News : Rita Moore completes her 100th quilt for Quilts of Valor

Rita Moore with her 100th Quilt sewn for the Quilts of Valor program

Rita Moore has found what some might call a ministry. Using her ability to sew has turned into a way to help others on their way to healing. It might just be a small way to help on that journey for so many, but it might also be the key. Rita has given many, many hours to make that healing happen for a number of area veterans. 100 to be exact.

It started in 2016, just a mere 6 years ago. Rita Moore discovered a group that could use her talent. It requires a skill that few people today have. Quiltmaking. She learned it from her Grandma Penny she said. When she was looking at a career right out of high school, she had thought of being a Home Economics teacher. Later she was told that she would have been "too hard on her students," she said with a laugh. She like her sewing projects to be as perfect as they can be. Each of her quilts reflects that. Her grandmother was a professional qullter and taught Rita all of the necessary skills for sewing.

A few weeks ago, Rita presented her 88th or 89th Quilt of Valor, she wasn't sure which it was. For a few years now she had said, "I'll probably quit when I hit 100. I asked her to let me know when she hit that number. She just received her 100th quilt back from the quilter. She doesn't like to brag about the work that she does. But she does keep a scrapbook of all of the quilts that she's made.

Dawn Gifford is very familiar with Rita's work. She is the one that Rita goes to when she has another quilt ready to be put on the long arm quilting machine.

Gifford owns Prairie Quilt Studio in Urbana. She also used to be the IT Director for Quilts of Valor and that's where she met Rita. "The first thing I noticed about Rita was her incredible dedication to Quilts of Valor and her drive to make sure every WWII veteran in Benton County had a Quilts of Valor. Rita is a get-it-done person and never sits still," Gifford said. "I have a hard time keeping up with quilting all of her creations! I have long arm quilted about 1/2 of Rita's 100 Quilts of Valor quilts." Gifford is building a new store in Urbana, it's the big red prairie-style barn under construction near Casey's. Gifford said that she plans to dedicate a corner of the store to quilting supplies for the Quilts of Valor program and name it "Rita's Corner" Gifford said.

When I talked to Rita to do the story about her 100th quilt, I wasn't at all surprised when she told me that she had quilt number 101 in the works along with a few other quilts planned.

As a tribute to Rita, Gifford added an inscription to the quilt with Rita's name and noted that this was her 100th quilt.

If you or a veteran that you know has been touched by war, you are eligible to receive a quilt from Quilts of Valor. The program was created by a mother who wanted to find a way to comfort those who had faced the realities of war and give those veterans comfort and healing, with a quilt.

Congratulation Rita on meeting your 100 quilt goal!

Click this link to find out more about the Quilts of Valor program.

To become a member of the program, by sewing, maybe presenting, or in other ways that the organization might be able to use you, visit this link.

To submit an application to receive a quilt click here.

Modern Home Arts aka Prairie Quilt Studio is located at 5354 Hutton Drive in Urbana.