Local quilters participate in National Sew Day for Quilts of Valor

By LYNETTE SOWELL 
Cove Leader-Press 

A local group of quilters, “Quilters With a Heart”, gathered on Saturday at Temple Sew And Quilt to take part in the 6th annual Quilts of Valor National Sew Day.
The event which takes place the first Saturday in February included thousands of quilters from across the country as they created quilt tops and quilts which will end up being bestowed upon Armed Forces service members and veterans touched by war.
The theme for the National Sew Day 2019 was “On our way to 300,000!”  
Altogether, the quilters completed four quilt tops with seven quilt tops being finished at various homes of group members for a total of 11 tops, said Laura Winckel, with Quilters With a Heart. 
“Blocks were constructed, quilt kits started and lots of food was enjoyed by all that attended,” said Winckel. “Members of the group from as far north as Dallas to Copperas Cove sewed in their homes or attended the gathering at Temple Sew and Quilt.”
National Sew Day started in 2014 under the direction of Betsy Podriznik, Special Events Coordinator, and Susan Gordon, Executive Director, said Winckel. 
“We were stitching towards the 100,000th Quilt of Valor. Only four years later, we have awarded the 200,000th quilt. Now we are on our way to 300,000.”
Anne Pierce of Copperas Cove is an avid quilter and made the trip to Temple last Saturday to participate in the event. Both Pierce and Winckel belong to the Crossroads to Texas Quilt Guild and participate in the Quilts of Valor events as well. 
“I think it’s a great way to help and it’s an organization I believe in,” said Pierce, whose husband is a retired combat veteran. 
Pierce has been quilting for about 10 years and has participated in the National Sewing Day event in prior years, which has also been held at Killeen Sew And Quilt.
The Quilts of Valor had its start in 2003 with by Catherine Roberts, whose son had entered the military. She had a dream about a lost, sad forlorn soldier sitting on a cot, followed by the sight of that soldier wrapped in a quilt with hope in his eyes again. 
Roberts presented the first quilt to a Minnesota soldier in November 2003. The endeavor began to award quilts to soldiers who had been directly impacted by combat. Quilts are given to soldiers and veterans by way of a special ceremony.
Anyone can nominate a veteran for a quilt at the Quilts of Valor Foundation website, qovf.org. Every quilt awarded is registered in the foundation’s database.