Four Quilts of Valor Sent to the 3/8 Marines Today

When 1,200 Marines and sailors return to Camp Lejeune, N.C., in a few weeks – after a long combat tour in Afghanistan – there will be 1,200 quilts ready to greet them. These are just four of those 1,200 Quilts of Valor (QOVs). They were made by the ladies of the Spice Girls Quilts of Valor Corps. From left to right, Robin’s quilt, Linda & me, Della & Kathy and Kathy’s.

I stitched on the last label this morning, washed and then lovingly folded each one neatly and precisely (our Marine will be proud!) and tucked each one into its own Presentation Pillowcase. Each pillowcase also held the handmade thank you cards sent from Morton Elementary School children (thank you Arminta!) and a few from our quilters.

I also included my own letter with each quilt, as follows:

To Our Beloved Marine:

My name is Kimberly Mason. I’m the coordinator for the Sugar ‘n Spice Girls Quilts of Valor Corps in Morton, Washington. We’re a small group; there are only five of us: Linda, Robin, Kathy, Della and myself. We get together once a month to work on our QOV project.

We know that this quilt will not — not in any way, shape or form — be able to repay you for your service as a Marine. But we do know of the ability of a quilt to provide comfort and warmth. As mothers of grown sons, we know that no matter how big you get and no matter how strong a warrior you have become, when it comes to the end of a long day of struggle, the comfort of a warm quilt certainly can’t hurt.

Please use this quilt. Wash it (no HOT water!) and dry it as you would anything else. Wear it out, please, it would make this mother very happy indeed.

Thank you for who you are, for what you have accomplished and for what you continue to strive to achieve.

May you be blessed with whatever it is your heart truly desires.

Peace,
Kim

This has been a long, emotion-packed couple of weeks. I’m tired. Not all of it is a good kind of tired, but much of it is. And while I worried over these quilts – will they get done, are they good enough, have I done everything I needed to do to get them there safely to Our Marine? – even after all that worry, I think that this just might be the last QOV I ever make. Too much worry and heartache.

…and then I realize that as I am leafing through the quilting magazine that Linda sent home with me, I’m keeping my hungry eyes peeled for ideas for my next QOV project…Hey Linda! How about a Kaleidoscope quilt in patriotic colors? Are you in?

More info on the 3/8 QOV project from the Quilt of Valor Foundation.

Online article: Draped in gratitude: Quilters put on massive effort for wounded service members.

~ by Kimberly Mason on May 27, 2009.