Nebraska 4-H and QOV

Have you ever wondered what the youth of America are coming to?  Well, let me tell you a little bit about the Quilts of Valor project that was undertaken by over 200 4-H Club members and their leaders across the state of Nebraska.

Photo from the QOVF Blogspot below

This fabulous group of young people donated 80 quilts to the Quilts of Valor Foundation at the Nebraska State Fair on Sep 1^st, after having displayed them at local and county fairs.  And this was twice again as many as they had made when they originally took up the challenge in 2011!

We say kudos to those service-oriented kids for such an outstanding effort.  Your work will bring comfort to many of our combat veterans and is greatly appreciated.  We’re so proud of you!

Read the whole story on the QOVF blog at:

http://qovf.blogspot.com/2012/09/nebraska-4h-and-qov.html

Photo from the QOVF Blogspot above

Constitution Day - September 17th

        We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America. …

Recognize the language excerpted above?  It is from the Constitution of the United States of America – a document that serves as the foundation of our democratic form of government.  Constitution Day is observed on September 17^th each year because that is the day that the US Constitutional Convention first signed the document in 1787.  The day commemorates the signing of this historic document but many also celebrate this day by recognizing all who, by coming of age or by naturalization, have become US citizens.

Take a moment to reflect on our checks and balances in government, our freedoms and our individual human rights.  Then stop and thank all of the military service personnel who have fought and sometimes made the ultimate sacrifice so that we may continue as a free nation.  We at the CT Quilters make our Quilts of Valor for that very reason - to say "thank you".

“Democracy is based upon the conviction that there are

 extraordinary possibilities in ordinary people.”

— Harry Emerson Fosdick

Recap of 9/14/12 Meeting from Pat

First of all, thank you to all who came to our meeting at The Crafty Threads Quilt Shop.  It was a lot of fun and we numbered 16 this time.  We announced that the Volunteer Services from the James A. Haley VA Hospital will be holding its Fall Fundraiser on Thursday, Oct 11^th, so plan to attend that very worthwhile event.  See this blog post for more information.

We welcomed two very special guests today.  They were Sharon's mother, Barbara, and her mother's best friend, Gloria.  Gloria is a veteran of the Korean War, having served as a surgical nurse.  We also heard that Sharon's uncle is MIA from the same conflict.  They were very willing to help with Quilts of Valor and we put them to work assembling our quilt block kits that can be checked out to be sewn at home at your convenience.

On the right, Barbara (in front) and Gloria
waiting for the cutters to supply more blocks!
[with Dawn sewing borders on the left]

We accomplished a lot today:

ü        Two quilt tops to quilt

ü        Many pillowcase presentation packages made

           

ü        Block kits put together

           

ü        Four quilt backings done

ü        One country quilt ready

           

ü        One top taken home for homework

           

 Also, a big “thank you” to Debbie for the generous donations of fabric and the beautiful quilt, fully quilted!

           

We sorted thru all the donated fabrics and Kathy has them in order for next month – keep those donations coming – we are putting them all to good use!

Speaking of next month we will:

§          Complete two other layouts of blocks (hopefully even getting the borders done)

§          Continue cutting fabric for kits

§          Sew miles of bindings

§          Country quilt number 2 (yes, there is one!)

§          We may even be sewing some pinwheel blocks from the triangles that Kathy has been working with.

     

Thank you all for your volunteer hours, they are much appreciated.  I know that Barb, as the “Under Our Wings” regional location for QOV, had smiles in her eyes seeing all of us and the work we accomplish.  Our next meeting is Friday, Oct 12^th.  Mark those calendars now!

QOV Meeting Day TODAY – Come on Over!

A Note from Our Leader, Pat:

Wow its time to meet again this Friday [see this link for more info about this meeting], we welcomed four new members last month. 

We look forward to any of you who wish to drop by and see what we are doing. We have fun, fun and more fun. We are making great friends and enjoying working on this worthwhile cause.

I was at the VA today and they have given so much and need so much from us. These quilts say we care and thank you. Look for information [click for link to this blog post] about the VA's Fall Festival to be held on October 11th, to provide funds for Holiday gifts for those veterans at the Hospital and the Nursing Home.   Many have families and many do not.  Some families are far away or unable to travel.

