A Letter from the Front Lines

I wanted to share this note - if came to the Region 8 coordinator, Susan Gordon and I thought you would like to see how QOV is making a difference in the soldiers lives.

Dear QOV Quilters: I have been receiving quite a few notes from the front lines recently in response to the quilts we have sent from this region. Today I received a handwritten note that I would like to share with all of you. These are Col. Young’s exact words:

13 July 2012

Dear Susan & Quilters,

This past Monday, 9 July, I was working at Bagram’s Craig Joint Theatre Hospital. I was examining a 44 y.o. National Guardsman who was in the ICU. 

He was in his skivvies and cold. A nurse brought him a beautiful red, white, and blue quilt and your card was attached. I pulled the quilt over him and took the card so I could write a Thank you in his behalf. He left that evening for Landstuhl Regional Med Ctr, but your quilt will be with him until he reaches home. 

I know the many hours it takes for you to make these quilts and I want to thank all of you for your generosity and patriotism. 

Gratefully

Col Richard You

We may never know just which quilt this young (young to me) National Guardsman received, but every day the quilts you are making are covering our wounded warriors and giving them both comfort and warmth at possibly the most difficult time in their lives. Thank you for your devotion to our most worthy cause. Every day when I count my blessings I think of all of you and your talented hands and generous hearts.

Susan Gordon

Thank you for all you do

Remember - freedom is not free!

~ Renee

Getting super excited!!

Starting on Friday and going through Sunday I will be attending a QOV retreat in Tocca, GA!! I am looking forward to spending some time sewing away on the presentation quilt. I am also looking forward to getting some more ideas on things we can do with our own group.

Here is what I decided to make: a red, white and blue bear paw. These 2 gals inspired me with this picture they posted on the QOV Facebook page. Just so happens they are from Michigan and live near where I grew up!

I designed my version of this quilt in EQ7 and have all the 1/2 square triangles sewn together. I just need to square them up. I will post once I get something done that is worth looking at! LOL

Due to scheduling conflicts at Cottontail Quilt our meeting this month has been moved to the 27th starting at 9:30. I sure hope you can make it.

We are going to be making some changes with the schedule starting at the beginning of the year, so stay tuned.

Come and sew with us - it's always a good time for a great cause!

~Remember - freedom is never free
Renee

We have a presentation to do!!

Well ladies - seeing as the Taste of Kennesaw is going on this weekend, Cottontail Quilts has decided to close. The amount of people and traffic on the downtown event days makes it almost impossible for anyone to get quilting done! LOL So, I am afraid to say, no meeting again.

I do have some great news though - I was contacted by the Region 8 coordinator asking me to do a Quilts of Valor presentation!! 

Seems there has been a sister nominate her brother - a Viet Nam veteran. He lives in Cartersville. The sister has asked to be present (she lives out of town) and we will be working out a time and location for the presentation once she is scheduled to come into town!! WHOO HOOO!!! 

So...we need a quilt to present to him. I have some military themed fabric that I bought, and thought to design around that - some of it is panels. 

If anyone would like to get together, before Octobers meeting, let me know. 

In the mean time - keep those machines stitching.

Thanks for all you do!

Until later,

Renee

This just in from national...

I received this urgent request from QOVF National so I thought it best to pass it on. This is copied right from Marcella's email:

Just a heads up that the fighting in Afghanistan is very fierce right now leading to a substantial increase in the number of wounded. As such, the number of quilts requested by the standing weekly destinations has increased from 65 to 105 EVERY WEEK in just the last month. The increase by 40 quilts a week includes the addition of the ICU unit at Landstahl in Germany (15 quilts a week), the addition of the medical unit at FOB Shank-East in Afghanistan (20 quilts a week) and doubling the number of quilts going to the multinational medical unit at Kandahar Air Field in Afghanistan (to 10 a week). These quilts all go to front line wounded service members. There is no concern about whether they have already received a QOV or not.

Sadly, we will fall far short of meeting this need since the 65 quilts a week wasn't even being fulfilled. These destinations request patriotic/RWB only. I'm not asking for a debate here about RWB vs generic/branch specific/feminine. I'm just telling you what the Points of Contact have requested.

If you would like to help meet this need, please request a destination at
http://www.qovf.org/req-destination.html.

Marcella Pirner-Cormier
Destination Coordinator
Quilts of Valor Foundation



I know this can sound overwhelming, but as another QOV quilter said - it is like eating an elephant - one bite at a time. Come to the July meeting if you have time, we can use the help.

Thanks for all you do!
Remember - freedom is not free
~ Renee

My little red wagon

Last month was a bit of a struggle to bring all the "stuff" up to the meeting room for for QOV (Robin was generous to lend me her rolling cart). Just as we were wrapping things up, I saw another quilter come in, and she was pulling a little red wagon - that collapes. GENIUS!! I HAD to have one. Certainly Robin is OK with lending me her cart, but what if I should go some place else with all my "stuff"? So, it was my mission to get one of these - Aldi has them. Now I feel better. I love to be organized and all my QOV "stuff" fits in the wagon. 

The great thing with the "stuff" in this wagon - it is meant to share with all of you. Can you guess what is in the big box? Come and join us on the 16th and see for yourself! I can guarantee you won't be disappointed.

Remember - Freedom is not Free

~ Renee

What Should I Bring?

We have had more quilters inquire about the sew-in's and I am excitedly hoping that the group will be growing.
The main question I am getting is: "what should I bring with me?" Here is a list:

1. Your sewing machine.
2. Rotary cutter and ruler(s).
3. Basic sewing supplies: scissors, thread, machine needles, pins, etc.
4. Fabric and or batting donations: if you feel you can part with some stash, we will gladly put in the "community" stash for upcoming projects. Please refer to the fabric standards for the QOV - 100% cotton, quilt shop quality fabric only. No poly batting.
5. A lunch or snack - we do sew until 1:30, and there is a small restaurant nearby should you want to order from them.
6. Suggestions and ideas for fundraisers and quilt patterns.

Here is what the group is furnishing:

1. Iron/ironing board.
2. Some muslin squares for string blocks.
3. Some stash for the string blocks.
4. Lots of fun!

Should you want your own cutting surface, bring that. Due to the nature of this historical building, the electrical circuits will only handle a couple of irons at a time, so too many will blow the breaker, causing a temporary black out. 

I have gone through another box of "scrap" and will bring this with me, adding to the increasing variety of fabric to pick through. I think this is half the fun! I will also, bring a couple of design walls. If you know of someone that is not a sewer/quilter, bring them along. We would love to get them involved and there are plenty of ways to help.

Come and sew with us on June 16th! It is sure to be a ton-o-fun

Remember - freedom is not free

~ Renee

ACK! The last of the clues...

I have come to realize that I need to be better about following up on the blog posts! Seems I missed the last of the clues for the mystery quilt Persimmon Quilts is doing, so here they are -  6 and 7 - are posted. I should put blogging on my calendar - I have a memory like a sieve!

Hope you have all your blocks done and on the way to a completed top!

Freedom is not free...
~ Renee