Quilts Honoring Our Veterans
We are starting our 17th year of making quilts for our veterans. Since 2008, it has been an honor for the guild to participate in a project to honor our veterans. From the start of this project, the Omaha Quilters’ Guild has been committed to keeping this effort local.
We have worked closely with various veterans’ groups such as the Omaha VA Medical Center and Eastern Nebraska Veterans Home to identify our “local heroes.” Members of the guild may nominate a family member, friend, or loved one who is a veteran to receive a quilt. We have now given out more than 550 quilts to our servicemembers and veterans. We have also provided clothing and personal care items to the Veterans apartments. For a small committee, we are proud of this effort. It is a heartwarming experience to see how much the veterans appreciate the recognition of their service and receiving the gift of a quilt. It is truly a blessing and a privilege to see how our passion for quilting can touch another life.
Veterans Within Our Guild
We also have begun the tradition of recognizing any guild members who are veterans. For the last couple of years, we have recognized veterans at our November meeting. It is special to honor our veterans and recognize their service with a quilt created by one of their fellow guild members.
General Guidelines
Our preferred size of quilt is a minimum of 64 inches by 72 inches. This is a good size for a lap quilt. You can make it bigger if you wish. Our main colors are red, white and blue. These can be bright, clear colors. We also use cream and antique reds and blues for fabrics. Flags and stars are always winners!!
Participation
There are many ways that you can participate in this project. You can come to one of our meetings, for part or all of the day. Just bring your sewing machine and basic sewing supplies. Kits and fabric are always available to work on. You can also check out kits to sew on your own to make blocks or a top. We have blocks “kitted up” available at each guild meeting. You can help us by doing the machine quilting or applying the binding. You can also make pillowcases for us or you can donate your scraps to us. We can always find some way that you can help with our quilts for veterans.
Meetings
- 4th Saturday of the month
- 9:00 am to 4:00 pm.
- Fabric Bash, 10351 Portal Road, LaVista, NE.
For questions, contact Kerby Selmer at (402) 639-2512. Leave a message during workdays because I cannot answer the phone at work. You can also email quiltsforvets@omahaquiltersguild.org.