Hello everyone. announced in the last newsletter that QOV has reached the 10,000 mark and what an accomplishment that is! Thanks to everyone who has helped to achieve this goal.    A fairly new aspect of the QOV process is the addition of a journal to the service member in ad- dition to the quilt and the letter.    I am hoping that you all are taking the time to include a journal and would love to hear from you.    Please send examples of your journal entries to me and I’ll be glad to publish them in the QOV newsletter. Your journal ideas might be helpful to someone else who is struggling with this part of the process. 

Connecting the threads between QOV quilters and recipients:

Notes from the Journal Guru By Susan C. Slaninka

Gratitude Journaling

This month’s idea is a gratitude journal. There is nothing more helpful to write on a bad day than a gratitude journal. I know that in one of my journals I found myself complaining about my “bad day” and then quickly realized that my “bad day” was nothing in comparison to what these service members probably experience most every day while serving in Iraq/Afghanistan. I can’t imagine what that must be like.

I try to write at least five things for which I am grateful every day, and most days I quickly realize that my life is very good. The gratitude journal has helped me to put a “bad day” in perspective rather quickly. A friend of mine in doing a gratitude journal used a technique that I thought might be fun to try. She tried to find something to be grateful about using the alphabet starting with A and going all the way to Z, so one day I tried that and this is what showed up in my journal. Hope you will give it a try too.
A    my sister Angela, a positive attitude, art work, acceptance
B    My condo at the beach
C    my daughter Chris, my grandson Carlo, my sister Claudia
D    Dad, oh how I wish he was still here, dolphins
E    lots of energy and enthusiasm, everyone who adds to my life
F    family and friends, flowers, especially in the spring, my faith
G   gratitude for my life
H   health, humor, hope, happiness
I    my college roommate Irene, intelligence
J    Joy
K    my sister Kathy
L    Love and laughter
M    MOM, my sister Mary Lynn, and my dog Mickey
N    Novels, I love to read! Wonderful neighbors
O    the ocean and opera
P    My son Paul, my painting classes, pasta, passion for living
Q    Quality of life, quilting, Quilts of Valor Foundation
R    My daughter in law Rosalie, semi-retirement
S    serenity, spring and summer; all my students
T    Travel and the theater, my daughter’s boyfriend Todd, trees
U    usefulness
V    Villanova W    Walks on the beach
X    Excellent people in my life
Y    yellow roses, no more yard-work
Z    zest for living

Give this a try and see how many things you can come up with in your life. We have so much to be grateful for and writing a gratitude list allows us to see that more clearly. Have a wonderful month!

 

CONNECTING THE THREADS

Notes from the Journal Guru By Susan C. Slaninka

I thought that I would spend this month talking a bit about setting the stage for journal writing as you work on your Quilts of Valor. I have an image of each of you as you set up your work space to sew your Quilts of Valor. Hopefully, you have a Quilts of Valor tote bag that carries all the essentials to work on the quilt:    material, needles, thread, pin cushion and pins, thimble, quilt blocks, patterns and pattern pieces, quilting magazines, etc. You play a CD and relax into the couch or your favorite chair (with good lighting of course) and you work on your quilts.    Each stitch is done with love as you imagine the person who will receive the Quilt of Valor at the end of the process. I know that so much thought goes into each quilt.

How does this apply to journaling?

Think of the journal as part of the set of essentials that you need to prepare the Quilt of Valor for your serviceman or woman. Perhaps you could get yourself a nice set of stationary (I have some wonderful patriotic paper that I found with stars all around the edge), and a good pen (I like pens with a fine point that glide across the page).

Just as you set the stage to quilt, you can prepare to journal. Think of it as a special time to communicate with the person that will receive the Quilt of Valor. Your entries need not be long or tremendously detailed, just from the heart. Catherine has indicated that the recipients “love receiving the journals as much as they love the quilts.” The journals offer the service-member a window into your life and enables them to picture you as they are surrounded by the love and comfort of their quilt.

I hope that you will send me some ideas regarding what works for you as you journal. Please share them by emailing scsvu@juno.com and I’ll be glad to include them in a future column.

