Recap of 01/18/13 Meeting

If you couldn’t make it to the meeting last Friday, we missed you!  And what a hustling, bustling meeting it was – we got so much accomplished.  We thank everyone that was able to be with us and help with our Quilts of Valor assembly line.  We had a great time.

¤  We were especially grateful for the fabulous response to our plea for fabric and batting donations.  We received lots of partial bolts of the perfect red, white and blue fabrics.  We also received lots of big fabric pieces that we can put to good use.  And last, but not at all least, we received a GIANT roll of batting!  Thank you each and every one for your very generous contributions - we really needed them and rest assured, our veterans will cherish what we make of them!

Debbie cutting off a quilt's worth of the batting
that Diana brought in - Thank you so much, Diana!

¤  We sent 10 quilt tops out to be longarm quilted.  Here is an amazing quilt show of some tops that came in on Friday for your viewing pleasure:

Jadeen's top

Debbie with Top #1

Debbie with Top #2

Debbie's Top #2 Detail

Debbie with Top #3

Debbie with Top #4

Debbie's Top #4 Detail (round flags - very cool!)

Debbie shared that some of her quilt
tops this month  (including the round flag idea)
came from this book

¤  We sewed borders to tops and we sewed blocks in rows for tops,

¤  We sewed lots of bindings to quilts and others sewed them down by hand,

¤  We cut lots and lots of blocks and borders,

¤  We made up block kits for volunteers to check out (volunteers are snapping these up – thank you very much!),

¤  We cut fabric and made up backings for the quilts going out to be longarmed,

¤  We ate up the goodies that Pat and Patricia brought in [editorial: who sneaked this bullet point in here?!]; apparently, we’ve never met a brownie, cookie or quick bread that we didn’t like - LOL.

¤  Some of our members took home QOV projects like blocks for tops and borders and/or bindings to sew together along with block kits, so we will already have out work cut out for us next meeting!  [editorial:  who wrote that bad pun anyway?! – quality control ladies, quality control…]

Our Show-and-Tell included an embroidered sweatshirt and purse – these items were made by a friend of Maria’s in North Carolina.  Don’t they represent the work of the Quilts of Valor Foundation well?

Maria also showed us an item that her NC guild has designed to hold quilting and other pins.  Maria fashioned hers into a necklace that includes pins from her travels for QOVF and from her husband’s service career.  Thanks, Maria, for the unique Show-and-Tell.

So if you had to miss this meeting, be sure to mark your calendar and join us next month.  It will be Feb 15^th, from 10 – 2:00.  We’ll be looking for you!

Reminder - Meeting Tomorrow - Jan 18th!

We will be meeting Friday, Jan 18^th,

from 10:00 – 2:00

at Crafty Threads Quilt Shop!

Click on this link to learn more.

Remember to bring your lunch or a snack

unless you want to go to a local restaurant

  

A Message From Our QOV Group Leader:

Are you ready to stitch, cut package and enjoy some camaraderie?!!

Well then, be at the Crafty Threads Quilt Shop on the 18^th at 10 o’clock or be square (our little quilty joke…).  We will plot our course for the next couple of meetings and discuss some other awards of our quilts besides the VA Hospital.

Those of us that attend these Quilts of Valor meetings come from all walks of life and experiences - just as the men and women who serve our Country with honor. When in Crisis we hope that the Quilts we make with loving hands reinforce our honor to make them and reward the sacrifice they have made for us and our Nation.

Please join us or contribute fabrics and battings. Thank you.

Pat - CT Quilter

January Meeting Date - Friday, January 18th

The first Quilts of Valor meeting of 2013 is right around the corner.  We will be meeting at the Crafty Threads Quilt Shop on Racetrack Rd on Friday, January 18^th at 10:00.  Everyone is welcome to join us!

Note also that the meeting dates for the entire first quarter of 2013 have been set – see the sidebar for those dates and mark your calendars now to reserve the days. 

We will have a packed slate of events and there is something to suit everyone’s fancy, whether you sew or not:

·          Sew blocks into rows for tops (enough for ~6 people to help/sew),

·          Lay out another quilt top if space allows,

·          Sew pinwheels together,

·          Cut fabrics into blocks for kits,

·          Cut and sew borders  - both sizes,

·          Iron bindings,

·          Make up more block kits,

·          Cut and prepare more backings,

·          Make pillowcase presentation packages.

