If You Build It, They Will Come...

And I believe it is true!

As we were leaving the conference and traveling through Illinois, I spotted a quilt shop sign and suggested to Doyleen that we take a break and visit the shop.  When we found it, there was a sign outside the shop advertising fabric at two dollars a yard.  We both commented that it must be cheap low quality fabrics.  What we found, however, was that every bolt in the store was that price.  Fabric that was marked eight, nine, and ten dollars a yard was going at the sale price.  The only "catch" -- we had to buy what was left on the bolt.  If there were more than 15 yards, the price was $1.50 per yard.  The store was going out of business and it was the last week.  They wanted to sell!

Well, I went berserk and ended up buying almost two hundred yards.  Doyleen finally had to stop me.  Most of this is very nice fabric and the colors will work for most QOV's.  we can now provide backs for more than 40 quilts.

Then,

Just last Friday a woman called Doyleen asking her if she would accept some fabric.  She had three boxes she wanted to donate to a worthy cause.  When they delivered the fabric, we had a chance to tell about the mission of QOVF.  Her husband was impressed about the work we were doing.  He said he worked at the county mayors office and he was going to set up a meeting with the mayor and the county veterans affairs officer.  Apparently they have many contacts, and access to many facilities county-wide where volunteers can sew, and veterans can be honored.  They are also looking for projects like ours to highlight on local television and newspapers.  We will meet with them this week.

And,

About a month ago, two ladies contacted me about setting up a QOVF booth at the Tennessee Valley Fair.  The fair is a big deal in East Tennessee and lasts for ten days.  Thousands of people come every year.  They will not charge me for the space.  I will have the opportunity to recruit new piecers and long armers, promote the mission of QOVF and hopefully raise some funds.  And there is a special surprise -- the fair organizer is an Afghanistan veteran.  He doesn't know it, but he will be receiving his QOV during the closing ceremony when local heroes are honored.

There must be a reason so many things are coming together all at once.  The only thing I can come up with for an explanation is "if you will build it, they will come."  In other words, I believe that if we put our heart and soul into a project, and work hard, opportunities will find us.

Just wanted to share.

Dennis Taylor
Coordinator for Tennessee