Tracey Barber, Lyons Quilting Shop owner, and Donna Mae Norris, quilt designer and quilt making instructor, are photographed in the Lyons Quilting Shop classroom during the Quilt of Valor workshop held Aug. 26 and 29, 2015.

By Donna Norris

Local quilters are making quilts to be awarded to the men and women who have been touched by war through the Quilts of Valor Foundation. The quilters are saying "thank you for your service, sacrifice and valor" in serving our nation to the recipients of their quilts.

Lyons Quilting shop in Lyons and quilter Donna Mae Norris co-sponsored two workshops where local quilters will be made patriotic-themed quilts. The workshops were Aug. 26 and Aug. 29, 2015, in the classroom at Lyons Quilting. The quilt being made was designed by Norris and the fabric is being offered at cost by Lyons Quilting. Norris was available during the workshops to help the quilters with all sewing stages or even guide beginners to develop their basic quilt making skills.

Making a Quilt of Valor is about honoring and comforting those who have served our nation while at war. Quilts of Valor are stitched with love and healing thoughts and are intended to be a tangible token of appreciation. Since 2003, Quilts of Valor Foundation has become a national grassroots community service effort, connecting the home-front with our warriors, veterans and other service members touched by war.

Tracey Barber, the owner of Lyons Quilting, and Norris said their mission is to help quilters donate more quilts to "cover" our warriors and veterans with healing and comfort.

The Quilt of Valor is a generous lap-sized quilt (60-inch by 78-inch) made using quality fabric and beautifully quilted so that it can last through a lifetime of daily use. After it has been bound, washed, labeled and placed in a coordinating hand sewn presentation pillowcase, it is ready to be awarded. Quilts are awarded at many different levels: they may go to military hospitals where Chaplains award them to service members; there may be awards of Quilts of Valor to entire service units returning from deployment; or they may be awarded individually. Most of the quilts made in the workshops at Lyons Quilting will be awarded in Colorado. But no matter how a Quilt of Valor is given, the impact it delivers is unequivocal.

There have been over 100,000 quilts awarded to service members and veterans so far. The Quilts of Valor Foundation was started by a military serviceman's mother, Catherine Roberts, from her sewing room in Seaford, Del., after her son's year-long deployment to Iraq. She was inspired by her desire to see that returning warriors were welcomed home with the love and gratitude they deserved.

The goal of expressing gratitude continues with local quilters who will be adding to the number of quilts awarded this year.

For more information on Quilts of Valor, go to www.qovf.org.

Views: 196

Reply to This

 

Milestones

Milestones are back up! You can submit and view engagements, wedding, anniversaries and birth announcements at Prairie Mountain Media's Milestones form. Obituaries can also be found at DailyCamera.com at dailycamera.com/obituaries.

Badge

Loading…

© 2024   Created by Matt Flood.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Privacy Policy  |  Terms of Service