deserving or do not want to be recognized publicly so the quilts are given in private ceremonies or sometimes the veteran declines the quilt .
Those veterans that say , “ I don ’ t deserve it ” are told by SWQ Coordinator Audrey Martens that “ You do deserve it because you raised your hand , you swore yourself in , you went and stood in the gap when I couldn ’ t or wouldn ’ t . That ’ s enough right there .”
Many of the SWQs have had spouses or close relatives who have served in the military . Some just want to share their love of quilting with a deserving veteran . All agree there is nothing like seeing the quilt they ’ ve worked so long and lovingly on presented to a veteran , especially when it brings tears to the eye . They all share a three-part message of honoring for service , thanking for freedom , and offering comfort and healing .
Audrey said that the quilts represent one human being reaching out and touching another .
“ We consider our quilts as one of the highest civilian awards that we can grant to our veterans ,” she said .
Quilts of Valor consists of three layers held together by its stitches . The top of the quilt with many colors represents the diversity of our communities . The second layer is the batting that can ’ t be seen but provides warmth and hopefully comfort and peace to the veteran who receives a QOV .
The backing represents the veteran ’ s strength and the support of their family and community . It is said that “ each stitch that holds the layers together represents love , gratitude , and sometimes the tears of the maker .”
The SWQ will admit that sometimes the patterns can be challenging but they all help each other in many ways . Even in the middle of COVID , they began a mystery quilt that was definitely on the more difficult side , yet it brought the group closer together .
Once the quilts were completed , they hung them in the pine trees for everyone to admire before they decided they wanted to do something else , and that ’ s how QOV came about . A lot of the women have been quilting for years . Karen , whose husband has received a quilt , has been quilting for 12 years , all beginning with a desire to do something that her grandmother did .
She had been quilting for some time with the Mineola QOV , so when Audrey , Cindy , Sharon , Patti , and Carol got together and started the Safari Waters QOV , Karen jumped on board to honor her neighborhood veterans . “ It is a heart job ,” she says . Bob , who is married to Cindy , an SWQ coordinator , called everybody in the neighborhood to make sure that each veteran who wanted a quilt would receive one . Bob also received a quilt on Veterans Day 2022 for his service in the Army .
In January 2022 , some of the group attended a quilting retreat that included the QOV Texas Coordinator Suzanne DiCarlo , as well as a few others that had been with QOV for some time . They learned a lot during that retreat .
They have gotten together a few times this year , sometimes with all their sewing machines on hand to learn new techniques and help each other . Some members share their equipment and skills , like Carol , who assists with her Long Arm industrial sewing machine , which is used to stitch the sewing designs onto the quilt . Group members say that Carol is great at looking at the pattern and selecting a quilting design that compliments it .
Other members , like Brenda , don ’ t quilt at all , so she helps by ironing the quilts and assisting with administrative duties like playlists and programs for the presentation ceremonies .
“ It ’ s a great thing these ladies do and when you see the expression these people have on their face when they present their quilts and they wrap them … it ’ s just amazing ,” Brenda said , with tears .
Greater Athens Magazine | December 2022 | 21