A presentation report from Beloit!

Rita

SFC Adam Bolthouse was here this a.m. bright and early to pick up quilts. I gave him 12 quilts for Lindsey to distribute.

I also presented SFC Bolthouse with a quilt. He was deployed four times. He was in Kuwait and Iraq and twice if Afghanistan. He is National Guard/Army. Currently he is active duty Army attached to CDWTU-IL at Rock Island. He works with the transition program for those wounded soldiers who are still recovering.

He lives in Loves Park, IL with his wife and their five children. He has 19 years of service. It was a pleasure to meet Adam and to give him a quilt for his service.
Vicki

Sew In Reminder..Tuesday, April 3rd

Where: Prairie Shop Quilts, 1911 W Wilson St., Batavia
Time: 10 AM -

We have our QOV sew-in next Tuesday. LOTS of kits to choose from. We've gotten so used to sewing on our patriotic fabric, but there is a new kit we cut using a lot of our 2 1/2" strips and I hope you'll like it. Again, anytime you have a pattern, ruler or technique you'd like to share and like us to try, let me know. It's great to be learning as well as doing our civic "duty".

There are members from Great Lakes joining us...they like our food! If you were at our sew-in last month, we are collecting a few dollars and picking up beef. You want to bring a go-with salad or dessert, that should be good.

So, see you Tuesday!
Rita

A Thank you note to share with you

Good timing, too. Someone recently asked me, "so, what does a quilt do for them?"

Rita,
Please extend my sincere and heartfelt gratitude to all of the wonderful people that help make your quilts. I received a quilt done by your group at the Returning Warrior Workshop in Little Rock, Arkansas on Jan 28, 2012. This was my 2nd mobilization, and I was in theater 14 months. I didn't receive anything like this after my first deployment, and I am not ashamed to admit a few tears rolled out of the corners of my eyes when my wife put the quilt around me. The quilt is now displayed hanging on a quilt rack in our home for all to see. What you do does make a difference, even if you don't hear it as often as you should. Thank you, please let me know if there is ever anything I can do to repay the kindness you've shown me and my fellow veterans.

Thank you again for everything.

Sincerely,
OS1 Glen J. Beussink Jr, USNR

WHAT an experience!

Well, I declare the experience at the Expo a success. I have so much more respect for vendors! The sew-in was fun. We now have 20 more tops (will need to square them up, measure to make sure they are of size and border them if necessary). We did it all....we sewed, raised funds and the highlight was the presentation to a very deserving Veteran---that's what it's all about!

I need to thank Interact Club from Wilmington, IL for their donation of 3 kits. We will gladly put these together and pass them onto a deserving Vet.

Thank you to all you ladies who worked the booths these past 4 days (can't forget set-up day)! Could never have done it without you! Share your thoughts of the show here. To those who picked up our literature and are here for the first time, look around---and welcome! Join our efforts to "cover" our heroes to thank them for what they do for us.
Rita
Machine Quilters----got a request for business cards for quilting in the Chicago area. Get your business cards to me and I'll pass them on. It is one of my ways of thanking you for what you do for us! Did I mention I now have 40 tops for quilting :)

Sewing Expo's Friday report

We had a very successful day at the Sewing Expo yesterday! Total quilt tops 13!!! I believe we have enough signature blocks to make up 2 tops. Have some great leads on some more machine quilters, another QOV group wanting to start sew-ins with their church.

We also had the honor of presenting a QOV to a well-deserving Veteran. Anthony Lloyd had a total of 3 deployments to the Middle East during his 11-year and 3 months of service to our country. Thank you, again, Mr. Lloyd.

Here is where you can see the Travel QOV Exhibit: https://plus.google.com/photos/112466694582572036402/albums/5696506396199579473?banner=pwa&authkey=CMbWyJCt-vDUJg
Rita

Day 1 report

Got a call around noon that there were only a few kits left!! SO, guess what Dorothy, hubby and I did this afternoon---made more kits. Guess that's a good sign, huh!

9, 4, 2 and some fabric!

Enough cannot be said about the "pick ups" I get from Prairie Shop Quilts. I get a call from Bonita or an email saying, "there's some quilts here for you". So yesterday on my way to set up at the Sewing Expo, I stopped in to pick up what she had and on my drive over to Caron's, I was ILLEGAL! I could not see out my back window! There were 9 completed quilts, 4 tops for quilting, 2 quilt tops completed and now need the binding and label attached, the "body" bag ---batting, thank you, and a box of fabric. I get a lot of these "boxes and bags" of fabric with no name on them, so thank you!!

Can't help remembering when someone said, "we don't get many tops from Illinois". Well, they should see us now! Yesterday at the Expo Hall, we were setting up and this gentleman came by telling about a new line of Stonehedge coming out in August--I think he said it's a patriotic panel. Then he said, "Do you take donations!"...YEAH! So, we love our troops; we love our Country. I repeat....it's not about politics!!!

On a personal note: After quilting for QOV for 8 years now, just found out we have a family member over in Afghanistan. Sam, my husband's cousin's son is there. So, with lots of prayers, we keep on quilting! Can't wait to present him with a QOV on his return.

oh, btw, I didn't drive all the way to the Center without seeing out my back window.
Rita
I don't have permission to use her name, but keep one of our own in your prayers as she's undergoing surgery tomorrow.

Sewing and Quilt Expo!