 

March 2007

Connecting the Threads Between QOV Quilters and Recipients

Submitted by Susan C. Slaninka

Some of you most certainly remember receiving a present of a “diary” with a key when you were young. I would open the diary to the first page and begin to write my “most private thoughts.” In those early days, most of my diary entries were about what boy I liked, what teacher made me work too hard, or what record I liked (yes, we had records when I was little....not tape cassettes and not CDs...but 45 rpm records!).    I have to mention here that the boy I liked was Rick, the teacher who made me work hardest was Mrs. Ownsby, and my favorite singer was Paul Anka (my daughter is laughing as she reads that last part of this line!)

As I grew older, my “diaries” became “journals” and I filled journal after journal with my daily activities, but more importantly with my thoughts and feelings about my life. Journals became very therapeutic for me as I found myself sharing things that I might not share with anyone else.    Journaling was a different way of processing what was happening in my life and I found that the pen often times had a mind of its own.    I would start just “free writing” and find that some very significant stuff was com- ing out on the page. When Catherine suggested that we begin to add journals to our Quilt of Valor experience, I was thrilled with the idea. I like what she wrote in the December issue of the QOV news- letter, “that simple entry will allow your recipient a glimpse into your life, letting them know you are a real per- son living a real life who is also think- ing of them and doing something.” It was clear that the journals allowed the recipient to have a human connection with the person who had so lovingly created the QOV.    Catherine began to hear reports that the recipients liked the journals almost as much as the quilts!    They enjoyed hearing even the mundane things that we all do as we work on these quilts. In a recent conversation with Catherine, I men- tioned how much I enjoyed the jour- naling part of this experience and she suggested I write an article for the newsletter, so here I am.

The Journaling Process

First of all, I write all my journals by hand, rather than on the computer. Most people can read my handwriting and I decided this would give the journal a personal touch. I do most of my journals at night just be- fore I go to bed. I found myself sur- prised at some of the things I was sharing, some just ordinary entries like what I did today, some reflections on other military people I have known, and some attempt at connec- tion with this person it was likely I would never meet. I decided that the best way to talk about this with you was to simply share some of my jour- nal entries with you. This is just a small sample of the kinds of sharing I have done.

Journal entries explaining the QOV process:
“This QOV is truly a team project. The material for this quilt was cut out by my friend and quilt teacher, Karen Zimmerman. She has been clearing out the stacks of material that she has in her house and making QOV packets ready to be quilted.    It has made this process easier for me and she sometimes challenges me with a new pattern (always the teacher).    I sew together the quilt top and the backing which is the fun part for me. The quilt then travels to a longarm quilter who actually puts the quilt top, batting, and backing together by quilt- ing it on a machine.    Doing this part on machine allows the quilts to get to you much quicker. The quilt makes a trip back to me for the binding, the label, and the journal.    The last step is logging on to the QOV website to find out where the quilt is going and fi- nally to you! This whole process allows each of us to connect with each other and with you and your quilt. We all put so much love into this pro- ject.”
“I spent the evening marking the ␣ inch seams on each of the pieces of your quilt. Some people find this task tedious, but I find it very meditative and calming. I try to al- ways work on your quilt with love and compassion going into every stitch.”
“Finished sewing each of the 20 blocks in this pattern tonight. To- morrow I will spend most of the eve- ning sewing the blocks together in rows and then each row together to make the large quilt.    It’s almost done.    Hope you like blue!”

Journal entries trying to connect with their experience:
“Can’t help but think about who is going to be receiving this quilt and hoping you will like it. No thanks required for sure; in fact, the quilt is our THANK YOU for all you have done. I can’t imagine what it must be like to be in a war zone. The people that I know who have been to Iraq
don’t really talk about it much.    I’m hopeful that this quilt will pave the way to your healing and that you may share your experiences with those who care about you.”
“It’s hot here in Florida today and I find myself uncomfortable with the heat of the quilt material on my lap. I quickly find myself imagining you in full gear in Iraq during the really hot season and wondering what I have to complain about. Thanks once again for your service to our country.”
“Watched an interview of Bob Woodruff, the news anchor who was injured in Iraq. He has truly made a remarkable recovery from his Total Brain Injury experience, but it took a lot of work on his part and the support of his family and the health care team to get where he is today. It made me think of all the wounded men and women from this war.    SO SAD....When will it be over? I decided to make one of my QOV an “I Spy” quilt that might be used for peo- ple with brain injuries.    It turns out that my quilt teacher had the same idea!

