Where can I donate quilt fabric?
The day has come. You know the one where you're thumbing through your fabric and you ask yourself, "Why did I buy this?" and "Where did this come from?" Or maybe you look around your sewing space and you just see stacks and piles and overflowing bins of fabric you're no longer inspired by.
But it's perfectly good fabric, you tell yourself. Surely someone can use it. But who? And where can I donate quilt fabric?
Luckily, there are lots of places that accept donations of quilt fabric. We've compiled a brief list of some charitable organizations in the USA below. And at the bottom of this post, you'll find a few other ideas of places that might accept fabric donations.
Coffee Creek Quilters
Coffee Creek Quilters teaches quilting classes to women incarcerated at the Coffee Creek Correctional Facility in Wilsonville, Oregon. They accept donations of 100% quilting weight cotton fabric (must be at least 1 yard), minky and flannel fabric (40" x 60" minimum), cotton batting (minimum 60" x 80"), sewing tools (rotary cutters, scissors, cutting mats, threads, etc.), and portable sewing machines.
This is a registered 501(c)(3) organization.
Creative Reuse Centers
These creative reuse centers seem to be cropping up all across America and aim to divert usable waste (like fabric) from landfills for use in creative projects. The ones listed below all accept donations of fabric and other materials. Look up the donation requirements on each site to see what kinds of fabric and sizes are acceptable. It's worth noting that many of these require donations be made in-person.
- Austin Creative Reuse (Austin, TX)
- East Bay Depot for Creative Reuse (Oakland, CA)
- Lancaster Creative Reuse (Lancaster, PA)
- Pittsburgh Center for Creative Reuse (Pittsburgh, PA)
- Reconsidered Goods (Greensboro, NC)
- Re-use Market (Garden City, ID)
- SCRAP (San Francisco, CA)
- Scrap Exchange (Durham, NC)
- Scrap It Up (Cincinnati, OH)
- Scraps KC (Kansas City, MO)
- SCRAP USA (Baltimore, MD; Ann Arbor, MI; Denton, TX; Humboldt, CA; Portland, OR; and Richmond, VA)
- Upcycle Creative Reuse Center (Alexandria, VA)
- Who Gives A Scrap (Colorado Springs and Fort Collins, CO)
All listed above are registered 501(c)(3) organizations.
Quilts from Caring Hands
Quilts from Caring Hands makes and distributes quilts to at-risk children in Oregon's Willamette Valley area. They accept 100% cotton fabric in large pieces or pre-printed panels. They also accept textured fabric (like fleece), pieced blocks, unfinished quilt tops, and completed quilts.
This is a registered 501(c)(3) organization.
Quilts of Valor
The mission of Quilts of Valor is to "cover service members and veterans touched by war with comforting and healing" quilts. They accept donations of new 100% quilting weight cotton fabric. The fabric must be stain- and odor-free, and donations of red/white/blue fabrics are preferred (though not required).
This is a registered 501(c)(3) organization.
Snuggled in Hope
Snuggled in Hope is a 100% volunteer- and donation-based organization that makes quilts and pillowcases for the campers at Flying Horse Farms in Ohio. (Flying Horse Farms provides camp experiences to children with serious illnesses, and is a member of Paul Newman's SeriousFun Children's Network.) They accept donations of 100% cotton fabric (cheerful, kid-friendly prints; no glittery fabric; no flannel, fleece, denim, or knits) and quilting supplies like rotary cutters, replacement blades, cutting mats, and quilting rulers.
This is a registered 501(c)(3) organization.
The Sewing Labs
This non-profit community sewing center located in Kansas City, MO, teaches sewing to at-risk individuals with the hope of breaking the generational cycle of poverty and addiction. They accept donations of clean fabric (quilting, garment, and upholstery), notions, tools, interfacings, quilt batting, and working sewing machines.
This is a registered 501(c)(3) organization.
Victoria's Quilts
Victoria's Quilts makes quilts for cancer patients of all ages, stages, and types of cancer within the USA. They accept donations of new, clean, 100% cotton fabric or cotton flannel in pieces that are at least 1-yard in length. Fabric must not be previously used or laundered.
This is a registered 501(c)(3) organization.
Wrap Them in Love Foundation
The mission of Wrap Them in Love is to distribute quilts to children around the world through local food banks, orphanages, shelters, hospitals, and those in natural disasters. They accept donations of fabric, batting, sewing supplies, quilt tops, and finished quilts.
This is a registered 501(c)(3) organization.
A few other places that might accept your quilt fabric donations:
- Local quilt guilds - You can start your search here or here
- Local donation centers like Goodwill and The Salvation Army Family Stores
- Local women's and homeless shelters
- Local schools and colleges
If you know of other registered charitable organizations that accept fabric donations, please feel free to leave them in the comments below.
Bloomerie Fabrics is an independent, woman-owned fabric shop offering modern fabric and precuts. Curating online since 2010.
Handcrafts Unlimited in Georgetown, TX accepts quilting cottons and any other fabrics, yarns, etc., as well. HU is a non-profit artisan shop run and staffed by volunteers, and all artisans who consign their work there must be over 50 years old and live in the local area. We have almost 300 very talented artisans, and the shop is widely known for the beautiful handmade quilts that are sold there. We also have a room full of donated artisan supplies that are sold very cheaply. Many of our artisans aquire supplies there, and then turn them into beautiful creations. It’s a wonderful way to keep the arts alive among the local senior adult population! More info on the website: http://www.handcraftsunlimited.com/
These are wonderful choices to send fabric.
Yes, I agree we have fabric that we are tired of, it is “inherited” from a friend (or big sister 😭 ) or my mommy, that I am not ready to give away yet, but I did give away her adorable stretchy pants, and cutie sweat shirts that were in good condition, to the local long term care home. That was really hard too.
Now the fabrics need to be used, We can not have stacks of fabric just waiting to be made into something happy. I am so glad that you shared these places.
I have been giving my fabric to my friend that has a sewing school. The young kids make things and she is also teaching them to make cute blankies for the kiddos in the ER or hospital.