I hope you all will be able to join us at the Sewing and Quilt Expo in Schaumburg at the Renaissance Center this Thursday through Saturday, Our booth (number 833) will be stocked with machines and fabric so you can sit and sew with us, sign a block for a donation, or buy a pattern to make your own QOV or any other fast and easy project. This booth will be very near the traveling Quilts of Valor display in the far right hand corner of the exhibit hall as you enter. Please stop by and say hello, sit and sew, and meet me or one of the other fabulous folks that help out on a regular basis. Our "troops" so to speak!

Here's a pic of the pattern that Caron Carlson designed for us, available at the show for a $10 donation...

Another "gotta read"

http://qovf.blogspot.com/2012/03/qov-thanks-from-maine.html

Update on our Germany delivery!

Some of you asked at the sew-in about the quilts we sent to Germany. I asked and here is her reply:

The soldiers are not back and I will be finishing up the rooms tomorrow. I do not have a phone that is capable of pictures, so i am going to ask someone else to take some for me to forward to you. I did place a note at the end of their beds and the quilts look great. I will hopefully be sending you some pics tomorrow and they will be home very soon :) Thanks again for all that you did. I know they are going to love them.

Kelly

NO Evening Sew-in for March

Just a reminder....there will be no evening sew-in this month. Our scheduled night just happens to be the night before set-up day at the Sewing Expo. My car will be packed with booth supplies. We will be ready to continue in April. Need to finish the Disappearing 9-patches and onto another pattern that is waiting for us. So, come out to the Expo and stop by the booth...#833.
Rita

Very Appropriate time to share this

Whether they lost a limb or broke their back,
They need the support and welcomed back.
If it’s the unseen by the eye of PTSD or TBI,
They need the support of you and I.

I took this from Lindsey's signature line.
Rita

Wanda's strip quilt

Wanda gave me this the other day. It's been up and down and now it's up again! long story...

Oh, I hope you are all enjoying this weather! Open the windows and sew.
Rita

This week in LOL Land

Wednesday, Beloit ladies had their Sew-in:

The Beloit Ladies of the Land of Lincoln QOV met yesterday, March 7. There were 11 of us plus our lunch guest, Sgt. Mike Thode. Sgt. was given a quilt a few weeks ago and came to have lunch and share his pictures of his tour in Iraq in 2004-05. We did not get a lot of sewing accomplished today but we certainly enjoyed spending time with Sgt. Mike and learning more about what our troops have been through while serving.

Our leader was not with us due to a death in her family and we missed her and send our deepest sympathies to her and her family.

Also one of our newer members who could not stay stopped by to pick up a quilt that will be presented to her nephew who served two tours in Iraq with the 172 Styker Brigade (US Army). His name is Aaron Mikel of Janesville, WI. Dolly has promised pictures once she gives him his quilt. Thanks for your service.

Friday, Batavia group (wow, 9 of us) gathered for a VERY productive cut-in. We are very ready for the sit-n-sew area at the booth (833) at the Sewing Expo. And, we have a couple new kits in the making for future sew-ins.

Need to note for those picking up quilts for binding....I have the QOV fabric stash at my house if you need fabric for the binding. We're not just leaving the binding to you, though many of you say you prefer it as your way of giving. But I have fabric here if you'd like to drop by and "shop" for the binding. Thank you so much for stepping up to do binding and we got a few more machine quilters as well. Thank you, thank you!

At the club we were at last night, they announced the returnee from Iraq who just happens to live in my neighborhood. Don't know the branch of service, but I will find out tomorrow when I present him with a QOV.

So, we keep on quilting! Quilting is a patriotic service.
Rita

check it out!

check out Quilt of Valor blog: http://qovf.blogspot.com/

scraps

I forgot to mention at the sew-in today....if you have any bags of scraps going to Rockford Rescue Mission-- a homeless shelter, and can get them to me by March 20th (a day or two thereabouts---not any sooner), or are working Thursday at the Sewing Expo, Tina will be there and will get them to Alberta.

Had a another, great, fun sew-in today. Haven't counted the completed quilts or tops that I brought home yet, but know that you guys are awesome! It was nice having Pam there as well---hope you come back. I'd like to say it's not always that crazy, but then I'd be lying.

ok, some of you are looking for the Jelly roll pattern:
http://blog.heirloomcreations.net/?p=1897

We also got our first quilt top using the 16-patches. Received more blocks today, so we have enough to start #4 quilt! Good job!
Rita

QOV Display

http://marklipinskisblog.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/418999_10150624048668116_58728298115_9039049_483864499_n.jpg

This is the QOV display that is "traveling" to the different Sewing Expo's. This was in Florida and is headed to Chicago (after a stop in Georgia). They put out a request to send in a QOV for this display from all over the country.
Rita

March update

March is here and NOW the snow and sleet come! Plans are in full swing for the booth at the Sewing Expo. Our booth # is 833, so come out and join in our funding and recruiting efforts. Hope some of Vicky's energy rubs off on me!

I need to update you on the 16-patch challenge. My count after Tuesday's guild meeting (thank you, thank you) is 83 blocks! We offset those with a snowball block and we have enough for 3 quilt tops! Hope to have a top put together at our sew-in Tuesday. There was an interest in the chisels, so if you're ready for a new block, ask me for those. We have some shadowbox kits as well and then we'll take a rest from those. Hope some come in so you see a few completed---they turned out pretty good. See you on Tuesday, 10 AM!
Rita