each. I was not getting any money from it but it still annoyed me because they seem t confuse a craft sale with a junk sale.

by shirlener88 31 Dec 2010

I see!

With me, they usually lay in a pile of other test stitch-outs, then they get chucked. I haven't thought of anything else.

1 comment

by fannyfurkin 31 Dec 2010

I don't think I could bear to throw them away Don.

You are just too good. I hate to say it and knock on wood but I don't usually do a stitch out. The only time I would do one is if I'm doing something for someone else. I'm not in business though. I've not had any trouble worth mentioning with a design. I'm not saying it's not a good idea to do it though. As far as the ones you've done, a bag, hot pads, quilts, donations to a woman's shelter or a sewing club.

2 comments

by fannyfurkin 31 Dec 2010

I have digitized designs that look great in the software then when they stitch they are terrible, they either get fixed or thrown away. I test everything with the exception of some small free custom jobs that I have done for other cuties.

by ramona 02 Jan 2011

Since I've read this I did do a test stitch out. It worked fine but I figured better safe than sorry. Thank you. I'm certainly going to be more careful.

If I'm doing a test for a baby towel, I sometimes make that into a bag with the same design on -child could then use it as a library bag or toy bag if it lasts that long.

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by fannyfurkin 31 Dec 2010

I really need to start thinking of those sort of things.

Quilts or Quilt Covers seem to be the best. You can also donate them to the Salvation Army or those who help the poor. Have fun putting the squares together & the warm feeling you get when donating your goods.

2 comments

by fannyfurkin 31 Dec 2010

I do like the idea of donating them to charity. I am not much of a quilter though, I don't have the patience.

by wendymay60 31 Dec 2010

Most Charities do have sewers just a phone call to make sure you give them yoo who will put them to good use & not throw them out

I make baby or lap quilts to donate. The baby quilts go to our children's hospital and the lap quilts to one of many nursing homes through out our city. This way someone other than myself gets the benefit of the designs and I feel good about helping others.

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by fannyfurkin 31 Dec 2010

I do think I would like to give them away to charity, just not sure I could be bothered stitching them together.