Come on over to the Crafty Threads Quilt Shop on Friday, the 18^th from 10:00 – 2:00.  You'll be sure to have a great time, and we'd love to see you.

AND, PLEASE:  check out your stash - if you have red, white or blue fabrics (or cream or light tan), please bring them with you or drop them off at the Quilt Shop.  We are running VERY low on fabrics.  We welcome (and need) your 100% cotton fabric donations.  Thank you!

Patriotic and Other Barn Blocks

Barn Block in Kentucky

So, when you travel, do you keep an eye out for “barn blocks”?  These giant quilt blocks are showing up all over and have become very popular – and they aren’t just for barns anymore! 

Once only found occasionally in rural countrysides, these painted blocks are now seen not only on barns, but also on businesses, homes, garages and public buildings.  Take a swing over to a fantastic blog that allows you to take a virtual barn block tour of their many documented blocks.

The Osceola Quilt Trail is part of a volunteer public art movement extending across the United States, celebrating our rural heritage and traditional arts, involving area residents in making art, and promoting agri-tourism.  Here’s an example of one of the patriotic blocks:

Robert and Janet VanderPloeg chose the Americana Star block for their barn to commemorate Robert’s military service during the Korean War.  This block is featured in Eleanor Burns book “Quilt Blocks on American Barns”.  The barn is located in Marion, MI.

Check out lots of barn blocks at:  http://osceolaquilttrail.wordpress.com/
But I do warn you, get yourself a cup of coffee or tea before you go over to this blog – you’ll spend a bit of time viewing all of the blocks!

Hoping for a Peaceful 2013

Need a New Year’s Day Sewing Suggestion?

Now that some of the Holidays are over, are you looking for some quality quilting time to unwind from the hustle and bustle?  Well, have we got a swell idea for you! 

 

Marcella Pirner-Cormier works with the Quilts of Valor Foundation as its Destination Coordinator, Region 10, and she is sponsoring:

 

The First Annual New Year’s Day QOV Sit & Sew!

 

She is inviting all of us to join her.  You can spread the word and ask your friends and guild members to join in, too.  Then:

·         Pick a patriotic pattern that meets the minimum requirements for a QOV that you feel you can piece in a single day (any pattern – it’s your choice).

·         Select and cut your fabric in December to make yourself a “kit” for Jan 1^st (this is a great excuse to spend a few quiet moments in your sewing space!).

·         During the Jan 1^st Sit & Sew, post your progress on Yahoo Chat, Facebook, the QOVF blog, your own blog…or wherever you want.

·         When your top is finished, request a volunteer longarmer here (or if you are a member of our own CT Quilters QOV Group, bring it to our January 18^th meeting or drop it off at the Crafty Threads Quilt Shop).

·         If you are not a member of the CT Quilters QOV Group, and after your quilt is finished (bound, labeled, washed & in a presentation case), you can request a destination – please put NYD S&S in the comments section of the Request Form.   You will receive information on where to send your quilt and your name will then be entered into a drawing for prizes (to be announced).

·         A winner will be drawn for every 13 NYD S&S quilts that are completed by March 13, 2013 for which a destination is requested.  The sooner you finish your quilt, the better your chance of winning!

·         Keep in mind that the overseas destinations request red, white & blue, non-gender specific quilts.

 

NEED SOME PATTERN IDEAS?

Check out these easy to make designs that look great in patriotic colors

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Country Spirit from McCall’s Quilting

(there are other patriotic patterns at this link also)

Homeward Bound from Patchworks Studio

(needs to be enlarged to meet minimum QOVF requirements)

 

Independence Day from Fons & Porter

 

With Gratitude (*)

 

(*) This pattern designed by Sandra Fraenkel, Sue Goehring & Holly Erdei-Zuber of What’s Your Stitch ‘n Stuff, Inc., is offered as a courtesy to any workshop or any quilt shop making Quilts of Valor.  If a member of the CT Quilters Group from the Crafty Threads (an Under Our Wings shop) would like a copy of this pattern to make for our QOV Group, please comment and leave me an email address where you can be reached.

 

Don’t have the time to quilt all of New Year’s Day, but have a little time?  Check out Florida Cabin Fever Quilt Guild’s "Blocks of the Month for 2011".

You can select one (or all) of these blocks and make it (them) at your leisure.   When your sampler is complete, add borders or more blocks to make it QOV size.  Here’s the link:

http://www.floridacabinfever.com/pdfs/BOM/2012_Archive.pdf  [EDIT:  this link no longer works due to the website changes in progress at FL Cabin Fever - I will post the new link when it becomes available - it looks like they intend to repost these blocks - thank you for your patience]

 

HAPPY QUILTING!

