May 6 is Red Friday

QOVC is officially partnering with RED Friday to present Peer Support training to as many of our official volunteers as we can, and we are getting classes organized right now. RED Friday started out to honour deployed personnel (RED stands for Remember Everyone Deployed), and was founded by military spouses whose husbands were deployed to Afghanistan. It has evolved as an organization “empowering serving and non-serving members of the CAF and Public Safety Sectors, as well as their communities, with resources to respond to Operational Stress Injuries,” making them an ideal partner to provide QOVC with Peer Support Training. 

RED Friday does fundraising to cover the cost of facilitator led training that is coming up so there is no cost to participants. There is a registered psychologist who oversees the program, and trained facilitators doing delivery. We are in full swing with the fundraising, and we need your help to get the word out. 

QOVC receives a portion of all the fundraising RED Friday does on our behalf, and after the costs of our training are covered, that amount can increase, making this a win win for us as our people receive important skill development and QOVC broadens our reach within the veteran community. 

To kick things off, RED Fridays highlight an organization doing good things each week, and QOVC’s RED Friday is coming up fast on Friday, May 6. Wear a red shirt on Friday, May 6. Celebrate what we do at Quilts of Valour Canada, and post a picture or short video clip on our special Friday! If you have a sew day on or before May 6, encourage your quilters to wear red, and post some pictures. Bonus points if they are wearing the QOVC shirts from the link above (though arrival in time is not guaranteed).

https://tiergear.itemorder.com/shop/sale/

Join the event page for QOVCs RED Friday here: https://www.facebook.com/RED-Friday-QOVC-Day-050622-107891001894972

Place an order for some swag:

T-shirts https://tiergear.itemorder.com/shop/sale/

Follow the RED Friday page on Facebook, here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/redfridayofficial/

Connect to Quilts of Valour Canada on Facebook & IG

Quilts of Valour on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/QuiltsofValour

Group page for presentation and news: https://www.facebook.com/groups/QoV.Canada/

Quilters Connect Page https://www.facebook.com/groups/qovcquilters/

https://www.instagram.com/quilts_of_valour_canada/

Making a Difference

Isn’t it wonderful to see the flowers starting to emerge from what was once frozen ground? I love this transition.

Spring has been busy here in the capital region, with more and more presentations being conducted. The recipients are always moved my the generosity of the gift, the generosity of your time. I received the following note that needed to be shared with you:

I wanted to thank you, the staff, volunteers and all Canadians from coast to coast to coast once again for the incredibly beautiful quilt that I was presented with this past week. I am humbled, honoured, grateful and I definitely feel the love. My journey as of late has been exceptionally trying, but I focus on the positivity and with this gift of love, it will make the days and pain easier to deal with  and the thoughts more clear. I truly am appreciative on so many levels!

              I’ve attached a couple of photos. As you can see from the second, I’m relaxing with my beloved quilt and it’s doing the job it was intended to do. Oh, and yes, I will be reaching out to Quilts of Valour to see how I can volunteer and pay it forward.

Kindest Regards,

Sherri

It is always moving to meet the recipients of Quilts of Valour, to hear their stories, and to be reminded of how much they have sacrificed. Chatting to Sherri was a reminder of positive energy and perseverence.

On the weekend of May 5 – 7, Common Threads Quilt Guild will be hosting the Annual Quilt Show at the CityView Curling Club (50 Capilano Drive) from 10:00 to 4:00 each day. [East-enders need to be aware that the #174 will be closed all weekend for bridge repair!] Quilts of Valour Canada will have a booth at the show and I hope you will drop by and say hello. (I am still looking for a couple of volunteers to staff the table; if you are available, please let me know.) The show will be a wonderful chance to admire all the quilting beauty that has been nurtured over the past two years. If you would like more information about quilting or stitching or volunteering with Quilts of Valour, we will be ready for your questions at the table.

