General Questions
When is the auction?
October 12th–16th, 2022
Where is the auction being held?
We will be hosting this auction virtually. Website TBD.
Who is benefiting from this year’s charity?
Austin Bat Refuge! Even in Austin, the bat capital of North America, bats continue to be feared and misunderstood. Fear of the unknown is embedded deep in the human psyche. But, thanks to the work of dedicated scientists and conservation organizations like Austin Bat Refuge, knowledge about and appreciation for bats is emerging from the darkness. Giving bats a second chance through rehabilitation and release, conflict resolution, and education. https://austinbatrefuge.org/
What is the timeline for this year's event?
March 8th – Start your planning and stitching! We announced the charity in our Facebook group, Discord server, and Instagram!
April – Auction-specific stitching meetups will start. Let's all encourage and inspire each other! There may be in-person and virtual options.
July 18th – Finished item drop-off and pick-ups begin.
August – Our photographer will start taking photos of your work.
September – Our auction website manager will start creating listings of our items.
September 19th – All finished items are due.
October 12th–16th – Auction is live!
TBD – Local Austin pickup of your winnings.
TBD – The shipping crew will package and send your items.
TBD – We tally the final donation, donate to Austin Bat Refuge, and announce the final amount!
I don’t want to submit an item, but I want to participate. How can I help?
There are a couple ways you can help. We’re still looking for volunteers. We’re looking for an email/newsletter manager, business coordinator, event leaders, and more. Email austitchcharity@gmail.com if you’re interested.
You can also hype the event to friends and family. We will have a public facebook event that you can invite people to so they can receive updates and links.
Questions for people who want to donate items:
What can I donate?
Anything fiber-arts based
Cross Stitch
Embroidery
Crochet or Knit Items (no blankets)
Pillow Covers
Pillows with pillow forms below 12" square
Sewing (no quilts)
Classes over Video
Custom Finishes
Notions
Tote bags
Pennant/Banner
Greeting cards
Bookmarks
AND MORE! We will update this space with a longer list of items and how many we need.
What should I avoid making?
Large, heavy, or bulky items like quilts, blankets, or oversized framed items. These cost a lot to ship!
Offensive, bigoted, or sensitive words or imagery
How many things can I donate?
You can submit as many pieces as you like.
What content can I stitch/create?
No nudity, bigotry, -phobia of any kind, or sexual content. Cursing is fine. For example: “Fuck this Shit” or “Kiss my Ass” is okay but “Fuck me Daddy” is not. Please consider that our charity frequently works with children.
Can I use another designer’s pattern?
Most finished pieces based on a pattern are okay to sell, as long as you credit the designer in the online listing. You are offering your time and skill as the value. If you are worried please reach out to the designer to see if a finished piece is okay.
What is the Designer Directory?
For the auction in 2021 Amanda assembled an amazing list of designers in the stitching community who had offered their permission, free patterns, and discount codes for Austitchers who are creating items to auction off. This list was a huge resource and very helpful for our members. We are working on one for 2022! Stay tuned!
What is the timeline for submission and item hand-off?
Exact dates dates TBD, but plan for items to be due in late summer.
How do I submit my items?
Step 1: Finish your piece. Frame it, finish it in a hoop, or whatever is appropriate for your item.
Step 2: Fill out the submission form below (Submission form will open in summer 2022)
Step 3: Someone from Austitch will contact you about pick-up or drop-off options
Step 4: Complete the pick-up or drop-off
Step 5: Hype up the event to friends and family.
Questions for people who want to bid on items
I have questions about the bidding process and checkout process if I win a bid.
Please go to Bidding Owl's FAQ for the best answers for using the site. https://www.biddingowl.com/faq.cfm. If you have any further questions, please email us at austitchcharity@gmail.com
These shipping costs are a lot. What's the deal?
In order to maximize the donation to Austin Bat Refuge, we are asking that our bidders pay shipping. Unfortunately, Bidding Owl does not have a way to adjust the shipping if you win multiple items, so you will be charged all the shipping at first. Once the auction is over, we will send out an email to all winners and ask if you would like the shipping costs refunded based on what the cost will actually be.
I live in the Austin area. Can I just pick up the items and not pay shipping?
Yes. We will be having item pickup events. Once the auction is complete, please email austitchcharity@gmail.com if you would like to pick up your item. If you can't arrange a pickup at this time or location, we will need to ship your items to make sure they get to you in a timely manner. Exact dates TBD.
Thank you for your interest and participation in this year's auction.
If you have any further questions about the charity auction, please email austitchcharity@gmail.com.
For general Austitch questions, email austitch@gmail.com.