Quilts of Valor June 11, 2019

Tonight was our last Paint with Purpose event until the fall. Being that summer is so busy with vacations for so many people, me included, all of the Hearts of Hope chapters take the summer off to enjoy time with family and recharging our batteries. That doesn't mean we won't be getting together for some small activities and ornament making at Sterling House, so be on the lookout for a "Call for Volunteers" once I come back from my vacation to Newfoundland with my family that lives in Canada. 

Being the last event of the season, you can expect that this would be the one that I got a bit cocky and thought I would remember everything and wouldn't need to use my Packing Checklist to insure that I had everything I needed for the event. Big Mistake! As we were setting up, I realized I had left the hearts at Sterling House. Luckily, they are 5 minutes away and open until 6 pm. As I raced back to Sterling House, I had texted Pattie ( Newtown's chapter president who always comes to our events) with my dilemma and she just happen to have blank hearts in her car. Of course she did, lol! Pattie is always there to rescue me. Oh, and I also forgot my good camera at home. Well, no time to go all the way to Shelton to get that, so all these photos were taken with my cell phone. Thank goodness it is capable of decent photos. After those two blunders, vow that I will never rely on my blonde brain again and the teacher in me will always stick to the lesson plan and use the check list. Thankfully the remainder of the event went off without a hitch! 

Now back to tonight's events. Tonight we painted for the men and women who make the beautiful, heartfelt quilts for the Quilts of Valor Foundation.  Tonight, we are painting to thank those selfless quilters for their hard work in helping to honor our Veterans.

Quilts of Valor is a nonprofit organization that is made up of men and women who create amazingly beautiful quilts.  The mission of the Quilts of Valor Foundation is to cover service members and veterans touched by war with comforting and healing Quilts of Valor. The Connecticut delegation of Quilts of Valor has come to our event to not only paint with us, but to award a quilt to a Korean War Veteran from Stratford. 

All set up and awaiting our guest.

As you can see, Connie is back up for a visit.  It feels like she never left!

Our amazing young volunteers, Lily and Lucy, continue to come to every event and help us set up. I am truly going to miss them this summer. 

 Part of Connecticut Quilts of Valor, including quilters Claire and Chuck, and Jane Dougherty, Co-coordinator for Connecticut Quilts of Valor 

Our Korean War Veteran who will be receiving his quilt this evening. Frank and his lovely wife, Jane, have been married for 58 years. 

 In the upper right hand corner you will see Cindy Guendert, the Co-coordinator for Connecticut Quilts of Valor.

 Pattie and Patti

 It was so great to see Jodi again! We have missed her. She is one of our amazingly talented artists. 

 Linda and her daughter Evelyn

 It is wonderful to see the Bunko group again. 

 Lily decided to try her hand at a coloring book heart this month. 

 Patti's hearts always leave me speechless. 

 Destiny, Future President in Training, working on her heart.

Connie, Pam, and Luz are busily painting.

 The Brelsford's

 Here is a short video of Jane introducing the quilts. 

 Jane is showing off Chuck's latest quilt.

 Jane has a long arm machine which sews the two parts of a quilt together. She has created a pattern for her machine to follow when joining the two parts together that is printed in cursive and reads, "Your service...Our freedom". On the back of this quilt you can see the words in reverse. It is absolutely amazing the amount of love and thought and care that goes into each quilt, just like the hearts and messages that each one of you creates for us. So much love and caring and thought...we are so humbled!

 Chuck walks around showing our painters the back of the quilt. 

Jane continues to give more background into Quilts of Valor. 

Jane is talking about how our Stratford Library will be getting the boys and girls in town to help create quilt blocks for Quilts of Valor to be given out at next year's Veterans Breakfast.

      And now it's time to call up the guest of honor, Frank, our 90 year old Korean War Veteran.

Bill O'Brien has known Frank since Bill was his paperboy. 

Frank gets his orders!

Here is Jane giving Frank his orders about using his Quilt of Valor.

(photo by Quilts of Valor)

 After receiving his quilt and his orders, Frank was ready to receive hugs from the people at our event!

We gave Frank a Heart of Hope too. While I was about to hug him, I must have accidentally taken a photo of the quilt and the organza bag in his hand. 

The Veteran and his Quilters

(photo by Quilts of Valor)

Well, my first year in charge of this chapter has come to a close. It has been quite the ride! Thank you to all my Team Members, old and new, who have shown up where ever and whenever their schedules allowed to help out with Paint with a Purpose events at Riverview or off at other sites; Suzy Q, Hiroki, Joanne, Alese, Bridgette, Bay, Sasha, Marianne, Lily, Lucy, Linda, and anyone else I might have accidentally forgotten. Thank you, Alese, for always painting the most beautiful specialty ornaments for our chapter. You are such a gifted artist! Thank you to all those who came out to Sterling House each and every time we put a call out to volunteers to come and help us make ornaments or whatever we needed doing (Bobbi, Carolyn, Linda, Marianne, Bonnie, Laura, Viviana, Hiroko, and Janine.). Thank you to Sterling House and the Riverview Bistro for giving us a home for our chapter and our monthly events. Thank you to Mellow Monkey for being there to support us with the selling of our Specialty ornaments every year! Howard, you are such a generous soul! Thank you to my Friday Heart making partner, Marianne. Together we have been able to make all the hearts that our chapter has been using this year. I couldn't do it without you, nor would I want to! Thank you to Newtown Chapter President, Pattie Ptak and our former president, Connie Lester, for all your help and guidance in my first year in charge...  I know, I know some day I will have to acknowledge the fact that I am actually the president of this chapter, but not  yet. Thank you Judy, our founder in chief, for having the confidence in me when I certainly didn't. I still have nightmares I will run this chapter into the ground. Thank you to Terry and Mike for all the behind the scenes help and confidence boosting when I needed it. And last but not least, thanks to each and everyone of you who has come to an event sometime throughout this year! Hearts of Hope would not exist if it weren't for your continued support and dedication to this wonderful organization and the causes it supports. Enjoy your summer off!                                                             

Gwen