Quilts for Vets

I have an online friend, who I've never met,who lives in Stockton, Missouri. Her name is Vicki Kirkpatrick and I met her through a quilting/stitching chat group several years ago. Our group started out quite big but has dwindled to 6-7 regulars who check in daily. We've formed some pretty strong friendships considering we've never met and aren't likely to. We've celebrated with each other and mourned with each other.

Vicki is very active in her quilting guild and every year their small town puts on a Veterans Day program and the guild provides quilts to veterans. A few years ago Vicki mentioned in passing that they didn't have enough quilts that year to pass out to all the veterans who came to the program. (They also take them to veterans in nursing homes, etc). I got thinking that I could help out so volunteered to make a quilt top last year. The guild provides the batting and backing, a volunteer quilts it, and someone else binds it.

Last year I made a quilt top from a pattern that I found in one of my quilting magazines. I believe the pattern was called Lincoln's Platform and was made from nine-patch blocks and churn dash blocks. I had fun doing it and I felt excited and happy to mail the top off to Vicki.

This year I found a pretty star quilt done in pastels that I thought might translate well into a red, white and blue quilt. I was very happy with the way it turned out. Both quilts are scrappy because I like to collect lots of different fabrics in fat quarter sizes (18 x 22") and I like the look of scrappy quilts.

I've already started looking for a pattern to do next year and think I'm going to do a log cabin with star sashings.  I love traditional quilt patterns and a log cabin block is about as traditional as it gets!
I've really enjoyed making and donating these quilt tops. It's a way for me to show in a very small way my gratitude for those who have served our country. While working on the quilts I think of the service of Grandpa Jordan, Grandpa Joe, and many of my uncles who have served.