Journals sharing about other servicemen and women:
“My college roommate’s Mom helped me today when I was laying the blocks out to make a pattern. Did I mention that her husband was a vet- eran of WWII with the CBI (China, Burma, and India) initiative and she is still an active member of that group? They all went to Washington DC when the dedication of the WWII Memorial occurred. It was a moving and powerful experience for them. Some day there will likely be a me- morial for the War on Terror as well.”
“My Mom has been very in- terested in this project.    She was a code breaker during WWII and my Dad served in the United States Army in the Aleutian Islands so we all have a special place in our hearts for the military who serve our country. Good night and don’t let the bed bugs bite. That’s what my Mom used to say to me when I was little.”
“My college roommate was in the US Army Nurse Corps during the Vietnam era. She was stationed at Walter Reed Medical Center where many of you are presently being ad- mitted. We have attended the Memo- rial Day concert held on the Capitol lawn in Washington DC. When they play the different service anthems and the servicemen/women stand up, I get tears in my eyes and am so proud of her and of you!”
Journal entries about typical, every day activities:
“It was warm today and so I got some sun by the pool and read a novel. I’m reading Perfect Match by Jodi Picoult. If you like to read, this is a great book and she is a wonderful writer. Did another six blocks for your quilt today. The pattern goes pretty quickly.”
“I visited the Gamble House today for a tour. This was the retreat home for the Gambles of Procter and Gamble.    You may have heard of them. One of the cottages on the property is modeled after the cottage in Snow White. They even had seven beds in the loft marked for the Seven Dwarfs. Let’s see if I can remember them all: Doc, Happy, Sleepy, Dopey, Grumpy, Sneezy, and ........... I can never remember them all the first time I try.....oh, I remember now, Bashful. Well, off to bed for me too. I finished 7 quilts blocks tonight for your quilt.”
“Decided to explore a bit to- day and found a great museum in Daytona that had an exhibit of An- thony Quinn’s paintings and sculp- tures. I knew he was a great actor but had no idea that he was so varied in his talents. The extra bonus at the museum was a quilt exhibit that wasn’t even advertised.    There were over 100 quilts with lots of different patterns that I have yet to try out. It was a fun day. Finished five more quilt blocks tonight.” Finally:

Thank you for the opportunity to share this experience with you. I do hope that you will all consider add- ing the journal to your QOV. I’m sure that you will find yourself connecting with this person who ultimately receives the QOV.    Think of it as another piece of thread that connects us together.

 

Jan 08

NOTES FROM THE JOURNAL GURU

by: Susan Slanika

The idea for this month’s column comes from Barbara Jack who shared this idea of “writing a letter to a friend” as a tool that has worked for
her. The following is an excerpt from Barbara’s letter.    

“Hi, Well, I guess the journal was the hardest part of preparing a QOV, but I hit upon a formula that helps me. I make it in the form of a letter to a friend.
   
I begin by mentioning why I am sewing this pattern (a mystery from the yahoo club, a wonderful fabric I had to use, or my own favorite pattern.) I add a photo sometimes of the pile of loose fabric and always one of the quilt top on my sewing machine. I just stop while constructing the quilt and take a photo. I talk about why I do this and how I think of the person who will one day hold the quilt and pray while I sew for my seams to be straight and the recipient to be able to stand straight even if it is from a wheel chair ....(they know what I mean!)
   
I tell about my husband’s cancer scare and how we promised to find something to laugh about each day no matter what. I share with them that this not always easy. I include a photo of my husband and son fishing or hunting depending on the season, and how we have a very different diet than “normal” people because of their hobby. I put other things in the letter that I think they may laugh at or something to take their minds off what is going on for them for a few seconds. I end with my prayer for them to find happiness and safety from this day forward.
I include a photo of me sewing so they can see the “old” lady who cares for them from afar.
   
Once I got started, it really wasn’t all that hard to write a letter to a friend. Each letter is similar, but always has something specific pertaining to their quilt so they do not feel like they are getting a “form letter.”
I hope this helps.”    

