As quilters, Brighton’s Shari King and Shanna Massier were impressed when they attended a veterans ceremony in Lakewood last August and saw Quilts of Valor donate a specially made quilt to a veteran, courtesy of national foundation Quilts of Valor.
Volunteers to the foundation donate their time and materials to make quilts for veterans touched by war. King said that Quilts of Valor’s mission is to award all veterans touched by war with a Quilt of Valor.
“It can mean so many things to people,” she said. “It’s not for us to decide. It’s the mission of Quilts of Valor.
“We were so touched and so moved we wanted to know how we could get involved. We didn’t have any Quilts of Valor groups nearby Brighton,” King said.
The experience convinced them King and Massier decided to start their own Quilts of Valor chapter, starting their group Piecing Patriots in 2023.
“We decided to start our own group because we have several quilt shops here in the area,” King said. “So, we thought we’re kind of in a little Quilts of Valor desert here,” King said.
King said Anna Verbeek, owner of On Pins and Needles in Brighton, allows the group to use her sewing training room for sewing days every third Saturday of every month since August 2023.
“I let them use the room because it’s the right thing to do and contributes to our veterans who give back to our country,” Pins and Needles owner Verbeek said.
The sessions usually start at 9:15 a.m. and continue well into the mid-afternoon.
“We have a group of up to 12 dedicated seamstresses from around the area. They show up on that Saturday with machines in hand. We collectively work as individual teams or as a group to make Quilts of Valor,” Massier said.
The group has been busy. In less than a year, Massier said they have made about 24 quilts and have awarded 17 quilts to veterans. They find veterans to donate to through local veteran service organizations and by simple word-of-mouth.
“We presented on June 11 with the Heritage Todd Creek Veterans’ group. We had breakfast with them, and they allowed us to introduce ourselves and talk about the nomination process,” Massier said. “We also partner with the American Legion in Brighton, and the VFW in Brighton. And collectively, they have helped us find nomination nominees.”
King said the nominations also come from all over the country. Since Quilts of Valor is a national organization the Brighton chapter can receive a nomination from somebody in Texas who knows somebody here in Colorado who deserves a quilts.
They agree that seeing a veteran get a quilt creates a good feeling for the seamstresses.
“One in particular touched me. It was a World War Two veteran we gave a quilt to a while back,” she said.
He knew he was getting a blanket, and assumed it was going to be a small, mass-produced wrap instead of a handmade quilt.
“He was blown away,” King said. “When veterans have those reactions, many times they say they don’t deserve it. You get a mixed bags of feelings, but it’s always very rewarding to see the quilt find a home with a veteran.”
Massier agreed. Most veterans think the honor should be awarded to somebody else.
“So being able to recognize them for their contributions and the appreciation they show on their faces and their families’ faces there’s nothing more rewarding,” Massier said.
If you want to volunteer for Piecing Patriots, making Quilts of Valor, contact Shari King or Shanna Massier at WeSew4Vets@PiecingPatriots.com.