Quilts of Valor Foundation

04/24/2026

We’re headed to the Fiber Fabric Craft Festival next week, April 30–May 3, 2026, in Rosemont, Illinois! Stop by and visit us at Booth #1816.

On Friday, May 1 at 11:00 AM, Deb Sherrock, QOVF volunteer and member of Land of Lincoln Quilts of Valor, will be speaking about the Quilts of Valor Foundation and presenting two Quilts of Valor to veterans.

04/20/2026

Greater Spokane QOV was featured in a special story by local TV news station KREM 2. The crew filmed during National Sew Day and later returned to cover an award ceremony on March 18, where two World War II Veterans and one Iraq War Veteran were honored.

Read the story and watch the video:
https://www.krem.com/article/news/local/salute-2-service/quilts-of-valor-wraps-veterans-in-warmth-and-gratitude/293-fa71b02d-fa78-4106-ac6f-50819c604d02

To nominate a Service Member or Veteran, click here:
https://www.qovf.org/nominations-awards/

To learn more about the Quilts of Valor Foundation, visit:
https://www.qovf.org

Quilts of Valor started locally in 2013 and provides each year to veterans. Recently two veterans were each honored with a quilt.

04/07/2026

During American Quilter's Society QuiltWeek in Daytona, FL, the Quilts of Valor Foundation had the honor of awarding three veterans with their Quilts of Valor.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrEiDACFo8w&list=PLhlBfeC9BT7W-w-PEbJTz7j7AxlGC7wi6&index=7

We’re looking forward to AQS QuiltWeek New England and hope you’ll stop by our booth! Be sure to check out the AMERICA250: QOVF Traveling Quilt Exhibit, which will be on display at all AQS QuiltWeek 2026 shows. Learn more about the shows: https://www.americanquilter.com/quiltweek/

http://www.quiltweek.com

04/02/2026

Registration is open for QOVF Take 5: Walk, Run, Block!

QOVF Take 5: Walk, Run, Block is an opportunity for members and supporters to participate by walking or running a 5K race or making quilt blocks to create Quilts of Valor. To date, we have awarded over 430,000 Quilts of Valor across the United States, with more than 38,000 quilts awarded each year.

This year’s event will take place on Saturday, June 13, 2026, choosing the activity that works best for you.

You can decide how you would like to participate in Take 5. Options include coordinating a 5K in your neighborhood, walking five blocks, or organizing a Sew Day to make quilt blocks. The flexibility of this virtual event allows you to get involved in whatever way works best for you.

Registration Fees:
$35 – Individual participants (select Walk/Run/Block)
$45 – Participants + furry friends (select Walk/Run/Block/Woof)
Once again this year, you can take part in Walk, Run, Block, WOOF by including your furry friends in the event!

Sign up Today:

Come participate Quilts of Valor Take Five - Walk, Run, Block on June 13 with me.

03/26/2026

Sew Happy Scrappers were honored to award a Quilt of Valor to Orville P., a World War II Navy Veteran. Orville is the 8th World War II Veteran that Sew Happy Scrappers have had the honor of awarding, in almost 8 years together as a group.

Orville enlisted in the Navy in 1943 at the age of 16. Now 99 years young, he is full of life and enjoys sharing stories from the time he spent defending our country in the Pacific Theater.

Submitted by Sew Happy Scrappers in Southeastern Michigan

03/18/2026

Gao Grotto on Lake Vermilion served as the backdrop for the presentation of seven Quilts of Valor on February 27, 2026.

Honored recipients (left to right): Ken M., Dean H., Terry C., Mark W., Thomas B., Darryl M., and Don R.

Approximately 200 people were in attendance to congratulate and honor the recipients during this special ceremony.

Submitted by Group Leader of Quilts by the Lake

03/02/2026

Our next America 250th quilt submission was made by Vickie Cogan of Kansas, member of Johnson County KS.

Vickie’s QOVF Story:
I joined Johnson County Kansas Quilts of Valor a few years ago after I retired and moved to an area that had a group to join. When I am not traveling, I enjoy sewing with these wonderful ladies a couple times a month. They sew beautiful quilts and provide inspiration and friendship. I do things a little differently because I love to do everything by hand. I do not hand piece as much as I used to just because so many of our patterns are better served by machine piecing, but ALL of my quilts are hand quilted. Everyone thinks I am crazy, but I enjoy it.

Our military deserves all my respect and all of the gratitude I can give. They have and do give so much in their service to our country. We can never understand the sacrifices that are made by them and by their families. It's my honor to give of my time to provide them something that lets them know we appreciate their service and want to provide a source of comfort and pride as our thanks.

02/23/2026

The next America 250th quilt submission is by Barbara Sherburne, Group Leader of Atonement Cross Piecers QOV.

Quilt Pattern: Land of Liberty

Story and Inspiration:
Atonement Cross Piecers began in 2015. It grew out of a group of quilters at Atonement Lutheran Church in Fargo, ND, who were looking for a new focus. They had been making beautiful decorative quilts for the church's worship and meeting spaces. But the church had as many quilts as could be used. One of those members heard about Quilts of Valor, and the group decided to shift to making Quilts of Valor, one quilt at a time, at their monthly meetings. Because it was hard to keep up with requests, the decision was made to sew at home & focus the meeting on planning.