Look forward to meeting any of you this Friday. Remember we need donations of Red, White and Blue Fabric and twin size cotton battings. We also can use 4 yard pieces of patriotic Fabric for Quilt backings.

Pat - CT Quilter

Meeting Reminder!

We will be meeting Friday, Sep 14^th,

from 10:00 – 2:00

at Crafty Threads Quilt Shop ...

Click on this link to learn more!

And a reminder that we would like to set up this month putting all sewers on the right side of the room towards the back and in front of them additional cutting boards and kit makers.  That will leave the left side (inside classroom wall) to lay out quilts to work on (both our standard pattern and the Country Quilts).

We plan to:

Make kits with Yvonne (both cutting and packaging)

Sew quilt tops and design Country Tops (Patricia and Janet)

Make pillowcases

Sew the backings together that were cut at the last meeting

Put borders on tops that are ready for them

Sew bindings

Square up and bind any quilts that are ready

AND HAVE A GOOD TIME!!

Everyone is welcome to join us!

Special Event – VA Fall Fundraiser!

Mark your calendars now because I'm sure you'll want to know about a garage sale, bake sale, book sale, raffles and more – all in one convenient location!!

Yes, indeed!  YOU are invited to the fabulous Fall Festival held annually at the James A. Haley Veterans Hospital.  This big event helps raise funds for the Volunteer staff to purchase gifts for those veterans who are in the hospital and nursing home during the holidays.

When:             Thursday, Oct 11, 2012

Time:               8:00 am – 2:00 pm

Where:            James A. Haley VA Hospital

                        Main Bldg – 2^nd Floor Auditorium

                        (near the Volunteer Svcs office)

Who:               Anyone may attend and You are especially invited!

Raffle tickets for donated prizes are currently being sold for $1 each or 6 for $5.  They already have had 25 prizes donated including various gift cards, gift baskets, a Kindle Fire, a flag pendant and a 2-night stay at the Embassy Suites – USF.  The prizes to date total $1,380.

One of the CT Quilters recently delivered a fabulous quilt that will become part of the annual Fall Festival fundraising effort.  This raffle quilt will be awarded separately from raffle tickets sold that day and has a recorded value of $400.  Check out this beauty:

 It was made by Diane Richardson and Pat Neville, CT Quilters.  These pictures show the quilt during machine quilting on a frame and the label that tells its story.

 It was given to the VA Volunteers in a pillowcase presentation package, and they were so thrilled that they hugged Pat!  What a warm feeling.

If you have any questions about attendance or the Fall Festival, please contact Diana Layman – Voluntary Service Specialist at 813-972-2000 x6579.

 

We Remember on Sept 11

There are certain days that will long remain

in the collective memory of a Nation.

September 11^th  is one such day.

Congress approved a joint resolution on Oct 25, 2001 requesting that President George W. Bush designate September 11^th  of each year as “Patriot Day”,  in memory of the 2,977 killed in the Sep 11, 2001 attacks.   He signed it into law on Dec 18, 2001.  Many Americans refer to the day simply as "Nine-Eleven (9/11)”. 

On this date each year, the sitting president directs that the American flag be flown at half-staff at individual American homes, at the White House, and on all US government buildings and establishments, at home and abroad. The President also asks Americans to observe a moment of silence beginning at 8:46 A.M. (EDT), the time the first plane struck the North Tower of the World Trade Center on Sep 11, 2001.

Many of our military personnel remain at dangerous posts around the world protecting the interests of the USA and its allied countries as we continue to fight against acts of aggression and terrorism.

"America was not built on fear.  America was built on courage, on imagination and an unbeatable determination to do the job at hand."  Harry S. Truman

As an authorized Quilts of Valor Group, we will try to do our part to provide comforting quilts that are a touch of home to combat personnel and veterans at the Poly-Trauma Unit of the James A. Haley VA Hospital.  You are very welcome to join us on Friday, Sep 14^th, at The Crafty Threads Quilt Shop, if you would like to be a part of this wonderful mission.