I hope that others of you in the QOV family will share your journaling ideas by sending them to Susan C. Slaninka at scsvu@juno.com.

 

Feb 08

NOTES FROM THE JOURNAL GURU

by: Susan Slanika

As you know, I have asked that our readers share with me on email successful tips about the journals you all are writing as part of your QOVF efforts. As we share with each other, hopefully our QOV quilters will continue to journal as well as quilt for our wounded.    Katherine has been so encouraged by how much these journals mean to our service personnel. I am so pleased that some of you have been thoughtful enough to share your ideas with me so that I can pass them on to our readers. Many thanks to Maureen McNamara who shared the following email with me and agreed that I could include it in my column this month.
“Yes, I found that journaling was the hardest thing to do also, since I didn’t know the personality of the recipient...but then it dawned on me.    I do know their personality!    I am a retired military female whose husband was a Vietnam Vet, whose father and brothers were also full time Air National Guard members as was I.    I have lots of alumni brothers and sisters in my realm of friends...and therefore I do know their personality.
I usually write the journal as a memoir type letter, adding in that my cat “Ringer” has added to the quilt.    Every time that I turn around, he is laying on my material or the quilt, so many loving cat hairs could be part of this quilt.    I also send a picture of Ringer and I and also one of me at my sewing machine.    I’m a new quilter so I always
apologize for any small mistakes someone finds....but that’s just the added LOVE I send with the quilt. I always do something backwards as my signature, so I tell them about that also.    It might be a pattern that is turned around or a color that is added in one block.    I’m sure that it’s fun for them to figure that out.
Thanks QOV for giving me a way to keep on fighting with my brothers and sisters.

PS to Catherine:    You are not wrong on how you decide who gets the QOV....Every service person that has gone overseas has been hurt in one way or another...trust me, I know!!!!

 

Mar 08

CONNECTING THE THREADS BETWEEN QOVF QUILTERS AND RECIPIENTS
NOTES FROM THE JOURNAL GURU

BY: SUSAN C. SLANINKA

“My name isT. I’m in the Army and I was injured while serving in Iraq. I will spare you the details of my wounds, but one of the things that makes it easier for me is the quilt you have made for me. I received the quilt while I was in Germany and it has been with me ever since. It not only keeps me warm when I’m cold; it comforts me during my difficult times. I’m twenty-four, a husband, and a father and this may seem childish, but when I get scared with memories of the war, I curl up in the quilt and everything goes away. It helps me and the hundreds of wounded from this war to know there are people in the states that care about us and what we do..

I close with this recent request for a QOV from a marine mother for her son. Perhaps her words will touch and inspire you to take on the mantle of a wartime quilter.
This time away was very hard on him and all of us. Prior to leaving, he lost a friend in a training accident. While he was in Iraq, he lost two more buddies that we know of. He rarely discusses his time over there and since his return, often has a difficult time sleeping. A warm quilt to snuggle with may be just what he needs to help get his sleeping back in order, that and a lot of prayer; which I, his mom, do often. Thank-you for your precious time and dedication to our fine men and women who serve.
Still at war; still quilting,
Catherine Roberts, 0/10

“My name is C and I was wounded while on a mission to Iraq. I was one of the lucky ones; I survived. Much of my unit did not. Sometimes I feel guilty that I survived and they didn’t. When I was told that I was going to receive one of the Quilts of Valor, at first I refused it. I didn’t feel like I was “wounded”; after all, I was just doing my job.    The nurses on the unit convinced me that I did deserve to receive a quilt and shared with me that it might help me heal.    Well, I have to say this big Marine cried like a baby when they gave me my quilt. Thank you to all of you who are sharing your talents and love with us in this way. It is so appreciated by those of us who have been overseas.    Just knowing that someone cares is so important.”

These quotes are just a sampling of the many quotes seen on the Quilts of Valor website. Some quotes are from recipients and others are from family members, health care personnel, or chaplains who share their feelings about the Quilts of Valor. There is no question that the quilts are making a difference in the lives of the wounded service men and women.
I suspect that each of us would have a different reaction to these two quotes, but I have to say that one of the things that came to my mind is how much pain these young men and women have gone through in this conflict    and    continue    to experience when they return home.    I found myself responding as a “Mom” to their quotes and want to write them to let them know that someone indeed does care about them!

