Canadian Armed Forces members, past or present, who are ill or injured as a result of their service to Canada, qualify for a Quilt of Valour.
Our first priority is to supply the Transition Centres across Canada. The TC assist us by presenting Quilts of Valour (QOV) to service members currently being medically discharged, who have incurred visible or invisible injuries as a result of their service.
Some examples of members who automatically qualify for a QOV are those who served in one of the following theatres: WWII, Korea, Bosnia, Rwanda, Afghanistan, and the Gulf Wars. There are many other areas of violent conflicts/theatres of war (e.g. Afghanistan), peacekeeping missions and general regular/reserve duty in which members, past and present, may have suffered injury/illness as a result of their service, including duty within Canada and abroad.
Members, past or present, are eligible to receive only one QOV.
If you have a request and are not sure if the individual qualifies, please contact the Regional Representative closest to you for assistance. In Ottawa, you can contact Nancy.arbogast@quiltsofvalour.ca or Robbie.Chapman@quiltsofvalour.ca.
We hope everyone is enjoying spring and has got an early start to gardening and outdoor activities. You definitely have to be quick about it as the weather is changing so frequently. As of writing this, it’s nice out now, but there might be flurries tomorrow…. yikes!
Our Sew Days are suffering from the same spring fever as the weather and we have a number of updates including changes to times and locations for our upcoming sew days, so please read to the very end! Specifically, we needed to switch our May date, see below for updated time and location.
The format of the Sew Days is going to change somewhat in the coming months as we try a few new to us locations. We would like to alternate between our regular favourites and add a location or two. If you are trying to plan ahead, we are hoping to have a 4 month rotation where we go to CannaConnect, Orleans United Church, Sew Inspired and Millers Apartments. This will provide everyone with an opportunity to drop off quilt tops, finished quilts and pick up new kits. Of course, Christine and I are happy to pick up from you directly during the month.
Happy Stitching Everyone,
Nancy, Brigid and Christine
Coming Events
Wed May 1– CannaConnect, 215 Menten Place, Bells Corners 9:30-3:00
Tuesday, June 11 — Paul Leger will lead us in Sewing up quilt tops at Orleans United Church, 9:30-3:00
June 14 – 15 — Common Thread’s Quilt Show, Earl Armstrong Arena, Beacon Hill … The show is Friday 10:00 -7:00 and Saturday 10:00-6:00. Book your shift now by contacting Christine. We are trying to split the days in 3 with 3-4 hour shifts that give you the opportunity to see the show either before or after your shift and have some overlap for folks to transition from one team to the next.
Wed July 11 — Sew Inspired, Arnprior 10:00 – 3:00
August (day to be announced) – Millers Apartments, Manotick (5510 Dickinson St) 9:30 – 3:00 … join us for a kit cutting day. We will have fabric and patterns on hand, if you have a specific pattern you would like to try out, let Brigid know ahead of time and we’ll bring the appropriate fabric for the pattern.
When you are not making quilted hugs for our injured military, what are your other favourite projects? Do you make wall hangings for the different seasons? table runners or placemats? Bed quilts? The cute little block I have on this post is not mine but I do like to admire the seasonal blocks and quilts that I see online.
Are you aware of the nomination process for Quilts of Valour? Anyone can nominate a recipient for a Quilt of Valour by completing the form on the national website. People nominate their family members, colleagues, neighbours and themselves. The form is fairly simple but there is a box where the nominator can provide some amplifying details about the nominees. They sometimes share a little about the recipient’s military history, sometimes talking about the role that the recipient has had in their lives. I am touched when I see someone’s pride in “my mother wore army boots”. (I think that touches a note in me, because I have said much the same as I grew up.) Sometimes I read stories of pain or grief. My administrative brain is just looking for the detail that confirms that the nominee does meet the eligibility criteria, but my emotional brain is triggered by the little stories I see along the way.
Nationally, Quilts of Valour – Canada Society has presented over 22,155 quilts! So much stitching! So much care, respect and gratitude. Some day, I will have to try to calculate how many of those were presented in Ottawa. I can tell you that we have presented almost 90 quilts this year alone!
Are you in the mood for some more stitching? Our next sew-day is coming up on April 3 at a new location for us. We are being hosted at the Millers Apartments in Manotick (5510 Dickinson St). This is a Retirement Home and the director was very enthusiastic about inviting us. Christine is taking the lead and suggests that we will need to have the ability to mark squares to make half square triangles. Having your own small cutting mat and 6 inch ruler to trim blocks to size would be handy. We are making the birds in the air block on that day. How fitting for spring.
Have you ever tried to use the EQ8 quilt design program? Are you interested in learning more about it? Brigid is willing to offer a workshop on how to get started. She was thinking sometime around the end of April or at least, some time before summer. If you are interested, please drop her a line with an indication of when would be a good time for you.
Happy Easter everyone! I hope you enjoy the spring weather, the excuse for chocolate, and the hints of emerging green.
