Quilts of Valor
 

My LQS is starting a Quilts of Valor chapter and I would like to participate... but I really struggle with picking patriotic fabrics and making the look good

Does anyone here know where QOV kits can be bought? I think that will be my best bet

Sure. Hancocks - paducah has some:

http://www.hancocks-paducah.com/SHOP...1-by-61-inches

Consider also to use a patriotic panel and put a row of your favorite block around it, add a boarder and that should kick start your confidence.

Congratulations on contributing to the cause of supporting our service men and women.

I just buy red, white and blue fabrics. I do not make them for QOV but have made lots for donations for foster kids and some adults.

I think any RWB fabrics would work and make your favorite pattern. Thank you for getting involved with QOV. My son was in the Navy in the Persian Gulf and a lot of his ship mates received RWB quilts and they all appreciated them. Good luck on your venture.

Thanks .. never thought of hancocks

Once you become a member (via the Quilts of Valor site), you will be able to log in and see different patterns. Last month, we just used various red, white and blues and made the current year's block. At the end of the day, the 8 of us had made enough to put a quilt together. Fons & Porter also has patterns in their magazines (and possibly kits). Welcome to the QOV group, you'll enjoy it. I've seen several quilts made with a panel as Jane Quilter suggested. Those turn out so beautiful. I've purchased so much red, white and blue fabrics.....I hope to be sewing Quilts of Valor for many years.

Our guild donates about 40 quilts per year to QofV. Some are done in bee groups, others by individuals. I make a top and pass it along to get quilted, I bind some for other folks. It is very rewarding to wrap a quilt around a service person! We have young men and women and WWII recipients, so a real mix. Our group uses other fabrics than RWB. We have done browns with tans and army green in several shades. Three of us got together and did embroidery on cream squares with green thread, and pieced shades of green alternate squares. It was very well received. Ask if your area will accept other colors. It might open up your creative channels!

Check out this blog. She has several designs for QOV as well as other ideas

https://maryquilts.com/ideas-for-veteran-quilts/

I love ever pattern and quilt that comes from Mary Johnson.

Check out the QOV website. They have some free patterns and looking at them might help you chose the colors. I made one for my BIL that started with a patriotic panel. I picked colors from the panel for the log cabin blocks. The panels are usually readily available in quilt shops and online, Fabric.com and Missouri Star Quilts, Jenny's company. Good luck and have fun. It is very rewarding.

I just wandered the Mary Quilts website mentioned above and the last quilt may meet what you are looking for, Patriotic Rail Fence. Simple pattern that could use any combination of RWB fabrics. But keep in mind that that is not requirement that the quilt be RWB. A number of the quilts on Mary Quilts, are shown in colors other than RWB. A QOV does not have to be eagles, waving flags or fireworks. All of those are acceptable and appropriate but not required.

Please ask your LQS. If they are supporting QOV, then please support the shop. After you make one, you will have idea on other fabrics that will look good. We have QOV sew days at my LQS where string blocks are made. All fabrics are supplied. We just provide the labor to make them. Normally done with RWB of every shade and pattern, and they look great. Have fun!

Here are two QoVs made from red white and blue scraps from other projects One was a 1600 that I hated and cut into it adding diagonal sashing. Some of the blue fabric had stars on it but the rest were leaves, geometric etc. Use what you have !!
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eparys...love how you took the 1600 quilt up a notch...makes it very striking! And a great use of left over squares..Are they 2 1/2" cuts?

Thanks - the 1600 looked blah so I just cut into it. I was pleased with the results. The other one I had small yardage pieces so when I cut the red and blue squares I cut them at 3" and the blocks finished at 10". You could use precut 2 1/2 inch squares (or cut your own) - the block would just finish at 8" and you would need more of them!

Nice save on a quilt you disliked. It is a wonderful surprise to look at it. Your other on the LA is striking too.

I was involved with QOVs for 7-1/2 years. When selecting fabric do not choose anything that looks alike an explosion and your pattern should not look like the American flag when completed. The reasoning is obvious. Also, all of your work should withstand many many washings since many of them are sent to a hospital setting wherein they are vulnerable to splashing. In other words, everything should be machine stitched.

You will find this the most rewarding work you will ever do for an unknown person. Good luck and thanks for supporting our troops.

Lots of great patterns.

Here is a page on the Quilts of Valor website that has free patriotic quilt patterns. They are in PDF format and you can download them right from your computer.

https://www.qovf.org/quilters-questions/quilt-patterns/

Congrats to your Guild and Welcome Aboard the QOV Train. I am a QOV quilter. Not sure about QOV Kits, but check out the FACEBOOK group "Quilts of Valor Stars" as they have a ton of patterns under the Files tab, as does the QOV page. Just look at all the various quilts that have been awarded and you'll see that the sky is the limit.
www.persimmonquilts.com/ has a bunch of free patterns as well and mystery quilts if you like those. My QOV group just uses R/W/B fabric and uses any pattern they like. You'll do just fine. Just lay your colors out and see what pleases your eyes.
Also, every year the QOV has a Block of the Year. That will help you too.

Love both of your quilts. Yes, USE what you have. My group has large bins of fabric we've found at estate/garage/quilters sales. We gear to a general audience as we have found that vets, both male & female, like the more patriotic motifs on the fabrics.