Happy Holidays

The CT Quilters Quilts of Valor Group meets at the Crafty Threads Quilt Shop - an official “Under Our Wings – Quilt Shop”.

During this busy Holiday Season, we take time to remember that the Quilts of Valor Foundation has no political or religious motivation.  Their stated mission is to “cover ALL combat service members and veterans touched by war with comforting and healing Quilts of Valor”.  

Because no matter where we stand politically, we accept our warriors and veterans with open arms and open hearts.  One only has to talk to the veterans of previous wars and conflicts to get a glimpse that the profound effects of war never really leave.*

* http://www.qovf.org/content/meat-potatoes.html

So in that spirit, we wish you Happy Holidays with the

intent that you will celebrate under your customs,

whatever they may be … and we wish you Peace.

Last Quilt Delivery of 2012

The leader of the CT Quilters QOV Group recently took a stack of 8 Quilts of Valor over to the Poly-Trauma Unit of the James A Haley VA Hospital here in Tampa.  Pat said they were very happy to receive the quilts due to the Holidays that are upon us.  This is a sampling of the quilts included in the delivery:

We at the CT Quilters are happy to take part in the mission of the Quilts of Valor Foundation:   to “cover ALL combat service members and veterans touched by war with comforting and healing Quilts of Valor.” 

Quilts stacked up in their pillowcase presentation packages

These quilts are a tangible way to say “Thank you for your service, sacrifice and valor.”  We look forward to continuing with this mission in the New Year of 2013.

Recap of 12/14/12 Meeting

Wow!  What a Quilts of Valor meeting we had …

Ø      We received some wonderful donations of fabrics – and we really needed them!

Sharon and her mom, Barbara, donated the perfect reds
and blues (and the blues are enough for backings - woohoo!)

Ø     We received one quilt that’s now totally finished,

Yvonne finished binding this one that was designed
and pieced by Patty and Janet and quilted by Pat

Ø      We received these fantastic pillowcase presentation packages from Nancy  over at the ConKerr Cancer group that also meets at the Crafty Threads Quilt Shop – if we receive fabrics that we can’t use for QOV we try to send them over to that group so everyone can be sure all of your fabric contributions are welcome!

Thank you so much, Nancy!

Ø      We received one quilt back from a longarmer and sent it home with someone else to be bound

Barb (L) and her dad, Ron (R), holding the quilt
that Ron quilted - and both are Veterans!

Detail of Ron's quilting - you can see the star in the
geometric design and the variegated thread - it was great!

Ø      We sent 5 quilts out to be longarm quilted - three of our usual design (The Fourth of July by Bonnie Hunter) and these two that were pieced by Debbie,

Example of our 4th of July favorite pattern that came back in

Debbie put these marvelous stars around a panel that
had been donated to QOV - she said the stars are in the book below

Didn't Debbie do a fabulous job on this new-to-us design?!



Detail of Debbie's quilt top



Debbie found her designs for both quilts from this book

Ø      We sewed lots of borders,

Trading off sewing borders and pillowcases - very versatile people!

 Ø      We sewed and ironed lots of bindings,

Ø      We cut lots and lots of blocks and borders,

Ø      We cut fabric and made up pillowcase kits for later,

Diana also cut and coordinated making
lots of backings for the quilts going out

Ø      We made up block kits for volunteers to check out,

Ø      We sorted blocks that came in from volunteers and made up kits for quilt tops,

Ø      We sewed pillowcases,



Completed pillowcase presentation packages

Ø      AND WE FOUND OUT WHAT FABULOUS COOKS WE HAD IN THE GROUP!

The potluck lunch was a huge success.  Everybody brought something, from drinks to chips to paper products, from salads to breads to main dishes, and a very special cake.  Jadeen brought this gorgeous confection in because today would have been her mother’s 90^th birthday.  Thank you, Jadeen, for sharing this special occasion and your memories with us.

And in honor of the Season, our Show-and-Tell was a sampler quilt that Pat brought in.

Pat was explaining that lots of hands contributed to this sampler, just like many people contribute to our Quilts of Valor.   We are grateful for all that contribute to making our group a success! 

NOTE:  The sidebar has been updated with the meeting dates for the next quarter - mark your calendars now ...