July Meeting – Please Join Us!

The next meeting of the Quilts of Valor -  CT Quilters Group will be on Friday, July 6^th, at the Crafty Threads Quilt Shop.  We have a variety of projects in the works and there will be something for everyone to do, whether you can sew or not!

We plan to:

¨       Continue working on the design and layout of the quilt in patriotic country colors,

¨       Layout blocks into quilt tops for our normal design; it's a Bonnie Hunter pattern called the Fourth of July and we now have 5 packages of the right number of blocks all ready to lay out and assemble!,

¨       Sew rows of the quilt tops mentioned above,

¨       Cut red star fabric into squares,

¨       Make up some more “A” block kits,

¨       Sew up some of the “B” block kits since the A’s have been very popular recently,

¨       Make up some pillowcases for presentation packages,

¨       And, as always, whatever else comes up (like ironing, binding, labeling – eventually they will all be needed)!

Please mark your calendars now and plan to attend.  Bring your sewing machine if you’d like to sew.

The meetings are always such a good time and it's for such a good cause.  We meet from 10:00 – 2:00 at Crafty Threads Quilt Shop and we take a break for lunch.  There’s usually a group that walks to a restaurant (very close by), or you can plan to bring a lunch, or just stop by to say hello and see what we’re all about!  Every week we have new members and we’d love to see YOU there.

Have You Considered Making A Pillowcase?

When Quilts of Valor are ready to be awarded, they are “gift wrapped” in a pillowcase that serves as a presentation package in accordance with the Quilts of Valor Foundation’s guidelines.  The CT Quilters have been presenting their quilts in pillowcase presentation packages made of the same high quality fabrics as we use in the quilts and we choose red, white and blue patriotic colors.

Some of our pillowcases with quilts inside

If you would like to contribute, the CT Quilters welcome handmade (not store bought) pillowcases to go along with our quilts and offer the following tips and tutorials:

o        Use good quality, 100% cotton fabric

o        Use any combination of red, white and blue fabrics – contrasting top bands are nice (no childish fabrics or themes, please)

o        A great pictorial step-by-step process is offered at the Persimmon Quilts website:  http://www.persimmonquilts.com/Pillowcase/Pillowcase.html

o        The official Quilts of Valor Foundation website offers an entertaining 10 minute video tutorial on how to make the sausage pillowcase type.  Follow this link to see the video:

                        http://www.qovf.org/content/presentation-case.html

If you elect to make one (or more!) presentation package pillowcases, you may drop them off at the Crafty Threads Quilt Shop, conveniently located at:

12230 Racetrack Rd, Tampa

 any time during store hours or bring them to the QOV meetings.  If you would like more information, please drop by our next meeting - scheduled for Friday, July 6^th, at Crafty Threads.  Future meeting dates are or will be posted on the sidebar.

And don’t forget, donations of good quality, 100% cotton red, white and blue fabrics are always welcome and greatly appreciated.

Happy Quilting and thank you for remembering Quilts of Valor!

Thank You to the Warm Company!

Are you familiar with The Warm Company?  This company has many great fusible products in addition to BATTING!  Why did I emphasize batting?  Because we at the CT Quilters Group were thrilled recently to be the recipients of eight (8) twin size, Warm & Natural batts donated through the generosity of The Warm Company.

We received an inspiring note from Dawn P., a representative of The Warm Company, that says in part:

            …Thank you and the CT Quilters Group for supporting our troops.  The Warm Company works closely with Quilts of Valor in donating the batting for this nationwide organization’s efforts.  Wouldn’t it be nice if every single returning soldier received a quilt?  We’re happy to partner with you…

Well, we in return “Thank You, The Warm Company” for your commitment to the military service personnel of the United States.  We are very pleased with your products and would like to recommend them to our members and blog readers.

To learn more about the many products offered by The Warm Company, be sure to check out this interesting YouTube video of Dawn giving an overview of different products with lots of project ideas at this link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsuKBuik5nI

Or you can check out The Warm Company on Facebook if you’re in tune with social media.  Dawn said they would welcome photos of our Quilts of Valor made with their batting and of course, your posts and likes on their Facebook page are welcome, too!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Warm-Company/261044530611534

To support this company and their product outlets near you, please see this link:

http://www.warmcompany.com/buy.html

Recap of 6/15/12 Meeting

If you missed the recent meeting, you missed a good one!  The CT Quilters were very productive this month:

v      We worked on the “Country Quilt” – it’s different from our usual pattern - the design around the panel is looking great and the layout is coming together – we’ll continue to work on it next meeting.