The group has grown over time in members and numbers of quilts awarded. The church has graciously provided us with space to store our fabric, materials, and finished quilts, as well as to hold our meetings. Through word of mouth and presence at our local quilt guild and other meetings, our membership has grown to 33 members, the majority from the community. We are fortunate to have 4 long-arm quilters in our group. We have two 3-day Sew Days at the church each year, which provides commaraderie and time to piece many quilt tops. In 2025, we were honored to award 75 Quilts of Valor to area veterans in a 75-mile radius of Fargo.

When the call came to submit a quilt for the 250th anniversary panel, I saw the pattern Land of Liberty, by Bound to Be Quilting, which featured the fabric line from Northcott that included the panel without the QOVF logo. I asked for a volunteer to piece the quilt, and suggested using that pattern. Marlys Hay, an expert quilter in the group, took on the challenge. She chose fabrics from the group's stash to piece the quilt. She wanted to highlight the panel, which has so much detail, and this pattern and her fabric choices allowed her to do that. She also did the long-arm quilting and binding. We thank her for her efforts to make this beautiful quilt to celebrate our nation's birthday and to honor a veteran in the coming year.

02/20/2026

The America 250 exhibit at American Quilter's Society in Daytona Beach ends tomorrow. Come see this traveling exhibit at AQS QuiltWeek shows nationwide, with the next stop in Connecticut in April.

More AQS QuiltWeek 2026 stops: After New England, AQS heads to Paducah, KY (April 22–25), Grand Rapids, MI (August 19–22), and Columbus, OH (September 23–26).

02/20/2026

The next quilt submission is from Don Dixson, the Group Leader of Freedom Stitchers of Iowa

The Freedom Stitchers of Iowa was founded in 2014 through the shared vision of Ralph Osenbaugh, a Vietnam veteran, and his longtime friend, Elayne Gassett. Ralph reached out to the community for veteran nominations, while Elayne gathered quilters from the Eastern Iowa Heirloom Quilt Guild to create the quilts. In that first year alone, 23 veterans were honored with Quilts of Valor. Quilt production took place in the basement of Elayne’s home until January 2023, when her cancer came out of remission and she moved to a care facility.

When it became necessary to relocate Elayne’s entire quilt-production inventory, Lindale Mall management generously partnered with the new leadership team to lease 3,000 square feet of unused space at an extremely affordable rate. Thanks to grants awarded by the Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation, all operating expenses have been fully funded to date.

With 74 dedicated volunteers, the Freedom Stitchers creates a meaningful two-way impact. Members generously share their time and talents to create quilts and often take part in presentation ceremonies. Our visible location within the mall also invites community connection—shoppers frequently stop in to learn about our mission, and many leave inspired, with some choosing to join our group. This space has also allowed us to host the National QOVF Sew Day with 32 participants, along with an additional 16 guests for a Quilts of Valor presentation.

As a textile artist, I naturally pay close attention to the work of other artists and the thoughtful choices they make. While studying the design of the 250th panel, I wanted to honor its creativity and respect both the design and its color palette. As I developed my own quilt design, I was careful not to compete with the bold colors of the crossed flags. Instead, I chose to echo the black and rust tones of the men’s clothing, the soft creams of the documents, and the warm golds of the table covering and chair.

While the quilt blocks themselves are not my original design, I believe that careful, intentional choices allow the quilt to support the artwork and invite viewers to pause and reflect on the significance of the men signing the Declaration of Independence.

02/17/2026

This week kicks off the American Quilter's Society (AQS) QuiltWeek in Daytona Beach, Florida! We are honored to share that AQS QuiltWeek will feature a special Quilts of Valor exhibit celebrating America’s 250th birthday. This commemorative exhibit showcases quilts created by Quilts of Valor groups using the QOVF / Northcott Semiquincentennial Quilt Panel.

Beginning this week and continuing throughout the year, we will be sharing additional quilt submissions on our social media platforms and in our Threads Newsletter.

Maker’s name: Pat Forshaw, Group Leader of New Mexico Happy Scrappers based in Albuquerque, NM
Quilt size: The quilt measures 61x79
Pattern name: Pat’s version of “A Winter’s Hike.”
Pat’s Story + Inspiration: It is a joy to sew along with my wonderful and dedicated friends and group members. I sewed my first QOV in 2013 for a friend, a US Marine, who served in Vietnam. When I saw the emotion and appreciation that this brought from Ben, I knew that I would sew for the QOVF as long as I am able to sew. I feel we are blessed to have the opportunity to meet so many men and women who have signed up to protect and defend our nation.

I really enjoy working with panels, and having the opportunity to join in the fun of a friendly competition between fellow members was great. My rule when planning a panel top is to never compete with the panel, but to highlight it. My goal is for the observer's eye to always go to the panel first. Simple can be better. I liked working with the 250th panel because of my love of our country. Due to the level of detail in the picture, I opted for a simple design. The pattern is my version of “A Winter’s Hike”. I used what Northcott fabric I have in my stash, but also knew I wanted to incorporate the words fabric of the writing of the Constitution. (not Northcott) The large center of the stars provided that.

Traditional quilters may comment that using a panel is “cheating”. My response is that our recipients really like the panel QOVs! Before and during the Covid pandemic, I had the privilege of working with the Albuquerque chapter of the CVMA. It was fun to see those “tough” motorcycle men and women look forward to seeing the panel QOVs that each was being awarded ever other month, and they were all panels. It is fun, and often a challenge, to make your vision fit, but I encourage you to try. You might get hooked as I did.

01/07/2026

SIDNEY, Ill. (WCIA) — Sidney’s oldest American Legion member received a special honor on Thursday. 103-year-old George W. Hawthorne served as a bomber pilot during World War II, and as …