No Soldier Forgotten Quilt of Valor 2010

No Soldier Forgotten QOV project 2010

As you can tell from the side bar I am again collecting quilts for the Wounded Warriors Unit at Fort Carson in Colorado. Last year we were able to make 3 different deliveries and get every wounded soldier a Quilt of Valor. It was totally awesome. This year we are doing it a little differently, which might make numbers harder to track – but I believe that we can do it.
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Because warriors transition in and out of the unit quite regularly we are trying to get quilts to those who need them as we can. So I am working on estimates, and requests. In January, the Specialist that I am working with estimates that we will need 125 quilts, in March he estimates that we will need another 115 quilts. This is based on last year’s turnover rate. That is as far out as he has estimated.
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So based on the numbers at the side bar – we should be covered thru until March, but then – I will be low on quilts. Thankfully, many of you have been piecing, I have a couple of sewing groups here that piece quilts, and of course my 5th grade kids have been piecing quilts. I have had some great volunteers offer to long-arm quilt some of them for us, and I have a group of binders. I used to be able to call them all gals, but we have expanded and have a male. I call them the Binding Buddies. It’s awesome! And yes, I have probably used that word a lot – can you help me with more words that convey the awesomeness that is quilters? So we are always working. My own personal goal for January is to Long arm Quilt 15 Quilts of Valor. (because – yes I have that many tops here)
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Monday, I made backings for 6 quilts and got those sent out to other long-armers. The numbers will keep growing…. But there is still a need….
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So this is my plea.
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At this time of year everyone makes resolutions to do things, get more done, lose weight, etc. Won’t you consider putting in your New Years Resolutions to make One Quilt of Valor? If you are already involved in Quilts of Valor, I am not asking you to shift your focus – keep on keeping on! Make as many as you can.
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If you are not involved in Quilts of Valor, HERE IS YOUR CHANCE. Or if you are looking for a home for an un-quilted quilt top, here is your chance to fling it off and let it be loved!!
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The Quilt of Valor organization has a great set up. So you can get a quilt finished in various ways. Go check out the Quilt of Valor website – http://www.qovf.org/ and you will find a way to request a Long armer to finish the quilt. All sorts of info is there.
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Right now I have a lot of tops to finish. If there is a chance to utilize other volunteer long arm quilters that would be just awesome ( yep, there is that word again) But if you want to send your tops to me, I will be glad to take them, just know that there is a queue ahead of them, and truly soldiers would get quilts faster if we could flood the volunteer long arm system that Catherine has set up on the QOVF.org site.
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I am all in to making this easy!
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If you have a finished quilt, and you want to get it to a soldier, you can always go back to the QOVF site and request a destination. There are TONS of soldiers out there. If you want yours to go to a wounded warrior here in Colorado, you can send it to me.
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We take the quilts in pillowcases (called presentation cases) and have journals and letters in them. Now this is another area that I have been blessed in… I have volunteers that have been making these pillowcases JUST FOR THESE QUILTS. It’s Awesome I tell ya! At first I was very worried, quite a few quilts came in last year without pillowcases – I thought I am going to be sewing forever… but then my Heartstrings Quilt Project quilt group (http://www.heartstringquiltproject.com/) stepped up, and then the Middle School CFS class joined in, and then a quilt guild in Pueblo (Thanks Carol) stepped up. But honestly – do you expect anything less from quilters? These are the best people in the WORLD!!
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So again – back to my plea. Will you please consider making at least ONE QUILT OF VALOR for 2010? There are numerous stories on my website, on the QOVF blog, ( http://quiltsofvalor.wordpress.com/ )
in other blogs about how much these quilts mean to the soldiers. It is the best gift, and the best feeling to be able to provide that gift to them.
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The other day we delivered some Quilts of Valor, and a soldier told me this quote. He wasn’t sure who said it.
"HONOR is writing a check to your Country, for the sum of “All or part of your life”" . I believe that providing quilts to these soldiers is another way to Honor what they have done for our country.
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Questions? Fire away in the comments and I will try to answer them to the best of my ability.
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Above all - HAPPY NEW YEAR

Alycia and the crew