On May 11, from 9:30 – 3:00, we will be having a live sew-day at CannaConnect (215 Menten Place, Nepean). Bring your sewing machine and tools. Brigid and I will bring the pattern and fabrics, and Scott is going to have coffee ready and a bbq lunch for us! To keep us all safe, standard health protocols still apply (vaccinated, healthy, masks while we are setting up). To make sure that we have enough tables set-up, please drop me an email to confirm your attendance (nancy.arbogast@quiltsofvalour.ca).

I hope you are well and that the spring continues to bring good things to all that you do. Stay safe. Stay well. Happy stitching,

Nancy

Longarmers for hire:

Christine: GREELYQUILTER@GMAIL.COM

Lynn: Piece of Mine Quilting, pomq@live.ca

A Spring Starry Chorus

Saturday’s Drop, Swap and Sew was a lively chorus of chatter and friendship as stitchers from across Ottawa dropped by to stitch, or drop off, or pick up kits, all in support of quilted hugs for our nation’s wounded and ill military members.

We signed out 20 kits to be stitched over the coming months. We are the fortunate recipients of gifted fabrics from a variety of quilters who are redirecting their stash. Our volunteers take those fabrics and put together kits of fabric and patterns that can be sent out for stitching. We also received 14 completed tops (from previously signed out kits) and four finished quilts.

You might recognize the green quilt shown below. That is a tilted nine-patch, based on a Jordan’s Fabrics video, that we worked on at the November Drop, Swap and Sew; the assembly was finished by Virginia and the quilt was quilted by Christine. Look for it to find its presentation sometime this spring.

The red blocks and brown blocks are the “Starry Chorus” quilt tops that stitchers worked on at the sew-day. The pattern was found in the May ’22 issue of Quilter’s World Precut Strips and Squares and was modified slightly to increase the width so that the size fits the preferred 55″ x 70″ size for QoV quilts. What a great pattern for gathering all the donated fabrics (or a lingering jelly roll?) into a cohesive and fresh design! Sue was busy checking the alignment and June took home the blocks for assembly of both tops.

Have you tried stitching the 2022 Stashbuster Block from Border Creek Station? It has 25 pieces per block and it takes a bit of time to get it together, with a few opportunities for ‘humility’ blocks, but it is an addictive block. (The block is actually a Jericho Wall Block, for those who track the traditional names). I found that the block was a good accent for a donated panel. Thanks to Robbie for quilting and June for binding, this quilt is ready to find its new home.

Well it seems that we have a wealth of tops that need to be quilted. If you would like to do some of the quilting, drop me a line and I will package up a top with the batting and backing. It looks like my days of piecing will be set aside in favour of some peaceful free-motion, at least for a while.

Remember that the Common Thread Quilt Guild will be hosting the spring Quilt Show this May 6-8 from 10am – 4pm each day, at CityView Curling Club on Capilano Drive. Ottawa Quilts of Valour will be there to answer questions about Quilts of Valour, our quilts, our mission, our presentations. We need some volunteers to staff the tables each day. Could you help us out? Please contact me at nancy.arbogast@quiltsofvalourca to let me know which 4-hour shift you could manage.

April showers will bring May flowers, but while those April showers are dampening your garden, I hope you enjoy your days with needle and thread. We’d love to see what you are working on, so send me a picture and I will include it with the next post.

Happy Stitching

Nancy

Coming Events:

May 6 – 8: Common Threads Quilt Show, Cityview Curling Club, Capilano Drive

May 11: West End Sew Day, CannaConnect, 9:30 – 3:30

Aug 19/20: International Plowing Match Quilt Show, Kemptville

Quilters for Hire

Christine:  greelyquilter@gmail.com

Lynn Maillet: Piece of Mine Quilting pomq@live.ca

Heather:  heather.ann.derksen@gmail.com/www.redwillowquilts.ca

Sew Day tomorrow

Remember that Saturday April 9 is the Drop, Swap and Sew at the Orleans United Church (1111 Orleans Blvd) from 10:00 to 3:30. You will need your sewing machine, basic tools, and power cord, as well as your lunch. The fabric is ready for tomorrow’s project. Robbie and I will be ready to sign out kits and sign in your finished tops and quilts.

Happy Stitching!

Nancy