One of the most rewarding things I do as a quilter is my work with Quilts of Valor. Last year I had children decorate and print messages on six and a half inch of muslin with crayons and markers for future Quilts of Valor. I write some of words on a portable dry erase board such as Thank you, hero, etc… so the children will spell their message correctly. Also so I don’t have to spell the same word dozens of times throughout the event. I also tell them that they can’t have guns or blood in their pictures because some of our soldiers and people who were soldiers don’t want to see that on their quilt everyday. I tell them “This is a special quilt that says thank you and lets them know we love them and what they have done so we can be free to play and do what we like to do without worrying. These are going to be happy quilts!” The blocks below were decorated by children during VBS last summer at a local church I attend. In November the quilts made from all 79 blocks will be awarded to Veterans and Active Duty Warriors that have been touched by war throughout our community. One of the quilts will hang in a special Quilts of Valor display at the Bell County Museum in Belton Texas. The quilts will be on display from September 2, 2017 – November 10, 2017. There will be a special award ceremony on Veterans Day November 11th at 2:00 pm at the museum where the quilts that were on display will be awarded.
Later this month just days before school ends for the summer months I will be participating in an all day event where all the children from an elementary school on Ft. Hood will be decorating squares and learning about quilting and Quilts of Valor. This event is career day and the children go from room to room and learn about different careers. I will then incorporate those squares into QOV and return to the school next year to award the quilts. I am having the children be part of the awarding, with the older children reading the certificates and the younger helping with wrapping the recipient in the quilts. I think this will be an awesome experience for everyone and a great opportunity to teach the children and help them to grow up with a grateful heart and great respect for our military men and women.
Well I better go and cut some more squares, I will need 550 and currently have 250 ready.
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