Designing

Ironing Center Panel

v      We cut fabric and made up more “A Block” kits – the kits are flying out of the basket at Crafty Threads shop – thank you so much to all of our at-home volunteers!

v      We ironed and assembled more backings – we have several quilts out to be long-armed

v      We sewed some more blocks to make up some more tops – see next bullet.

v      We made packages of blocks ready to layout and sew into tops – we now have five – count ‘em – FIVE tops ready to lay out next meeting!

v      We had two special guests helping us – this young lady sewed at least a mile of bindings (yes, we measured)!

We also snarfed up some very excellent German Chocolate Upside Down Cake – thank you, Pat!  Some of us are still dreaming about it …

And then, as an unexpected surprise, we had a great Show and Tell.  One of our members brought in some of the 1930s quilts that her grandmother had made that she was making labels for:

Closeup of the 30s fabrics and the exquisite quilting

Aren’t these wonderful?!!

Our next meeting will be Friday, July 6^th … mark your calendars now!

Flag Day in the USA

 

On June 14, 1777, the Second Continental Congress pass the Flag Resolution that stated “…that the flag of the United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new Constellation…”.  The Resolution did not designate any particular arrangement for the stars and their number has now grown from thirteen to fifty representing the 50 current States within the USA.

Flag Day has its roots going way back to 1885 when the idea was developed  by schoolteacher BJ Cigrand.  Other teachers, children and school boards soon joined in, celebrating the flag with parades, pageants and local patriotic programs.  After 30 years of unofficial celebrations, and on the Anniversary of the Flag Resolution of 1777, President Wilson officially established Flag Day in 1916.  An Act of Congress was subsequently signed by President Truman in 1949 that designated National Flag Day would always be on June 14^th..

American Flag at half-staff in front of a monument

constructed of pink Etowah marble that was

dedicated in 1927 to “the memory of those who served their country”

and stands at the entrance to the Bay Pines National Cemetery grounds.

A MIA-POW flag stands to the left in this photo.

REMINDER:

The CT Quilters Group will meet tomorrow (Friday, June 15^th) to work on Quilts of Valor.  All are welcome to join!

June Meeting – Please Join Us!

At our Friday, June 15th meeting, we will be working on completing two quilt tops that have more of a country theme from squares donated to our group.

As always, lots of other different types of activities will also be taking place:

v       We always have fabrics that need to be cut,

v       Kits need to be assembled for people to pick-up and return to the store,

v       “A” blocks (4-patches) need to be sewn for our standard pattern,

v       And whatever else comes up (like ironing, binding, labeling … it’ll all be needed eventually).

Please come join us – we meet from 10:00 – 2:00 at Crafty Threads Quilt Shop with a break for lunch.  We usually go to a restaurant nearby that we walk to (it’s very close).  We always a good time – and there’s something for every talent (even if you don’t know how to sew).  And if you can’t be here for the entire meeting because of a tight schedule - Just drop in and see what we’re up to!  We’d love to have you visit.

Freedom Quilt

Cynthia Martin

Redline Gallery – Denver, CO
~ 12’ x 90’



QOV Mystery Quilt!

Have you ever participated in a Mystery Quilt project?  They are great fun – the process of making the quilt is presented in steps that are given out on-line periodically and you won’t know what the quilt will look like until you’re almost finished - What a hoot!  You will be given the dimensions of the finished quilt and all of the fabric requirements up front.

There is an exciting new Quilts of Valor Mystery Quilt project coming up soon that is being sponsored by Persimmon Quilts.

 It will begin on Saturday, June 9^th, and the fabric requirements are available now.  The installments will be posted in 6 parts and will finish on July 14^th.  Of course, it will be in red/white/blue, so you know you’re gonna love it – no matter what the design.  And when you’re done, you can donate your QOV to a great cause.  There are many combat veterans waiting right now for one of your comfort quilts.

Here at the CT Quilters, we donate most of our quilts to service personnel receiving care at the Poly-Trauma Unit of the James A. Haley VA Hospital.   If you make one of Persimmon Quilts’ Mystery Quilts, we would love to include it in one of our deliveries.  Just drop it off at the Crafty Threads Quilt Shop, or join us at one of our monthly meetings (see the sidebar for dates and times).   We will even quilt it for you if you make only the top.  

