A donation of the “world’s largest Ziploc bag” stuffed with fabric scraps provided the final affirmation that Kathey Bates was headed in the right direction. 

Finally, the retired Navy employee found herself with all the literal material she needed to create her own Quilts of Valor group. 

But first, its lofty background: Quilts of Valor was literally dreamt up. 

In 2003, when Catherine Roberts’ son was deployed to Iraq, she had a lifelike dream. 

In her words, shared on the organization’s website, qofv.org, “I saw a young man sitting on the side of his bed in the middle of the night, hunched over. The permeating feeling was one of utter despair. I could see his war demons clustered around, dragging him down into an emotional gutter. Then, as if viewing a movie, I saw him in the next scene wrapped in a quilt. His whole demeanor changed from one of despair to one of hope and well-being. The quilt had made this dramatic change.”

Since that vision, Quilts of Valor has distributed 278,847 quilts through its members in multiple countries. And despite the fact that fabric is expensive — Bates estimates $12-13 per yard for a finished quilt; about $250 total per quilt  — quilters keep digging into their own pockets to help tame the torment many veterans face post-war. 

Since 2016, when Bates first started Group 12140, the North Olympic Peninsula  Quilts of Valor Group has given away more than 600 free “cuddle on the couch” sized blankets, perfect for a couple – or a person and a pup – to veterans in Clallam and Jefferson counties. 

In-person deliveries account for about half of all donated quilts. Many veterans are uncomfortable with public formalities, and Bates said the guild has met folks from a public pier in Port Townsend, to a cabin in the woods in Brinnon, to a parking lot in Forks.

Most of the 33 current due-paying members of Group 12140 are retired military or have family who have served. Most quilts follow a loosely interpreted traditional red, white, and blue theme. Members who know people making requests often cater the color scheme to the recipient’s taste or decor. 

Anyone can nominate a local veteran for a quilt, and normally there is a steady stream of requests. But lately that flow has reduced to a trickle. 

“COVID hasn’t slowed us down,”  Bates said of herself and fellow quilters. “What has slowed down is the requests.” 

Bates emphasized that the quilts are completely free of charge, and the community can see first-hand what the group is all about at an upcoming meet-and-greet.

Sew Day is set for Saturday, Aug. 28, and the public is invited to come stroll through the American Legion Hall in Port Townsend anytime after 9 a.m. to meet Quilts of Valor members, view a quilt gallery, learn about the organization, and inspect the two quilts that will be formally presented to their recipients at 1 p.m. 

Normally, anyone is invited to come sew with guild members on Sew Day, but Bates said this time they are holding off due to COVID. 

“We are a bunch of little old ladies who quilt,” she explained, and asked that all guests follow CDC masking protocols. 

Cash or check donations are appreciated; checks should be made out to Quilt of Valor Foundation. All gifts are tax-deductible.