Quilt of Valor Requirements: Learn What it Takes to Earn this Meaningful Award for Veterans

Quilt of Valor Requirements: Everything You Need to Know

If you have been searching for information about Quilts of Valor and want to get involved in this meaningful cause, you’ve come to the right place. In this article, I’ll outline all the key requirements for making and presenting Quilts of Valor so you have a clear understanding of what’s involved.

What is a Quilt of Valor?

To start, a Quilt of Valor (QOV) is a handmade quilt that is awarded to a service member or veteran who has been touched by war. The quilts are homemade as a way to express gratitude for their service and sacrifice. The tradition of awarding Quilts of Valor began in 2003 by a woman named Catherine Roberts, whose son was deployed to Iraq. She wanted to find a way to thank him and all service members, so she started making quilts to gift them.

Since then, the Quilts of Valor Foundation has formed as a nationwide nonprofit organization dedicated to covering all service members and veterans touched by war with comforting and healing Quilts of Valor. Their mission is to cover all of these patriots with quilts due to significant milestones or difficulties they’ve faced, including injuries, illness, or operations. Now thousands of quilt makers across the country actively participate in this meaningful cause.

Making a Quilt of Valor

If you want to make a quilt to donate, there are some basic requirements:

1. The quilt must be 3 layers – a top, batting, and backing all quilted together.
2. It needs to measure at least 55×65 inches to adequately cover an adult.
3. The materials and fabrics used can be of your choosing, but it’s recommend to use cottons, flannels, or other soft, warm fabrics.
4. Machine or hand quilting is acceptable to hold the layers together.
5. Quality workmanship is important so the quilt holds up well over time.

From my experience quilting, I’d also suggest pre-washing all your fabrics before starting to preshrink them. It’s disappointing if a quilt shrinks noticeably after the recipient washes it! I’d also recommend choosing fabrics with classic, muted color palettes that will stand the test of time versus trendy prints.

Presenting a Completed Quilt

Once your quilt is finished, it needs to be formally presented to the recipient. Here are the key requirements for a presentation ceremony:

1. Contact your local Quilts of Valor chapter to register your completed quilt and schedule a presentation. They will help facilitate the logistics.
2. Presentations typically involve up to 3 quilters who worked on the quilt to personally present it to the recipient.
3. A short ceremony involves sharing the meaning behind Quilts of Valor and briefly telling the story behind the quilt you made.
4. Recipients are awarded a signed Quilt of Valor certificate along with the handmade quilt.
5. Photography is encouraged to document these special moments of gratitude.

I’ve had the honor of participating in a few QOV presentations, and it’s truly amazing to witness the reaction of recipients. Tears of gratitude are very common! Some recipients even share stories from their service. It validates how much these quilts mean as symbols of appreciation.

Selecting a Recipient

Once you’ve completed a quilt, you’ll need to determine who receives it. Here are the basic guidelines:

1. Recipients must have been impacted by war through deployment, injury, illness or operations during or as a result of their service.
2. They can be currently serving or veterans from any era who were wounded, injured or touched by war both physically and emotionally.
3. Ideally select someone you personally know and feel connected to their story of service. But your local QOV chapter may also be able to help identify deserving recipients if needed.
4. It’s preferable but not required that the recipient live in your local area so a meaningful presentation can occur in person.

When selecting my recipients, I like to reach out to families in my community and church with ties to the military. Getting to know their stories of sacrifice makes presenting the quilt that much more impactful. I’ve found lots of deserving cases of veterans who don’t always feel recognized for their service either.

Ongoing Opportunities Beyond Completing a Quilt

While making and presenting a quilt naturally has meaning, there are also ongoing ways to support Quilts of Valor even without sewing skills. Check if your local chapter needs volunteers for tasks like:

• Helping with administration, data entry or bookkeeping.
• Assisting with quilt presentation ceremonies and events.
• Sewing binding or labels on finished quilts.
• Organizing quilt supply donations and storage.
• Helping quilt makers by tying quilts or other light sewing duties.
• Making personalized cards or gifts to include with quilts.

You can also spread awareness by sharing info on social media. Volunteering connects you more directly to the Quilts of Valor mission if making a quilt isn’t an option. So check if your chapter could use extra helping hands!

Wrapping It All Up

I hope this article addressed all the need-to-know basics and requirements for being involved with Quilts of Valor. Whether completing a quilt, presenting it, volunteer opportunities – there are many ways to get plugged in with this incredible nonprofit.

Please feel free to reach out if you have any other questions! I’m always happy to chat more about my experiences with QOV and helping others understand this meaningful way to recognize our service members and veterans. Their sacrifice deserves our deepest gratitude and these handmade quilts go a long way in conveying that.

Requirements for a Quilts of Valor Nomination

FAQ Quilt of Valor Requirements

1. Who is eligible to receive a Quilt of Valor?

   Active duty military service members as well as veterans who were impacted by their service are able to get nominated for a Quilt of Valor. This includes those who were wounded or injured during their service.

2. How long has the Quilt of Valor Foundation been around?

   The Quilt of Valor Foundation started back in 2003. They’re basically a nonprofit that works to provide quilts of comfort and healing to service members and veterans who were touched by war. So they’ve been around for quite some time now.

   

3. Is there an age requirement for receiving a quilt?

   Nope, there isn’t truly an age requirement. Quilts of Valor are meant to honor all those impacted by their military service no matter how old they are. Of course, a quilt might not be as meaningful for an 80-year-old veteran as opposed to a 20-something who just got back. But either way, their service is respected.

On the other hand, there are a few guidelines for how someone can qualify for a quilt from the foundation:

4. Does the recipient have to be nominated?

   Yeah, to get a Quilt of Valor you’ll need someone to nominate you and provide details about your military service. This helps the volunteers determine your eligibility and choose an appropriate quilt design. Sometimes a family member, friend, or vet group will put in the nomination.

5. Are there specific conflicts that qualify?

   While any era of military service can be honored with a Quilt of Valor, recipients often served during larger modern conflicts – the Vietnam War, Gulf War, Iraq/Afghanistan Wars, and so on. I saw a quote once from a vet who got a QOV that was gorgeous red and yellow – it apparently reminded him of his service in Vietnam, amazing how a quilt can spark those kinds of memories.

6. Does the recipient need to have seen combat?

   Not necessarily. The Quilt of Valor Foundation aims to recognize all kinds of service that impacted individuals, whether they saw direct combat or served stateside. So things like border patrol duties, mechanics on base, medics – their work was important too.

   

At the same time, despite the guidelines, the volunteers who design/present quilts appear to have some flexibility in who they honor. Perhaps the foundation realizes everyone’s service took its own kind of toll, in ways we may never fully understand. As long as the story behind a nomination tugs at the heartstrings, a quilt will find its way to a deserving vet or service member.