Make quilts for the soldiers at workshop West Milford For the last several years, the West Milford Heritage Quilters have made Quilts of Valor for injured soldiers. Last year on National Quilt Day, the group made 17 Quilts of Valor that went as far away as the Naval Hospital in Everett, Wash. This year the quilters are having a workshop on quilt making as they work on making their Quilts of Valor on Saturday, Sept. 25 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at West Milford Presbyterian Church. Anyone who ever wanted to learn how to make quilts or improve their skill are welcome to join them. The pattern they will be using is one used by the United States Sanitary Commission during the Civil War. The U.S. Sanitary Commission was the country’s first volunteer fund-raising organization and was the forerunner of the American Red Cross. It was modeled after the British Sanitary Commission, which was organized to assure that conditions in British military hospitals were sanitary and to aid and comfort the wounded. A bit of history If you go Quilts of Valor workshop West Milford Heritage Quilters Saturday, Sept. 25 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. West Milford Presbyterian Church 1452 Union Valley Road West Milford, NJ American Clara Barton was the mover and shaker in this effort as were Dorothea and Fredrick Law Olmstead. During the Civil War (1861-1865) southern women made quilts to support the Confederacy. These ladies were called “Gunboat Ladies” because their quilts were frequently sold to raise money to purchase gunboats. Northern women made and donated approximately 250,000 quilts to hospitalized Union troops, of these quilts, only five are known to survive today. These quilts were used as bedrolls and were used on cots in military hospitals. Many soldiers were buried in their sanitary quilts because of the shortage of wood for coffins. The U.S. sanitary quilt frequently carried the name of the maker and messages of hope and support. As women of the Civil War honored their soldiers, Quilts of Valor is the Heritage Quilters’ way of honoring and bringing friendship and hope to our young soldiers. In addition to the Quilts of Valor, the West Milford Heritage Quilters have sent fabric postcards to the troops in Afghanistan and Iraq. These postcards let the soldiers know that they are not forgotten. Learn to quilt West Milford Heritage Quilters meets each month on the third Friday of the month at 7 p.m. at Macopin School. The members share resources and ideas as well as learn from various presenters. The Quilts of Valor workshop is sponsored by the West Milford Heritage Quilters Guild. The workshop is open to all, whether you are an experienced quilter or looking to learn. Beginners will have the opportunity to work with experienced quilters and be taught the basics of quilt making. For more information on the workshop and what supplies you might need, contact Ardeth Wurdemann at ardethw@optonline.net, 973-928-0769, or Anne Sigler at bearpawfarm@optonline.net, 973-697-5121.