So it appears that Spring is coming early this year. It’s a little unexpected, but if it means that I can get onto my bicycle, I’m pretty excited. But not too much, because there is still some quilting to be done.
The first two months of 2024 (already?) have been busy with presentations and we have already presented 40 quilts! These three brothers received their quilts on Feb 29. That is a lot of service represented and a lot of sacrifice along the way.
The number of presentations is leading to a bit of a crunch. Are you able to do some quilting for us? We have a number of quilt sets (top/batting/backing) ready to go. A simple meander or stitch-in-the-ditch could get the next quilts ready for their mission. (Contact Christine or Brigid to collect a set for quilting)
Our next sew-day is this Wednesday at CannaConnect from 9:30 to 3:00. There will be some hand-stitching needed to complete the binding and labels on some of the quilts and Brigid and Christine have some quilty projects ready to keep our machines busy. I hope you can join us for a day of stitching and sharing. (Kits will be available for signing out!)
With every presentation there is a story: sometimes of joy, sometimes of sadness; sometimes of friendships created, sometimes of loss. Every presentation is about us saying thank-you to those who have made the sacrifices, but they always return the gratitude and express how much the quilts mean to them: I want to thank you for honouring me with such a beautiful Quilt of Valour. The colours and design are “so me”. As we were driving home I was admiring the stitching and was pleasantly surprised to see that the quilting is in a Maple Leaf motif, which is so significant to those of us that serve and defend our country I am positive that this quilt will bring me much comfort and warmth every time I snuggle into its folds and embrace the special hugs from many Canadians. My sincerest thanks and appreciation, R
Please note that tomorrow’s Sew Day – Wednesday, February 7th – is changed and will start at 10:00 a.m. instead of our usual 9:30. We apologize for the short notice, the folks at Canna Connect are not able to be there early tomorrow.
Once the tables are set up, we will be off to the races with many projects in beautiful batiks ready to go.
We will have Show and Tell of any projects you are dropping off at roughly noon.
We look forward to seeing everyone at our first sew day of the year.
If you are planning a trip to Edmonton this June, consider signing up as a volunteer with the QOVC booth at Quilt Canada. It’s a lot of fun to chat with other volunteers from across the country and it gives you a chance to check out the fabulous quilts on display.
When: June 19th – 22nd 2024
Where: Edmonton Conference Centre
Who: Quilts of Valour Volunteers
What: 4 hour volunteer shifts in the QOVC booth. (Assisting with sewing of blocks & speaking with booth visitors about QOVC.)
*If you would like a shorter shift(s) please let us know.
Pleaseemailpresident@quiltsofvalour.ca NO Later Than 1 Feb 2024 with your interest/availability to volunteer.
Welcome to 2024! Do you have your projects lined up, goals set, sewing room tidied? I am not in that group, although I do aspire to get there! Congratulations to you if you are in that space!
Our final statistics for 2023 reveal that 247 quilts were started and 241 were presented. (If you remember my numbers from the December post, you will see that we were creating and presenting right into the final days of the year!) QOVC Ottawa is starting off the year with a number of presentations already taking place (MCpl Boivin, Sgt D Clement, MWO Y Martel) and many more scheduled.
I am sometimes asked if there is a single pattern or colour theme that Quilts of Valour follow. As you can see from the above examples, the quilts we present represent a wide variety of styles (above: shaded four-patch, triangle log cabin, wild stars). All of our quilts are made with new fabric (not repurposed fabric such as shirts or jeans) and they are made as gifts for military members who have been injured or made ill as a result of service — gifts of gratitude and respect.
Have you heard about the National Sew Day? Paul Leger will once again be hosting the 6th annual (virtual) National Sew Day. When you register in advance, you will be sent the log-in code to participate with other QOVC stitchers across the country. There will be draws and prizes for all who are registered. The Atlantic fabric bundle is available in the online store for you to order to stitch up the 2024 hug blocks. The online store also has a number of panels and patterns if you do want to stitch up a top or a quilt with a more patriotic flavour.
Here in Ottawa, there will be a Drop, Swap and Sew on February 2 (9:30 – 3:30) at the Orleans United Church (1111 Orleans Blvd). If you would like to stay for a day of stitching or if you would like to pick up a new kit to work on independently, please drop a line to Robbie at robbiechapman61@gmail.com to let her know how many people to expect for the day. There will be a limited number of kits available so please let Robbie know if you would like one. Brigid will bring a selection of items from the QOVC online store for cash sales; if there is something in particular that you would like, please send her an email in advance.
Christine and Brigid are busy cutting more kits and preparing for the upcoming sew-days. Join us on February 7 or March 6 from 9:30 to 3:00 at CannaConnect (215 Menten Place, Nepean) to spend the day with laughter and friendship as we create new quilts for our injured military members. Bring your sewing machine, neutral thread and basic sewing supplies. Coffee and tea are available on site.
