The Hendricks Chapel Quilters group recently created a “Quilts of Valor” (QOV) piece, a quilt that says “thank you” and is awarded to a U.S. military service member or veteran.
Quilts of Valor quilt by Hendricks Chapel Quilters
QOV is a nationwide charity, and the quilt built by the group was designed to fit the foundation’s requirements, with a patriotic theme of red, white and blue fabrics.
A group of about nine people worked four Monday evenings and one all-day Saturday session to bring the QOV quilt to life. It is based on a traditional pattern called a tipsy nine patch, known by some as a stack-and-slice technique for creating unique quilt blocks. Once backed, bound and quilted, the finished quilt was donated to the volunteers’ office in the Syracuse VA Medical Center to be given to an area veteran in the hospital.
Hendricks Chapel Quilters (HCQ) has more than two decades of history at Syracuse University. In 1998, the group participated in the creation of the Pan Am Flight 103 Remembrance Quilt, which honors the memory of the 35 University students lost in the tragedy. For the 10th anniversary, a Remembrance Scholar gathered mementos of the victims from their families. Group leader and former staff member Jeanne Riley designed the quilt, incorporating mementos and themes, and coordinated quilters. The quilt was finished just in time for the ceremony at which it was to be displayed.
HCQ continues its tradition of celebrating the communities created when making group quilts. The group consists of students, staff, faculty and community members who gather in the Noble Room each Monday during the academic year to sew and share. The group welcomes all people regardless of sewing experience or skill. One frequent HCQ charitable effort is creating baby- and child-size quilts to be donated to local community organizations that provide services to children and families.
