What happened to the last month???

Wow! What a busy couple of weeks. I know that I have been neglectful and please accept my apology. I will do much better in coming weeks. We are on a fast growing track and a lot of this is new knowledge to me. I will say that I was “focused.” My first clue that I was being neglectful was my phone. I have the “Chuckie Doll” of phones which just loves to turn itself to “vibrate” instead of ring. After about 4 days and I was so busy I didn’t notice that I didn’t get any incoming calls I checked to find the vibrate thing again. An hour after I turned it back to ring Baby Sister called to tip me off to “CALL MOM! She has not heard from you or seen an email in a week and she is going to call the police to go make sure you are still alive!” OOOpps. Okay, seriously neglectful. Mom is in Louisiana and I am in CA. Okay, maybe too focused. I owe a ton of people returned phone calls, emails and thank yous. Thank you all. I have received most of the calls I hope. I know my phone dropped or delayed some messages as I should have had several from my Mom and didn’t get a single one. I have received all the things people said they were sending to me and though I didn’t read email for a week I am now caught up.

THE BLOCKS ARE COMING, THE BLOCKS ARE COMING!!!!!!!!!

We meet this SUNDAY at 10 AM

April 20, 2008
American Legion Post #359
11986 Front Street
Norwalk, CA

NOTE TIME CHANGE. It is 10 AM, not 9 AM. There was some confusion on the time primarily because I put 9 AM but it is really 10 AM. This is the first time we will meet in NORWALK on SUNDAY (if you go to Lakewood you will be all alone. Be kind and double check with everyone you know who is planning to go to the all day “sew-in” this weekend that they know Norwalk on Sunday) to sew all day. We are all so excited. This is the week we look forward to seeing all the blocks from all over the country. It is so cool to see all of the different fabrics, especially from the east coast. Apparently they have a large supply of patriotic fabrics we don’t have access to here on the west coast. I can’t make it work for this month but hopefully soon I will be able to video the “big block reveal” so those of you remote can see the overwhelming sight of all the blocks. There is a huge amount of love there and it is truly stunning. If you haven’t sent your blocks yet send them to:

Sew Vac Ltd.
Attn: Quilts of Valor-Socal
1762 Clark Avenue
Long Beach, CA 90815

Hello Baton Rouge, Louisiana – they have 45 blocks in route. Thanks for the love.

Hello Ontario, CA Beginning Quilting Class at the Senior Center – Herlinda is teaching some of them to sew for the first time and they have been making blocks! Thanks for the support and good luck learning to all of you from a fellow beginner. I bet you all cannot “unsew” as fast as I can…….never give up, we will not be defeated………we will overcome no matter how many times we have to unsew the same thing…………

Hello San Diego, CA – well, well San Diego, thanks to Cindy Feagle the San Diego County Fair Home and Hobby division is holding a one day Quilts of Valor block contest on Friday, July 4th. Red, white and blue fabric only. Blocks are 12.5” x 12.5” unfinished. Enter the contest and you may just win some sweepstakes and/or $25! Be sure to print out the entry form and take it along with your block to Cindy’s booth. Cindy will be there from 10 AM until 2 PM every day the fair is open from June 14 – July 6th (Note: the fair is closed 2 Mondays, June 16 and 23). For more information click this link and go to page 7 http://www.sdfair.com/fair/pdf/08entry_adult_onedaycontest.pdf. You can browse the site at www.sdfair.com and if you have questions you can email entry@sdfair.com or call the entry office 858-792-4207. Contest entry is free!

Hello Salt Lake City, UT – Creative Expressions sent us 59 embroidered blocks that we can use for center blocks in the quilts. They are fabulous! All 45 of their employees got together and created this design just for these quilts. Very nice work everyone. The blocks read “Land of the Free” across the top and “Because of the Brave” across the bottom with a really great eagle holding 2 flags in the center. (Picture will be on the blog soon) Thanks to Hydee and the team at Creative Expressions for such outstanding love and support. We will use the blocks well. 20 of them are already cut and bordered ready for a quilt. The rest will be by the weekend.

Beginners haven’t thought of this yet but quilters are wondering how do you center a single block on a row of 4 blocks? I am sure the Quilt Police will show up at my door momentarily but being a non-quilter my answer is “split a block” and have one and a half blocks on each side and the embroidered block in the center. What? It is centered and even and balanced. Works for me. Like I said, I am sure the Quilt Police will carry me off shortly. That is ok. I have my “Quilt Police Jail” bail money stashed. You know, Momma always said keep a little emergency stash for when trouble comes calling……..

Real Quilters will just position the embroidered block in an appropriate place in the layout of the quilt top. Oh, live a little ladies, split a block! Relax, I have nearly 75 blocks completed so that MY blocks will be the only ones eligible for splitting. I said I have been “focused”.

Seriously, there are tons of other blocks in route from all over the US and we are just as excited as children at Christmas. The farthest away we have received so far that I know of is Maine and Florida. And we have received many from many points in between.

I have about 100 blocks and I know that Barbara has about 100 blocks. As for a count that is the best I have so far. I will post an update to the blog http://quiltsofvalor-socal.blogspot.com/ as to the exact number as the week progresses but be aware that the number will change daily. I promise, no more “going dark” for such an extended period no matter how focused. Last month it seems about half of the blocks were brought directly to the American Legion Hall so those will not be in the count during the week. Don't forget Panda Express is providing lunch again for us.


Thanks to everyone who participates in the project for the success of the project. See you at Norwalk if you are local and online if you are remote!