Guild today

Wow, that was worth waiting for. Had a great speaker at guild today. What a hoot! And a nice lunch with friends...can't beat that!

But I got to brag about my guilds.... If you don't belong to one, join one and I can give you a good one (or two) to join! This guild had a retreat a couple weeks ago and the lady in charge called me prior and asked "what can we do?" (QOV, that is) Well, long story short she came and picked up a couple bags of squares that just needed assembling and a few kits. Today at show n tell---great!

Now, Ms. Anonymous, from my other guild, called me on the Troy sale day a few weeks ago and asked me, Rita, what do you want? WOW...like asking a kid in a candy store and she brought over the fabric and again, another GREAT! Needless to say, just add that to my "thankful for" list! Just to let you know, there ARE a lot of people in this great state of Illinois who are behind our troops!!!

Looking forward to Tuesday---our next scheduled sew-in.
Rita

Happy Thanksgiving!!

What to do first

Have you ever had an extra day "handed" to you and you don't know what to do? Nah, me neither. I thought today was guild day and it's not...so, what to do--too early to bake the pies! Think I'm going to throw a quilt on the frame! After an-all-day shopping day yesterday, this will be a treat!
Rita

Girl's gotta do what a Girl's gotta do

So, while you're preparing for your Thanksgiving meal or that dish to pass, how about doing a binding while the pies are baking. Take a top along to your family gathering to bind after the meal while you're watching the football game---you might get some questions and maybe future helpers. Maybe you can find a few minutes each day to work on quilting a top? or 2?? Let me know how many you can do.

There will be a whole lot of troops coming home!! We need more ideas like this.
Rita
Have a very Happy Thanksgiving. We have a lot to be thankful for.

Cutting and making kits Monday, Nov 14

We're meeting tomorrow to cut and make kits. Want to help?? Don't forget to bring rotary cutter, scissors, ruler and if you have the GO cutter, dies (I would mark them as well)

This notice is a hint as to what's to come...or not come, for that matter. I've decided to make an attempt to cut down on computer time. I'll be preparing the final Sew-in Reminder Notice for December 6th's sew-in. I don't know if it's just my ISP but in order to send out to all those who have been a part of our sew-ins, quilting the quilts, binding, etc., I have to send out 5 separate notices. I tried several times sending out just one, but it wouldn't go. When I separated the names into groups, i.e., comcast, yahoo, aol, etc, it worked. I still get a lot of bounces---more time on the computer. As most of you know, we also care for our granddaughter during the day (and next year there will be 2!!) and she wants to "help". ... more redo's!

Hence, going to have to depend on this blog for any announcements. Most of you are on the Prairie Shop Quilts newsletter mailing list, so that will be your reminder notice. If you want an idea as to what we are going to be doing, I'll post it here.

We'll try this out and see how it works. Thanks for understanding.
Rita

labels

Rita
I saw on the QOV Facebook page that there are new labels out. We all talked about this when the first labels came out here in Beloit and we did not like them. It made the quilt more about who made it and less about the recipient. We are going to continue to make our labels on the computer and put in the date, the name of the recipient along with the thank you and we put the piecer and the quilter along with the Land of Lincoln blog and the Quilts of Valor Website. It is about who gets the quilt not who made the quilt. We don't want any credits other than what is put on there now and besides for our group, my name would be on there so many times it would like a billboard tribute to ME (not going to happen}. To each their own and it will be our own label and continue to be about the recipient of the quilt.
And now back to my quilting,
Vixanna "Vicki" Robbel

Happy Veterans Day!

We weathered the parade today! They have a nice ceremony afterwards which we were able to take in.

I'd like to share a note I received from Mark Krebs, Aurora Central Catholic HS Assistant Principal:

I cannot thank you and your group enough for being here today. The quilts were the highlight of the day. I don’t know how to top that next year. It seemed as if the vets didn’t quite believe that someone would actually spend the time and effort to make a quilt and then give them something like that. I hope the pictures that come out will show the exchanges of the quilts. I would like to see the looks on the faces of the girls in your group and the vets getting the quilts. I am hoping that your group got out of it what they were hoping to get from the chance to hand the vets their quilts. It is indeed a great thing that you all do.

Thank you for giving me a quilt. It will go up in my office. It is a masterpiece. Thank you.

The most important thing to me is that not only did the vets get some appreciation by way of the quilts, but the students saw a bunch of ladies give so freely of their time and effort for the men and women who have served. That is a lesson that I hope will stick with them for a long time.

So, we'll just keep on quilting!
Rita

Veteran's Recognition Ceremony at ACC

We attended the Ceremony at Aurora Central Catholic High School today. I wish you could all have been there. They had some very nice patriotic music from the band and their chorus group. Some nice prayers and poems were read as well. During a patriotic medley, there was a slice show of some very moving pictures. Then came time to present the quilts! At the end the veterans form two lines and all the students go thru and shake all their hands. What an honor to be there!

If you want to see more pictures, go to http://auroracentral.com/ and click on their Facebook page. Here are a few I took from there. (wow, sometimes I'm able to load so many and then there are other times....nada)
Rita

Cut-In Monday, November 14, 10 AM

Just wanted to put in a reminder for the cut-in next Monday. We will be making kits. If you're bringing your Accuquilt Go cutters, bring what die cuts you have (I suggest putting your names on them). Remember to bring along scissors, rotary cutter and rulers. We could use all the help we can get.

Also a reminder, I have plenty of the One Stars from Moda along with patterns if you'd like to put a top together. I have enough flying geese to make another top--it was fun.

Thanks to Dixie, just had an idea.... If you're looking for maybe some Christmas stocking ideas or know of maybe someone who might, we have flannel handwarmers. With some of the donated flannel fabric these handwarmers were made up as a means to raise funds for purchasing fabric. I know I am enjoying sewing with the patriotic colors!

See you Monday! and for some of you, Thursday.
Rita
PS. I just heard of a Home for Homeless Veterans in Wheaton requesting quilts and of 52 members of the Army National Guard home with PTSD requesting quilts as well.

Busy-Busy Veterans Week

Well, this is Veterans Week. Will be delivering the quilts to ACC on Wednesday. I'm very happy several of you will be able to experience the presentation of these quilts on Thursday morning to vets from Vietnam, the Korean War, the Gulf War and our current wars on terrorism. I hope to get many pictures. And then of course we have the parade on Friday.

Spent the weekend quilting as there are several tops at the stage of needing quilting (hint-hint). So, of course we have a lot that need binding as well!!
See ya Thursday (if not sooner).
Rita

Steps of Valor

Again, thank you Caron for the pattern. I think everyone loved it--especially the fact there were many options on set up. Here are 4 of the options sent in by Caron.

Anyone else want to join us at ACC next Thursday or for the parade on Friday, let me know.
Rita