In early 2017, our guild was challenged by guild member Ann Parsons Holte to make patriotic quilts for The Quilts of Valor®  Foundation.  Quilts of Valor® was created in 2003 by Maryland quilter Catherine Roberts while her son served in Iraq. Guild members were asked to make patriotic quilts (18 made in total) for Show and Tell for one of the guild meetings. What were we going to do with the quilts? One of our guild members volunteered to award the quilts to service members and veterans in the counties where our members reside. At the end of 2017, six quilts were awarded. 

 

Every year since 2017, an average of 40 quilts have been awarded from our group. In 2023, we made and awarded 155 quilts to local service members and veterans. The number of quilts requested in 2024 totals 290. We continue to turn what is in our hearts into action as volunteers. The mission of the national Quilts of Valor Foundation is to cover service members and veterans touched by war with comforting and healing Quilts of Valor. "Valor" meaning bravery or courage, especially in battle. Our group is a branch of the national foundation. There are approximately 370 groups in the country and approximately 22 groups in the state of Pennsylvania. The final number of quilts awarded nationally in 2023 are as follows: December 3,697, year-to-date 37,333, and since we began counting the quilts in 2011, the total number is 373,394. Donations through our PieceMakers Quilt Guild website are greatly appreciated and are used primarily to purchase fabrics, batting, and thread.

 

To nominate a service member or veteran in our area or any other state and for more information, go to the Quilts of Valor® Foundation website at qovf.org  

 

Since issuing that challenge, Ann has co-authored the first book written by the Quilts of Valor® Foundation. It is entitled Quilts of Valor®: A Fifty State Salute (Schiffer Publishing, 2018). Through a vigorous selection process each state was represented by a single quilt, with only 16 ultimately chosen to have the patterns written and included in the book. 

 

We are proud to say the quilt selected to represent Pennsylvania was made by Sarah Campbell and quilted by Nancy King of Last Stitch Quilting – members of our PieceMakers Quilt Guild.  The quilt is pictured on page 74 of the book.

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The first book went over very well and, as a follow-up, Ann co-authored All Star Quilts of Valor (Schiffer Publishing, 2022) with Sue Reich, Mary W. Kerr, and Tony Jacobson.  This second book contains 25 quilt patterns from well-known quilters who donated their designs to be included in the book. Other contributors include Georgia Bonesteel, Kimberly Einmo, Marianne Fons, Andrew Lee, Mark Lipinski, Marti Michell, and Pat Sloan.

 

Here’s a link to the national Quilts of Valor® Foundation:

 

Quilts of Valor Foundation | (qovf.org)

 

And a link to a special video journalist story about Quilts of Valor® and PieceMakers quilt guild:

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