A local quiltting group is honouring six veterans living in the Algoma District this Remembrance Day.
Stitches from the Heart Quilt Guild members stitched together quilts from Honour Blocks that were sewn by over 50 anonymous community members who wanted to show their respect and admiration for these veterans.
“Because we hosted our 2019 quilt show at the Royal Canadian Legion, we selected a poppy theme to honour our brave and selfless veterans for their service and dedication” stated Sandy Marshall who organized two quilt block challenges – a Poppy Block Challenge for guild members and an Honour Block Challenge for community members.
Guild members also took part in a Poppy Block Challenge as part of the 2019 quilt show, where they were given the freedom to design their own quilt blocks as long as the fabric used was white and red. A total of six quilts were made that year.
“We are proud to announce that all six quilts have been accepted by Quilts of Valour who have the highest of standards as the quilt must reflect the level of gratitude that they want to demonstrate to the recipient. As a result, each quilt has the special Quilts of Valour label attached to it,” stated Cindy Connell, co-chair of the 2019 Quilt Show Committee.
Quilts of Valour is a non-profit organization established in 2006 to distribute quilts that are handmade, acknowledging a veteran’s sacrifice to Canada. They support injured Canadian Armed Forces members, both past and present.
These quilts were presented to six veterans from the Algoma District by representatives of the Sault’s Stitches from the Heart Quilt Guild during a special Anniversary Awards meeting that was organized by the Royal Canadian Legion.
The quilts were gifted toveterans Laurie MacKenzie, Harold Soderlund, Tammy Guay, Alan Fell, Ed Rowe; and Harold Quick by Guild members Cindy Connell and Sandra Johnson.
“It is a privilege to live in a country that allows all citizens the freedoms we have here in Canada. We wanted to thank Veterans for their service to our Country and for their personal sacrifice in the line of duty,” stated Sandra Johnson, Quilts of Valour coordinator, who worked with the local Royal Canadian Legion to select veterans to receive this special gift.
“The Stitches from the Heart Quilt Guild would like to thank all 50+ community members who took part in the Challenge,” stated Cindy Connell, 2019 Quilt Show co-chair. “Your quilt block was sewn into a beautiful quilt that reminds the recipient daily that ‘we remember’ and offers a warm hug every time they use it.”