Christine and Katalin are organizing a sew-day at the Miller Apartments in Manotick (5510 Dickinson Street), Manotick on April 3. This is a new location for us and we are looking forward to the new partnership.
Common Threads will be hosting the quilt show this year on June 14 – 15 (not May!) at the Earl Armstrong Arena in Beacon Hill. This is a chance to see the beautiful quilts that have been created in the last two years and to meet with a wide variety of vendors with tempting essentials that we all need to add to our studios. Quilts of Valour will have a table at the show. Can you book some time in your calendar to help us staff the table? Please let Christine or Brigid know when you could be available.
Presentations, sew-days, quilt shows — so much to look forward to. I look forward to seeing you at one or more of the events. Here’s to a grand new year, and, as always,
This has been a busy year. With Christine and Brigid taking on the responsibilities of leading the quilt construction, we have held eight sew-days with the ninth one coming up this Wednesday, and a number of cutting days. We have added 209 quilts to list and presented 224, with more presentations scheduled for December. Thank you for your stitching, for your enthusiasm, for your support
At November’s sew-day, Brigid had us creating hug blocks. By the end of the day, there were 49 blocks, which, when mixed with the few that were already on hand, means there are three more quilt tops waiting for their quilty finishes.
Our next sew-day is December 6 from 9:30 to 3:00. Brigid has a couple of kits at the ready. She’s keeping it a secret right now, but that may just be the December secret influence! If you have a small cutting mat and rotary cutter, that would be a helpful addition to your work station.
In October, we had the honour of presenting a Quilt of Valour to WO (Ret’d) Ann Dias, who was very moved by the quilt she received and very interested in all the action going on at the sew-day. She sent the following note the same afternoon:
Thank you for your warmth and dedication to service personnel. This quilt will be the safety net so much of us need.
[I will keep it in] my favorite spot in my home. My reading nook.
I cried all the way home, happy tears 🙂
Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
There were more presentations in November. Quilts are presented at a number of venues: the cenotaph, hospital rooms, the Legion, the recipient’s home. As always, the quilts remind the recipients that their sacrifice is appreciated and honoured by Canadians. They are always in awe of your artistry and grateful for your generosity.
I wish you all a very happy holiday season that reminds you of the joy and goodness that is still very present in the world. May your bobbin always have enough for one more seam.
Happy Stitching
Nancy
Coming Events
Wed Dec 6, 9:30 – 3:00 Sew-Day at CannaConnect (215 Menten Place)
June 14-15 Common Threads Quilt Show at Earl Armstrong Arena in Beacon Hill
I hope you are all having a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend.
We have a number of quilters who are participating in the 11 by 11, which will help us to meet the needs of our list of recipients.
Remember that our sew-day is coming up this Wednesday (Oct 11) at CannaConnect from 9:30 to 3:00. Bring your sewing machine and basic tools. Brigid and Christine have the fabric and plans to keep us busy.
Can you smell the pumpkin spice coffees yet? It seems a little early for those, but I suppose they are coming.
Every Quilt of Valour is a one-of-a-kind creation, as individual as the quilters who make it and as individual as the recipients who will be wrapped in this gift. I love seeing all the beautiful quilts that you produce! This is a picture of Annie with one of her latest creations. It’s a simple tumbler block, but she has curated a very warm colour palate and introduced some morse code. For those who don’t know, morse code is still a skill taught in the military, a series of dots and dashes to send messages. The brown series of tumblers represent the dots and dashes to spell out V A L O U R. Someone is going to love that quilt!
Presentations have continued through the summer, although our waiting list is growing rapidly. I presented to one recipient, who had read about other recipients getting teary at the presentations. He couldn’t understand that and knew that that would not happen to him. However, when that quilt was wrapped around his shoulders, there was a profound silence in the room as the quilty magic settled in. There may have been some blinking of eyes.
Are you joining us at the sew-day this week? We will be gathering at the CannaConnect on Wednesday starting at 9:30. All you need is your machine (and cords), and basic tools. Brigid and Christine have the fabric ready to keep us busy creating more quilt tops. Scott and Sirena will have the coffee on for us. We also have kits available for those who want to keep their sewing machines busy between sew-days. We also have a few books magazines available for a small donation.
Have you ever considered getting an acrylic extension table for your machine? I use mine all the time and can’t imagine working without it. It makes piecing and quilting so much easier. Mary has two that don’t meet her needs anymore and she is willing to donate them to a qov-stitcher: one is for a Kenmore 385-19237 and the other is for a Singer. Drop me a line if you are interested and I will connect you.
Thank you for all your work on behalf of Quilts of Valour – Canada Society. Your quilts make a huge difference in the lives of the recipients and they always ask me to pass along their extreme gratitude.
I am positive that this quilt will bring me much comfort and warmth every time I snuggle into its folds and embrace the special hugs from many Canadians. My sincerest thanks and appreciation, R
Ottawa Region: Quilts of Valour - Canada 