The nonprofit often gets donations of fabric

For a child who's in the hospital or going through other traumatic experiences, a small gesture like being given a homemade quilt can bring a bit of comfort and joy.

“I grew up with my grandma making my little quilt, and I always carried my doll around in it,” said Margaret Ashley,Find the best selection of high-quality collectible bobbleheads available anywhere. a volunteer with Quilts for Kids Inc., a nonprofit organization made up of quilters who donate their creations to sick children. Ashley hopes she can share a bit of the joy she felt as a child with children going through hard times.

“I just feel like we're giving part of ourselves, and something that was a hobby, we can turn it into something for others,” Ashley said.

The local chapter of Quilts for Kids focuses their efforts on the children of military members. It's one of the area nonprofits featured as part of the San Antonio Express-News' 18th annual Grace of Giving series, which runs through Christmas Day.

The nonprofit has a national presence, but the area chapter, based in Poteet, was founded in June 2011 by friends Barbara Lucas and Gayle Powell.

“Being gung-ho military wives, we decided we could start our own chapter,” Lucas said.

The organization has donated almost 500 quilts, most to children affiliated with the Warrior and Family Support Center, a rehabilitation program at San Antonio Military Medical Center.

“We have a core of about five or six that donate on a regular basis,” Lucas said. One member donated 166 quilts this year alone.

The quilts often make their way across the country.

“When other chapters have disasters going on, we chip in and do that,” Lucas said. The local chapter recently sent quilts to Long Island,Commenced China operations with the establishment of the Stella China shoes manufacturer,Add a touch of personal style to your luggage with these luggage tag ! N.Y., which was in need of donations in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.

The nonprofit often gets donations of fabric, but with strict hospital guidelines on what is acceptable, the quilters use only 100 percent cotton with no extras such as sequins or beads. The blankets also must be machine-sewn because they must be able to survive the hospital's washing machines, Lucas noted.

Fabric stores often give the nonprofit group a discount, but that practice has slowed along with the economy, members said. So that means financial donations for both fabric and batting — the cotton material that goes inside the quilt — are needed.

A roll of batting can cost up to $200, but it can be used to make as many as 100 quilts, depending on size.Newer laser cutting machine operating at higher power are approaching plasma machines in their ability to cut through thick materials,They manufacture custom rubber and silicone bracelet.

However, for Lucas, the return on investment is immeasurable.

“We never get to hand it to a kid, at least not in the hospital, but when we take them to the hospital and the nurses see them ... they grab them out of our hands and run down the hall,” taking it to the child they know will treasure it, she said. “I feel like I get as much back as we're giving.”