One stitch at a time, a group of quilters has given men and women who have served in the armed forces a special honor.
More than 100 men and women in Lexington County have received a Quilt of Valor, a handmade piece in patriotic colors that thanks them for their service.
It’s the work of a group of quilters who call themselves Stars & Stripes Quilters, who meet regularly to bind, batt, and back fabric into blankets that offer comfort and healing.
Quilts have been making a statement for centuries, from ones used in the Underground Railroad to those that symbolize family and community. They also embrace the tradition of making quilts for charity.
Quilts of Valor recognizes military service.
Kitty Williams has been involved in Quilts of Valor since 2018, after she was newly retired. Williams wanted to pick up a hobby, so she began sewing. She found that working on clothes didn’t satisfy her, but then she discovered local quilters. “I enjoy doing jigsaw puzzles and things like that,” Williams said.
At a Monday evening quilt group at Creative Sewing Center in West Columbia, Williams learned of a group making quilts to give to eligible service members and veterans. She found her calling. Now she is the group leader for the local chapter of the national Quilts of Valor organization.
The group meets two Thursdays a month to work on quilts. And at least once a week in the fall, she and other members preside at ceremonies, where she sees their humble reaction.
“A lot of them don’t feel like what they did was worthy of being recognized,” Williams said. Some still harbor trauma related to their service but find the quilt a reminder that people still care. Others just don’t want to talk about their time in the service.
But all of them are grateful for the gesture. There was the 105-year-old World War II veteran, Johnny Harp Sr., who served in World War II. And Jim Weiss, a Vietnam War veteran who also survived the 9/11 attack on the Pentagon. The retired Army colonel cried when the quilt was presented in front of his family.
Another Vietnam veteran cried through his presentation, and his wife later shared that he sleeps with the quilt around him every night and keeps it around him while watching TV.
“That warms our hearts to know that they’re actually using the quilts and not just putting them in a closet somewhere,” Williams said.
Rose Lorenzen, who comes from a military family and works with Williams, gets emotional when recalling some of the presentations she’s attended. “It does my heart good to put a quilt around them, let them know that they’re loved and appreciated,” she said.
More than 450,000 quilts have been awarded nationwide to veterans who are nominated by their family, friends, and co-workers.
Every February, the chapter participates in a national sew day, when members put together kits of fabric and pattern to hand out to other quilters, who will complete the project.
The national organization raises money for the local chapters, and members also take donations of fabric and notions. The local chapter also gets help from the Threads of Time guild.
More about Quilts of Valor
Quilts of Valor was created in 2003 by Catherine Roberts, whose son Nate was deployed in Iraq. Roberts likened the initial quilt to help her son after his deployment as a healing hug.
The national organization has been recognized by the federal government as offering one of the highest civilian honors in the presentation of quilts to veterans and service members.
The Stars & Stripes Stitchers meets every second and fourth Thursday at the Creative Sewing Machine Center.
To nominate someone to receive a Quilt of Valor, check out the standards on qovf.org, which specifies that a living individual who is on active duty or has received an honorable or general discharge is eligible.