It’s been inspiring to see all the beautiful quilts and projects created for the Villa Rosa Designs Fast & Fun Blog Hop! QOVF is honored to be a participant among so many creative quilters!
We’re excited to share our Quilt of Valor® made from the Hillside Charm pattern. It is one out of 5 patterns in the 2023 Fast & Fun Blog Hop Collection. The entire collection is currently priced at $8.95. This pattern is perfect for a Quilt of Valor with the center panel as the main feature of the quilt. Our QOVF quilters often use a patriotic themed panel and are very popular with the veterans and service members who receive a Quilt of Valor.
We did add the optional border listed on the pattern to make sure the quilt met the size requirements for a Quilt of Valor. To meet these requirements, a quilt must be a minimum of 55”x 65” and a maximum of 72” x 90”. Our Quilts of Valor have size and construction requirements because they are an award. For more details on the requirements of making a quilt of valor click here. Recipients are honored in either private or public ceremonies where their service is celebrated, and their quilt is wrapped around their shoulders. The hope is that the Quilt of Valor will bring comfort and healing to veterans and service members touched by war. Many recipients have shared later that the ceremony was very meaningful and often a turning point in how they viewed their military service.
The Quilt of Valor featured here was made by many hands, which is typical for these special quilts. Often one volunteer will piece the quilt top, another will quilt it, and another will bind it. Our members seem to have their favorite parts of making and awarding the quilt. Each quilt will receive a special personalized label for each recipient.
For this Quilt of Valor, Michelle Nelson, QOVF Finance Director and former QOVF Board Treasurer chose the panel, fabrics and expertly pieced the quilt together. Lori Thompson, QOVF Executive Director and LongArmy (QOVF’s longarm volunteers), quilted and bound the quilt. Michelle chose Northcott’s Stars and Stripes 10th Anniversary fabric and panel for the quilt top. The backing fabric is Timeless Treasures’ Blue Patriotic Stars. The stitch design on the quilt is called Star Spangled Allover, a free design from Urban Elementz. We used Omni Thread in Ocean Blue for the stitching.
This quilt will be awarded to a veteran or service member in a future ceremony this year. It is one of the numerous quilts that will be awarded in 2023. QOVF has over 10,000 members, most in 600+ groups across the US that create over 30,000 quilts each year to honor veterans in their community.
Our QOVF members and groups often become a close knit community much like a quilting bee. The demand for Quilts of Valor often is more than the quilts available. QOVF invites anyone looking for a great quilting community and is interested in creating and awarding quilts to join us. You don’t have to be a quilter either! We have many members who love to connect with quilt recipients and organize the ceremonies, which our quilters love because they can enjoy what they love the most – quilting!
The Giveaway
QOVF is giving away our 2nd QOVF book, All-Star Quilts of Valor: 25 Patriotic Patterns from Star Designers. Registration is closed.
Villa Rosa Designs is giving away the complete blog hop collection of postcard patterns to one QOVF reader. Registration is closed.
Additionally, you will be entered to win the Sponsored Individual Prizes and entered to win the Grand Prize Box drawing. Registration is closed. Winners will be notified and prizes will be shipped in February. Head to the Villa Rosa blog to learn more about the Blog Hop and the other bloggers participating! Check out the list of sponsors at the Villa Rosa post.
For more information about QOVF, please check out the Join Us or Get Involved.
Thank you to Villa Rosa Designs for the chance to share our quilt and more about QOVF!