September Meeting Date – Friday, Sep 14th

The CT Quilters-Quilts of Valor Group will be meeting again next week.  Please plan to join us at the Crafty Threads Quilt Shop.   You can pick your favorite QOV projects to work on, or just show up and we’ll find a spot for you doing something that you will enjoy.  Don’t forget, sewing skills are not required.  There are lots of ways you can contribute to the making of a Quilt of Valor without sewing!

What’s likely to be going on this month:

Ø      A top is expected back in that will need borders sewn on,

Ø      We have two packages of the right number of blocks all ready to lay out and assemble into our normal design (called the Fourth of July),

Ø      We will need to sew the rows together of the quilt tops mentioned above,

Ø      We will continue work on the quilt in country colors (an alternative design),

Ø      We will check on the status of the kit blocks that have been returned – sew up some blocks (either A’s or B’s) if needed and assemble more packages ready to be laid out into quilt tops,

Ø      We will monitor the status of the pre-packaged kits to be set out in the Shop – possibly cut and assemble more kits if required,

Ø      We will have a lot of cutting to do, especially white (light) squares,

Ø      We will make up some pillowcases for presentation packages,

Ø      And – the usual disclaimer à whatever else comes up! (like ironing, binding, labeling – eventually they will all be needed)

So, as Pat says “we will need some rotary cutters, some sewing machines and some chocolate” (Pat is so eloquent and inspirational, too!).

Be sure and put Friday, Sep 14^th on your calendars right now.

 

We will be meeting from 10:00 – 2:00 at the Crafty Threads Quilt Shop (click on the link here or on the sidebar for address, phone and directions).  We’re always happy to see both new and old faces – so come on by and get in on the fun for a wonderful cause!

Happy Labor Day Weekend!

Here in the USA, Labor Day is a traditional day of rest and relaxation.  It became a Federal Holiday in 1894 and many take advantage of the three-day weekend to travel and enjoy many end-of-the-summer events like picnics, beach activities, and family get-togethers.

As a nation, we also take time to reflect on the services provided by our military service personnel.  It is our duty and privilege to support them as they continue to work and provide us with a secure environment.  We are grateful for their willingness to serve.

Proudly Featuring Our Quilters …

We’ve posted lots of pictures of our quilts in progress and our finished quilts, but now we’d like to highlight the remarkable contributions of the people who have ultimately made this possible - namely our machine quilters.  It has been said that “Quilting makes the Quilt”, and we can truthfully say that our quilts go out with every stitch speaking a special “thank you for your service” to the military personnel that receive them.

We have four quilters that have made our quilts very special:

Barb, Pat, Diane and Jan

We all owe a debt of gratitude to these ladies for the thought and care that goes into the designs that are quilted on these Quilts of Valor, and also for their time and commitment to ensuring quality heirloom quilts.  Oh, and we don’t want to forget to mention that Barb’s Dad is special to us also in that he tends the computer-aided process on occasion for Barb - ever vigilant for that annoying empty bobbin …. 

And, here’s a sampling of their products:

Barb from Crafty Threads Custom Embroidery and Longarm Quilting

Closeup of design being quilted by Barb in the photo above

Closeup of quilting design



Pat holding a quilted quilt waiting to be bound



Jan's Quilting

Closeup of Jan's quilting (on a home machine, not a longarm!)



Another item quilted - binding to be sewn down

 The CT Quilters Group thanks all

of our quilters so very much!

A Delivery - A Welcome and - A Good-bye

The CT Quilters were so pleased that we were able to put together and deliver another batch of quilts to the Poly-Trauma Unit of the James A. Haley VA Hospital here in Tampa, FL.    Pat (a founder and leader of the CT Quilters) delivered nine quilts for our group – Wahoo!

While at Haley, Pat discovered that Ronika, our liaison in Volunteer Services, has been promoted and will be leaving Haley and working in another state.  Congratulations to Ronika!  The CT Quilters want you to know that you will be missed down here in Tampa, but we wish you well with your new posting.

Dawn (l) and Ronika (r) with Patricia's Donated QOV

 And Pat was introduced to our new liaison, Dawn.  Dawn is a Volunteer at the VA from the American Legion Auxiliary.  We are pleased to be working with you now, Dawn, and we are happy to report that we already have more quilts in the works!

