Quilts of Valor

Every Monday, you can find a group of dedicated women talking, laughing and piecing quilts.  They are involved in a labor of love, a local Quilts of Valor chapter.  The mission of QOV is to provide a quilt to all service members "touched by war" in one manner or another.

I connected with this local chapter several years ago when my interest in quilting was just picking up and I was between jobs.  I attended several of their sewing days and made a few quilts.  When I started working again, I had to drop out for a few years.  After retiring from my day job and getting a longarm machine, I got back in touch and volunteered to be one of the longarm quilters for the local group.  Kathy Fruhner, coordinator of the local group, was so welcoming and encouraging - particularly since I was a novice longarmer.  She encouraged me to try out new patterns and techniques, giving me total artistic freedom - a scary thought!  It's been great fun coming up with designs for these quilts.  I've also found some patterns that I liked so well I've used them on quilts for customers.  They've loved them, too.

Next week (Friday, May 14, 9 - 5 and Sunday, May 16 at 9:00 and 10:30 a.m. services), there will be a display of at least 160 quilts completed by this chapter since last Fall.  The quilts will be displayed in the sanctuary of the Community Church of Columbus, where the group meets.  They now have two displays a year and typically have had between 130 - 150 quilts to display each time.  The quilts are then distributed to various Veteran's Hospitals or other locations where the distribution is made to those wounded serving our country. 

Kathy holding up the quilt I dropped off today.

  Today's gathering was typical of many of the days I stop by to deliver or pick up quilts.  There were already several quilters hard at work and while I was there others came in.  Check out these pictures!!

Here's Janet Ritzline adding the binding to a quilt.  I really like the circle swirls - going to have to see if the gadget I have can do those types of things.  Haven't even had a chance to try it out yet.

Joyce Jones is chain piecing blocks together.   She came in while I was getting other pictures.  Didn't take her long to get set up and started sewing.

Vickie Smith (left) and Donna Higgins (right).  I worked with Donna at Cummins for several years and never knew she was a quilter until I bumped into her at on a QOV sew day.

Rosie Collins is adding a pocket to the back side of a quilt.  A note from the local QOV group goes in each pocket with the names of those involved in that quilt.  Kathy keeps meticulous records to keep all that information straight!

Martha Tuttle is doing one of those things that I really appreciate - pressing a quilt top before sending it on its way to a longarmer.  It is so nice to get these quilts as they are always nicely pressed and I don't have to worry about that step.  Thanks, ladies!

Mary Sublette interrupted her sewing to show me the wonderful christening gowns she made for her great grandchildren.  She had two to show me.  The one she's holding has Shark's Teeth around the bottom edge. 

Shark's Teeth - on the gown made by Mary Sublette.  First you make the folds - not what she called them but I can't remember the term - and then you snip the folds strategically and turn the snipped edges under to form the triangles.  She also did some needle tatting around the collar and arms.  The work involved absolutely took my breath away.

Alice Corya (in the dark jacket on the left) talks with Flossie.  Happy Birthday, Alice!

Sherry Campbell is Alice Corya's daughter.  She's holding the cupcakes that Alice baked to celebrate her 84th birthday!  Wasn't that great of Alice to bake her own birthday cupcakes? 

Flossie Lock, a 95 year old quilter, takes huge stacks of fabric blocks home.  Keeping enough cut blocks to send home with Flossie is a full time job in itself!  She then sorts them into groupings and assembles the quilt tops.  Flossie brings in at least 6 quilts every few weeks.  That's Flossie's daughter Betty Christman holding one of Flossie's latest creations.

What I've found is that althought I still enjoy looking at and buying fabric and making quilts, the part I REALLY enjoy is quilting!  Participating as a longarmer for this local QOV chapter has been a way for me to test design ideas, play with new threads, do the quilting on many more quilts than I could ever make myself.  At the same time, it's humbling to support a mission that provides tangible evidence to our service members how much they are appreciated.  But the best blessing is getting to know and appreciate all of the quilters who are involved in this local chapter.  There were 12 women there today and there are at least that many more women and at least one gentleman I know who participate in this chapter as their time allows.  They are all wonderful and very talented people.

This QOV chapter is able to keep several longarm quilters busy.  It's a treat to see all of the different quilting designs these talented individuals use.  So if you're anywhere near Columbus May 15 - 16, stop by the Community Church of Columbus to see the latest batch of quilts.

Cheers!
Margaret