This is the 24^th Mystery Quilt offered by Persimmon Quilts, who is a great friend to the Quilts of Valor Foundation.  Previous mysteries are still available, so if the “mystery” concept doesn’t appeal to you, you can check out 23 other great designs and know the answers.

But if you enjoy the Mystery concept, have fun making your QOV Mystery Quilt #24, beginning on June 9th!

This is not from the Mystery - this is just Inspiration!
http://www.dlstewart.com/clipart3.htm

Shop Hoppers!

The Crazy 8ths Bay Area Shop Hop is in full swing right now and will last the entire month of June!  Batiks will be holding center stage at the Hop, so be sure to check out each of the store projects – they look great in the pictures at this link, but they are fabulous live!

http://www.bayareashophop.com/Projects.html

And while you are shop hopping at Crafty Threads,  we encourage you to check out a Quilts of Valor block kit to sew. The CT Quilters would love to have you participate in helping us make quilts to further the Quilts of Valor mission to cover combat veterans with healing and comforting quilts.

Donations of 100% cotton red, white and/or blue quilt fabrics are always welcome, so if you spot a few FQs while Hopping, please remember us!  We are also in need of new twin size cotton/poly (80/20) batting, as we have about 7 quilts in the queue to be quilted.

And most of all, we invite all Shop Hoppers to join the CT Quilters at our monthly meetings.  We always have a good time and always gab over lunch. Usually quilters eat chocolate - this group is hooked on lunch (ok, we sometimes have the chocolate, too!).  Our next meeting will be on June 15^th at the Crafty Threads Quilt Shop in Tampa.  Please join us!

Spotlight on a Donated Quilt

The CT Quilters Group was proud to be the conduit in delivering one of the Quilts of Valor made and donated by the Venice Isle Quilters of Venice, FL.  This fabulous quilt was included with the stack of quilts that was delivered by Pat to the Poly-Trauma Unit at the James A. Haley VA Hospital in Tampa, FL on May 16^th.

Front of QOV Sampler Quilt

Back of Quilt

Quilt Label

We were pleased to present this quilt to the Volunteer Services personnel at Haley on behalf of the Venice Isle Quilters Guild.  For more details about our delivery of QOVs on May 16th, please read this previous post.

If you or your group are interested in making a Quilt of Valor, we would be happy to take it to the VA Hospital when we deliver our quilts.  Please follow the Quilts of Valor Foundation’s guidelines as to the Do’s and Don’ts (sizes, fabrics, labels, etc) here:

http://www.qovf.org/content/basic-qov-requirements.html

and here:

http://www.qovf.org/content/fabric-pattern.html

There are many great QOV patterns available free for your use on-line (we have some quilt and block pattern links on our sidebar), or you can use your own design like the sampler shown above that was made by the Venice Isle Quilters.  We greatly appreciate your donations as do the men and women who serve our nation.  They are honored to know we care.

May Was A Red Letter Month

And May 16^th was the red letter day for the CT Quilters Group.  On that day, Pat (a founder and leader of this QOV group) was able to deliver 6 Quilts of Valor to the James A Haley VA Hospital in Tampa, FL, on our behalf.

Entrance to Haley

Pat had the pleasure of meeting with retired Marine Corp volunteer, Commandant Willie Little, Jr and Voluntary Specialist Ronika Anderson of the Volunteer Services Division of the Tampa VA. 

Little and Anderson with a QOV

These volunteers were thrilled to receive the six quilts, each in their pillowcase presentation packages, on behalf of the Poly-Trauma Unit of the Hospital.

Quilts in pillowcase packages

Each presentation package was accompanied by a heartfelt letter of gratitude from the CT Quilters.  Each letter not only thanked each service member for their service, they also explained the Quilts of Valor program and described the part the CT Quilters played in making the quilts they were receiving.   The volunteers will award the quilts to various service members currently receiving care in the Poly-Trauma Unit.

The CT Quilters have more quilts in process and look forward to making more donations of quilts as we aspire to cover and comfort as many of our service men and women as possible.  If you would like to join this group, please click on the “How to Help” button at the top of this webpage.

Pat with Commandant Little