Here are some of the pictures of the preparation and delivery of the quilts. 

Quilts and Presentation Packages (pillowcases) being prepared

The volunteers reported that they were sorry that we couldn’t all see the joy on the recipient’s faces when they received their quilts, but we understand that security must remain tight and that privacy should be protected.  We just want each of these service personnel to know that we are trying to give them a piece of home and a touch of comfort.

Each quilt has a special label on the back

We also enclose a letter of thanks with each of the Quilts of Valor that we award so that the recipients know how much we value their service and sacrifice.  Each quilt is awarded in a pillowcase presentation package.

Stack ready to go with letters

Pat at Haley with the QOVs

And as a side note, we received a lovely letter of thanks from the Department of Veterans Affairs for our previous donation of quilts.  We feel privileged to be a part of the Quilts of Valor program and in turn, we thank the Dept and its volunteers for facilitating to get the quilts awarded to their new owners.

Pat has more news about their fall fundraiser and I will write more about that in another post!  Keep your eyes out …

Recap of 8/10/12 Meeting

Question:   If rising productivity means getting more output from less input,

 what do you get with more input instead of less?

Answer:     Plentiful abundance, that’s what!!

We were so fortunate this month to welcome four new members to our group and the various Quilts of Valor projects were all in high gear at the meeting:

v      We laid out blocks for three more tops from our favorite design (the Fourth of July by Bonnie Hunter) and numbered the rows ready to be sewn together next month

v      We cut and cut and cut:

-         Squares for “A Blocks”

-         Preparations for backings

-         Border strips

-         Binding strips

Cutting borders and hand sewing bindings

 v      We ironed and ironed and ironed:

-         Backings

-         Borders

-         Bindings

v      We sewed and sewed and sewed:

-         Borders

-         Bindings (by hand and by machine!)

-         Labels (by hand)

Sewing on borders and bindings

v      We assembled more “A Block” kits

Cutting blocks and kit assembly

v      We made packages of blocks ready to layout into more tops

v      We had a mini-tutorial on how to square up a quilt after it has been quilted (thank you, Barb from Crafty Threads!)

And, we were delighted to receive two completed tops that were made and donated by our members – these are now in line to be longarm quilted:

donated by Debbie

Mystery Quilt - donated by Kathy

♥         A special thank you to all of our at-home volunteers who continue to sign up to take and return our pre-assembled block kits – just drop in at the Crafty Threads Quilt Shop and sign out a few kits at your convenience.

♥         And another special thank you to those that have donated fabric to our group – it is greatly appreciated – we are always in need of 100% cotton red,  white or blue fabrics (and a special hug for our new member Sharon who brought in a lovely huge piece perfect for a quilt back)

We missed seeing some folks this meeting, but we look forward to hearing about your vacations and travels next time.  Just wanted you to know we’re thinking of you.

Our next meeting is tentatively scheduled for Friday, Sept 14^th … pencil this in on your calendars now (we will be confirming this date on or after Aug 25^th) – watch this spot and/or look for your email!

August Meeting – Friday, Aug 10th

The CT Quilters-Quilts of Valor Group’s meeting date is fast approaching!  Please plan to come to the Crafty Threads Quilt Shop on Friday, August 10th.  There are always a variety of projects in the works and everyone will be able to join in the fun (whether you can sew or not – it doesn’t matter)!

Some of the projects include:

¨       Layout blocks into quilt tops for our normal design, called the Fourth of July;  we still have packages of the right number of blocks all ready to lay out and assemble,

¨       Sew rows of the quilt tops mentioned above, some are already in stacks of rows and ready to sew together,

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

¨       Monitor the status of the pre-packaged kits – possibly cut and assemble more if required,

¨       Make up some pillowcases for presentation packages,

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

Definitely plan to attend and bring your sewing machine if you’d like to sew.

We meet from 10:00 – 2:00 at the Crafty Threads Quilt Shop (click on the link here or on the sidebar for address, phone and directions).  We’ve been very happy to welcome new members each month – so drop in and say hello!