Introducing Carol Olsen

I have been a quilter for over 20 years and 6 years ago I bought a longarm machine.  I think that I found out about Quilts of Valor project from the APQS (the manufacturer of my longarm machine) website because a woman had made it her mission to make so many QOV quilts.  It seems like she was quilting 6-8 a day!  I have made QOV quilts off and on during these past 6 years and have quilted for many of my friends who I have conned into making quilts for this project.  I made a dozen or so quilts and sent them off before I started keeping track of them.  I now have a notebook, and in my process, I take a picture of the quilt and keep track of where it was sent.  If I get any feedback – like who it actually went to, that goes into the notebook as well. 

I have a daughter who is a major in the Air Force.  She spent a year in Iraq and then the next two years she made several trips to Iraq as part of a NATO group.  I am very proud of her for serving her country.  And she gives me so much encouragement for my QOV quilts. 

I decided to take my QOV involvement to a higher level and really encourage other people to get involved.  I hope to get some group sew-ins going and to go out to guilds and quilt shops to spread the word.  As I learn more about the organization, I will probably get more ideas. 

I live in Bainbridge Island, Washington with my mutt, Coco, and two cats, Anthony and Cleopatra.  If I could only get them to help me with the quilts!

Carol Olsen