Yes, that’s what the journal is all about.    Take some time each day that you work on your quilt to share your life with the person who will be receiving the quilt. Catherine tells me that the journals make as much of a difference as the quilt does. Through reading our journals, these military men and women are able to picture us working on their quilts.    Reading the journals helps them connect with the person “who cared enough about them” to sew and send them a quilt. I know that we all have busy lives and that even finding the time to make a quilt is difficult, but take that extra minute for a guy like “T” who is scared at night and might be comforted by your journal or “C” who cried when he received his quilt and journal.

 

Dec 09

Connecting the threads from quilters to quilt recipients

By Susan C. Slaninka

Here are several takes on this thing called journaling which I have tried to camouflage by calling it a‘little letter’, ‘anecdotal stories’ and such.    Whatever it ends up being called, your written thoughts become just as loved and coveted as the quilt itself.


Thanks to all of you for your wonderful efforts in piecing, quilting, and mailing your quilts to the Quilts of Valor. There is no question presentation of these quilts makes a difference in the lives of our mili- tary personnel.    The word from the field is that it is the journals that make Quilts of Valor special.    The recipients are thrilled to find out something person about the person who gave this wonderful gift to them.    They love reading the labels on the quilts and also love reading the jour- nals included with the quilt.
Here are just two examples of    journal entries from one of our faithful quilters: “I started a new Quilt of Valor today and decided to make this one a patriotic quilt. The red, white and blue colors are so vi- brant and these patriotic quilts seem to be very popular with the recipients.    I spent quite a bit of time searching for just the right fabrics and even included some fabrics with some texture to them for those of you who are visually impaired.    I love working on this project and canʼt wait to get started with the stitching. Itʼs chilly here today and I feel like I need a quilt
myself to keep me warm.    Iʼm trying to imagine you in the future with this quilt wrapped around you like a big hug from Quilts of Valor.    Know that this quilt was made with a lot of love in every stitch and that when you put it around you, the hug the quilt gives you is straight from me. Thank you so much for your service to our country.    There are no words to de- scribe my appreciation for your service so I hope this quilt can show you a little bit of how I feel.” “Today was a rainy day here in Florida. What a great day to pull out the quilt and start stitching.    Iʼm missing my children today. They live across the country and I donʼt get to see them as much as I would like. I started to cry a bit and was feeling a bit sorry for myself and then I thought to myself what it must be like for your par- ents knowing that you have been in harmʼs way as you serve in the military. Iʼm sure they canʼt wait to see you back in the United States safe and sound. That is what we hope for all of you.” Iʼm sure that you can see how powerful these entries would be for the person re- ceiving a Quilt of Valor.    Try to take just a little time to add this piece to your quilting time.    THANKS SO MUCH!

Journaling    Made Easy    (Or at least Easier)

By Louise T
When I started making quilts for Quilts of    Valor I kept an actual hand written journal as I went. I documented the steps in making the quilt, my thoughts as I was doing it, and the dates.    However, this process became old fast. Since I often work on several projects at once I just could not keep up with the journals. However, I feel strongly that some sort of documentation is needed. Otherwise the donation becomes impersonal. So I de- cided to write    letters to the recipients on my computer.    I tell them a little about myself and I ask the Longarmer to give me some information about her to in- clude, as well.    I also describe the proc- ess of making a quilt and some tidbits about the particular quilt they are receiv- ing. Here is the EASY part.    I have a “stock” letter on my computer that I can easily use for any quilt. All I have to do is make a few changes: The name and date of the quilt, info about the Longarmer and some notes about the particular quilt I am donating.    I feel so much better knowing that there is some personal connection between us and the man or woman who receives our quilt.    I hope you will con- sider including a Journal with your quilts!

Louise T
Lafayette, California

Louise’s example of her stock letter.

