Quilt of Valor

Sometimes inspiration strikes but then life gets in the way... or at least that's the case for me. I am working on this great quilt for a great cause. The traveling Vietnam Memorial will be in my hometown this summer and in a fun twist of serendipity the opportunity to create a Quilt of Valor (a quilt that w illbe given to a local military service veteran) was presented to me.  I have known about the Quilts of Valor for years and I have always thought "one day" and now, maybe that day is here.  I did make my father a service inspired quilt a few years back to commemorate his time in the Marines and thank him for his service in Vietnam. Quilting with the red, white and blue was such a great experience.  I always feel that when you quilt, you feel closer to that person while quilting it.  

So, I found a pattern that I thought would be great, I bought all the pretty red, white and blue fabrics. (Huge thanks to the ladies at the Old Alley Quilt shop in Sherburn MN!!)

And I proceeded to cut all those pretty fabrics into smaller pieces so that I can sew them all together again. Yep, that's the fun of quilting... taking perfectly good fabric, cutting it up so that you can sew it back together... I see the irony, but I still say it's super rewarding. :)

My first block actually went together faster than my second block did, apparently I got a little overconfident. While I am all for leaving some mistakes in the quilt, sometimes I just can't bear it and the "unsewing" begins. Ugh, that part is always hard on my heart. But I have rarely ever made the same exact mistake twice after unsewing... there is something about the pain in that process that sticks with you, in a good way.

I need to make 12 of these blocks total (8 left to go), then add fabric to connect the blocks, then baste, quilt and bind it all... before May 1...yes of 2018.  So, that's where even the best ideas, the excitement I had begins to be replaced by anxiety and disappointment in myself for the unlikelihood of hitting that deadline. In a word I'm getting "bummed".  I have all sorts of excuses... but that won't get it done any sooner.

In truth, the Quilts of Valor program goes on 365 days a year, I will still be able to give this Quilt of Valor to a deserving soldier.  For that, I am grateful. Even if things don't work out the way I expected, hoped or wanted... sometimes they work out anyway. Let's hope that's the case for this special quilt!

Update: I finished on time, with the help of some wonderful people!