Moda Fabrics launched the Just One Star Project in 2011 as a way to honor the men and women who sacrifice and fight to defend our country’s freedom. They asked quilters to make a single star quilt block. The goal was to piece and quilt 100 quilts in 100 days. Moda received over 15,000 individual star blocks!
Fast forward to Fall Quilt Market where 100 boxes were handed out to 100 quilt shops across the country. Each box contained 60 star blocks and a pattern to assemble a simple quilt. The challenge to quilt shops was to complete 100 quilts in 100 days. Due date: Valentine’s Day 2012. Pink Chalk Fabrics is one of those quilt shops and this is the quilt we had the honor of completing.
The Pink Chalk team worked together to piece our set of star blocks into a stunning quilt. The beauty of a scrappy quilt like this always amazes me. It clearly transcends the sum of its parts. The beautiful long arm quilting by Shelly Nolte of Bunny in the Box (Kingston, WA) was the perfect finish.
Each block is signed by its maker along with their state. The quilt carries a beautiful aura of loving energy!
The mission of the Quilts of Valor Foundation is to cover ALL combat servicemembers and veterans touched by war with comforting and healing Quilts of Valor.
The Quilts of Valor website allows you to search for local groups by state.
We’re fortunate to have two groups in our area:
- Esther’s Fabrics hosts a monthly American Hero Quilts evening session from 7 pm to 9 pm on the 3rd Thursday of the month.
- Quilted Straight sponsors an all day Quilts of Valor group on the second Monday of the month from 10 am to 5 pm.
Are you part of a Quilts of Valor group? Please share your experience, a link in the comments to your group, or a link to a quilt you’ve donated. I’d love to learn more and see your quilts. xo Kathy
This is just beautiful!
As an active duty soldier recently deployed, my husband received many hand made items, and I can say with certainty that they appreciate them more than anything else people send to them. Knowing there are people that are thinking about them and take the time our of their busy schedules to make (and then send!) things to them is heartwarming.
This is wonderful – thank you Pink Chalk Fabric staff and Kathy for adding your time and resources to such a worthy project. It turned out beautifully!
Kathy and team,
Great job! thanks for the show and tell as well as making a quilt for a solider.
I made a quilt for a friend of our family who was injured and earned the purple heart. Here is a link to one of the blog posts.
http://www.mamaspark.blogspot.com/2010/03/matts-quilt-top-is-done.html
I also made several quilts for veterans that were dropped off at the local VA hospital. VERY worthy group of individuals. We owe them so much more that just a quilt!
Wow, spectacular Mama Spark – beautiful quilt!
What an amazing project and the quilt is spectacular!!!!! Wow, so inspiring!
So fun to see what happened with those blocks! Your qulit turned out great! I’ve done many QOVs over the years. Here’s my most recent experience:
http://www.moosequilts.blogspot.com/2011/10/quilts-of-valor.html
Inspiring photos Konda, thank you for sharing! You and your group are amazing and the quilts spectacular!!!
I’m both active duty and a Pink Chalk customer – thank you for doing this. I’ve got a quilt on my bed now made as a gift just after my most recent deployment and I smile every time I look at it.
Thank you for your service Shanti and for sharing your quilt story – I can see your smile! xo Kathy
As the wife of a purple-heart veteran, I had a great desire to participate in the Quilts of Valor project. When my husband came home from his war, he was spit on and called ugly names. I love that the country now seems so supportive of our service members – especially the ones who come home changed mentally or physically by the experience.
Last summer, I made two blocks for the Quilts of Valor project, and seeing your finished quilt makes me wish I had done more. Thanks for participating in this great project. I know that the service members who received these lovely quilts appreciate knowing that someone cares enough to create these beautiful quilts just for them. Thanks.
How exciting to see a quilt done. I did send some blocks for this project.
Our group meets in the greater Long Beach, CA area. We also received 200 of the Moda stars and challenged each other to come up with different settings for the blocks. Last year our group presented 510 quilts. At this time, we have made over 1800 quilts for our Military Veterans. We have lots of quilt photos on our website as well as photos of some recipients!!
We are a group in Illinois who also received these star blocks. We have a few groups here in Illinois where we meet monthly. I just attended an RWW Program in Little Rock, Arkansas and a few of the completed quilts with these stars were amongst them and I was able to explain to the recipients the story of the stars coming from across the nation. They were really impressed. Thank you.
Rita
I work with a great group that meets twice a month. They have been meeting for a number of years and have completed many, many QOVs. I’m currently working on my first one. Thanks for sharing yours! It’s beautiful!
This is a gorgeous quilt. Good work by the Pink Chalk Team!
I loved contributing blocks to the Just One Star project last year.
Just this week, I was talking to someone about my desire to find a Quilts of Valor group. As often happens, your timing is perfect. Thank you.
Another reason I love you!
I belong to the Pajaro Valley Quilt Assn, in the santa cruz county, CA. I read the moda blog challenge for just one star. I went to my small quilt group, Sew Little Timers, and asked if they would help. Thankfully these gals are the best with causes (we take on so many) and said yes. Then I went to my guild president and newsletter contact, and had an email sent to all members with email. We did not have much time, here is the challenge. I was so surprised and pleased at the turn out. I only wished we had a quilt shop that was apart of the assembly of the quilts.
At at our monthly meeting we have “show and tell”, I read the result to the members, they were so pleased that they were apart of such a wonderful group.
Thanks moda…K