4-H members and volunteers can work alone or in groups to make the quilts. Perhaps you can find someone who will help donate fabric, batting or machine-quilting to complete your project. You may want to contact a service organization or other donors in your community to help provide funds for the Quilt of Valor.
Guidelines
Remember, we are honoring our military personnel who are protecting our freedom, so we want the quilt to be of good quality. Quilt Top Fabric and Thread:
- 100% good-quality cotton fabric with high thread count (preferably quilt shop fabric – (NO cheap or previously used fabrics).
- Soldiers do not want children’s fabrics such as cartoons. 10% of the soldiers receiving quilts are women, so consider whether a man or woman would like the fabric.
- You can but don’t have to pre-wash the fabric. Use good quality cotton thread for sewing.
- Use a quilt pattern of your choice.
- Piece the top so it will be at its finished size – 55” x 65” or no larger than 72” x 90”. A recommended size is 60” x 80”.
Quilt Backing Fabric:
Good quality 100% cotton (NO sheets or bedding). Purchasing “wide” backing fabrics may be more economical. The backing should exceed at least 3” on ALL sides to allow for machine quilting and pinning the backing to the machine. (This is a total of 6-8”wider and 6-8” longer than the quilt top.) If you need to make seams on the back, first remove the selvage. If needed, seams should run across the width of the quilt backing parallel to the top and bottom.
Machine Quilting:
The quilt should be machine quilted. If you have a “long-arm quilter” in your area, you could ask them to quilt your project for you. If you do not have a local long-arm quilter, the Quilts of Valor Foundation has a list of long-arm quilters who will machine quilt it. Fill out the “Request Long-arm Form” at the Quilts of Valor Foundation web site. Once your machine quilting partner is assigned to you, communicate with him/her. Be courteous and send top/backing in a timely fashion.
Label:
Be sure to add a label to the back of the quilt. The label can be hand written, embroidered, printed or purchased. The label MUST SAY “Quilt of Valor”. Include the following information:
- Date range that it took to make the quilt.
- Name of the quilt.
- Place where the quilt was made. If the long-arm quilter lives in a different place, put both locations.
- Name of Quilt-top maker (4-Her first name & last initial, city/state).
- Name of machine quilter, city/state.
- The words "Presented To:" followed by a blank space. The recipient's name will be added later.
- If writing, you must use permanent black marker or fabric marker. 4-Hers need to firmly affix the labels to the back of the QOV.
Binding:
The binding fabric should be an appropriate color for the quilt. Straight cut and diagonally seam where necessary (unless edge of quilt is scalloped which requires bias binding). Corners mitered. Neatly applied by hand and/or machine.
Document Your Project:
Take digital pictures of you working on your quilt and your finished product.
- Be sure to add your Name, City or County, State, Name of the Quilt, and quilted by.
- Email your picture to Holli Alley, Extension Assistant in Clay County. Be sure to add your name, county and town in your email. To make sure the computer doesn’t read it as “spam”, put Quilts of Valor in the subject line. Spell correctly.
Pillowcase:
Place your quilt in a “Presentation Pillowcase” that is purchased or hand made to coordinate with the quilt. The pillowcase helps in packing and transporting the quilt.
4-H Exhibit at the Fair:
Consult the current version of the county and/or state fair book to see where to enter your quilt in Citizenship, Quilt Quest, or Design Decisions.