 

January 22, 2009
My name is Louise T. and I live in Lafayette, California, near San Francisco. I was born and raised in the Bay Area, and went to the University of California where I met my husband, Jim. After graduating from college, Jim and I moved to Connecticut to take a job.    We only planned to stay there “for a couple of years”, but it turned out to be 26 years.    I guess we
really liked it there!    We moved back to the Bay Area in 2000 to take care of our elderly parents.    We have one daughter, Julia, who is married and lives nearby – but no grandkids yet!    I have had a few different careers over the years but now I am fortunate to be retired so I have time to do the thing I love most – quilting!

I have been sewing since I was a little girl.    I made most of my own clothes for many years, but at some point I got hooked on quilting and I never looked back.    So I have been making quilts for over 25 years. I have made quilts for friends and family, I have made quilts for sale.    Now I am honored to be making quilts for our wonderful service men and women.
In the Quilts of Valor program “many hands make light work”.    One person makes the quilt top, another person does the quilting, and other people organize who does what and determine where the finished quilts will be sent.

Making a quilt takes many steps.    The first step is to find a pattern, or design your own pattern. I design many of    my own patterns.    Next you need to find the fabrics to make the quilt. This is one of my favorite parts – finding fabrics that are suitable for the pattern and go nicely together.    I buy fabrics at quilt shows, lo- cal quilt shops and online. When I start a new quilt I use some fabrics I already have, and I add others that I need. Next I cut the fabrics into MANY pieces (squares, triangles, rectangles) and then sew the pieces together to make the de- sired designs.    Small pieces are sewn

into blocks, then the blocks and any bor- ders are sewn together to make the completed top.
The pieced top is then sent to another volunteer who does the actual quilting. She takes the three parts of the quilt (pieced top, batting and backing) and puts them together like a sandwich. She determines the stitching pattern to be used and does the actual quilting using a special Long Arm Quilting Machine. This holds all three layers of the quilt together and adds to the beauty of the quilt. The final steps are to bind the quilt, make a label and make the presentation case. The quilt is then sent on its way to the final destination which is determined by the Quilts of Valor coordinator.
NAME WITHELD of Las Vegas was my partner for this quilt. Here is what she wrote: I was born in Illinois on an Air Force Base, but my dad retired in ʼ69 and I have lived in Vegas since I was 5 years old.    Iʼm married to a son of a Navy man and we have 3 children. We are very pa- triotic!!    I have been quilting for about 25 years, but machine quilting (long arm, professional) for about 10 years. My fam- ily and I lived in mainland China for a year as Christian missionaries, which only increased our appreciation for this INCREDIBLE country!
Just a few notes about your quilt. The economic downturn of the past few months has inspired me to go “back to basics”.    I chose my favorite traditional quilt block which is called Ohio Star .    I also challenged myself    to use mostly fabrics that I had in my “stash”.    I was amazed what I could do with the fabrics I
had, though I did add a few here and there.
Both NAME WITHELD and I are very grateful for the sacrifices you have made for your country – for all of us. This quilt is just a token of appreciation for your serv- ice. We are happy to send you this quilt and we hope that you like it!
Here is another example of Journaling from Rita in North Carolina.
When I do a journal.. I try to include my impressions of the colors, the prints or patterns in the fabric, what they remind me of.. not today, but in years gone by.    I saw one that looked like part of a milk separator.    Doubt if young people today know what one for the home is or looks like. Another made me think of my Dad and his Calvary unit riding into Batan just about the time of the Philippine Invasion of WW1.    We had two brothers in WW2, one was wounded.. Another was in the Korean War.. Hubby was in the Cu- ban Invasion, Faulkland Island invasion, parts of Viet Nam. our Daughter was in the AF in Diesel Maintenance.. She crawled up in the runway snow removal equipment to clean it, since she was the only one small enough. We had a son-in- law in the Navy on the USS Enterprise.
I talk a little about the birds and squirrels in the back yard, the grand kids, our adult kids.. types and colors of fabric I like to work with most and the style of quilt, like traditional.
I may mention what we eat for supper, compared to the spam meals we had with 4 kids at home.. LOL...Just anything I think Might or could be interesting to someone who is able to reach beyond the pain and depression.I also make sure I tell them how much I appreciate them, pray for them, send hugs and good thoughts for them..

Rita A
Sanford NC 27330