The great folks at Bella Fabrics in Carrollton offered their store as a place to organize a “sew in”, and we can’t wait to see how it turns out!

The 2nd Wednesday of each month, Bella Fabrics will allow those folks who’d like to volunteer a few hours of their time to stop by the store, and sew or stuff pillows for troops. We brought over 500 pieces of fabric to be sewn, and another 30 pounds of ACU to be cut. Wanda Johnson of Suffolk (left) and Lorna Lewis of Newport News are working on sewing.

Want to volunteer? Contact us! Operation.PFP@gmail.com

The Ladies of St. Mary's working away at 500 PFPs...

Great work, ladies!!!

Now if I’d been smart, I’d have backed up our server…and our files…and our database…but nooooo…I was too busy…(well, in my own defense, I was busy!)…

As much as it pains me — I’m going to have to rebuild our blog. First things first — trying to recapture all the posts from the last year and a half, since we began Operation PFP.

Wish me luck…

Embroidered, ribboned, and ready to go

Well, sure! Blankets are our best thing!

We’ve made thousands of blankets, and we’ve always used fabric from Malden Mills, so making blankets is second nature to us.

We’re still embroidering our yellow ribbon to decorate these blankets, and we’ve included stars in red, white, and blue. Each is rolled tightly, tied with a bright ribbon, then carefully boxed up.

Our first couple of boxes have just been shipped, and we can have dozens more ready to ship in no time.

Our friends with Soldiers’ Angels run a project called “Blankets of Hope.” If you’d like more information, or would like to send a blanket to a wounded troop, you can read more here.

This program was started by Carol Armstrong of Chesapeake, who has a son deployed to the deeper regions of Afghanistan. She has created Operation PFP.

This effort involves making Pocket Field Pillows (PFPs), embroidering them with a yellow ribbon, and shipping them to our Soldiers. The pillows can be stuffed in the pants pocket of the BDU uniform. To date almost 3,000 have been made and distributed to over a dozen units. They have been so well received that units are asking for more.

This effort continues with the investment in time, materials, and dollars by many community groups and companies. Currently over 100 volunteer crafters in the Tidewater area donate their time to help cut fabric, sew and stuff pillows. Since all fabric is now donated, funds are used for pillow stuffing and shipping boxes to Iraq and Afghanistan.

Your HRCMOAA encourages support for this effort. For those who want to make a donation or contribute in some other way, Carol can be reached carol@justforbabygifts.com

Our sincere thank you goes to the ladies of the Suburban Womens Club of Virginia Beach, who volunteered to help sew some of the hundreds of yards of Polartec fabric to make PFPs to send to our wounded troops after reading the above article MOAA published in their January 2010 newsletter. Thank you, ladies!

My Hero!

He came home!

Nick and his brigade, the 3rd BCT, 10th Mountain Division, has returned home.

We attended the homecoming ceremony at FT Drum last weekend; Nick and a few of the companies within the 1-32 IN came marching into MacGrath gym, and luckily for the thousand or so folks attending, the ceremony was short and sweet.

Unfortunately for us, though, Nick’s flight was delayed — not once, but 3 times. We arrived at FT Drum on Wednesday, and the troops were due back Thursday. They didn’t arrive until Saturday, and we had to fly home Sunday.

All that matters now is that he’s back. The Christmas tree’s still up, the stockings are still hung, and it’s a holiday at our house with the whole family back together.

At least for a little while, that is.

My oldest child, my hero, is coming home after a 12 month deployment to Afghanistan as an Army Infantryman. We’ll fly to FT Drum, NY, in about a week to welcome him and his Brigade home from a grueling year away from home.

Nick served with over 3,000 of his closest buddies in a God forsaken land. For a year, they sloshed through snow trying to ward off frostbite during the winter, they tried desperately to stay hydrated in the sweltering heat of their vehicles in the summer, they ate nothing but MREs for weeks on end, they slept, when they could, in the dirt, sand and rocks. These brave young troops stand for everything that makes America the greatest nation on the face of the earth — honor, integrity, and sacrifice.

And to the families of our lost brothers; Dennis Hansen, Darby Morin, Brian Wolverton, Alexander Miller, Justin Coleman, and Eric Lindstrom, you are, and will stay, in our thoughts and prayers. The tears we shed as we welcome home our troops are as much for your sons as for our own.

These two Soldiers are part of the medical detachment at Walter Reed, and received 150 handmade pillows for our wounded troops being treated there.

 This particular PFP was made using the original donated Polartec fabric; it is a beautiful Army-green, embroidered with a remembrance ribbon, and each box is accompanied by a letter to our troops.

Thanks for the photo, MSG Grigsby!

The 5,000th PFP!

Emily Rohm, costume designer, Chicago actor, seamstress, Etsy store owner — this is one talented and creative lady.

Emily generously volunteered to create labels for our PFPs. We’ve just sent out (drum roll, please!) 5,000th pillow!

Emily does absolutely gorgeous work; not only can she design labels for us, but whether you are looking for a unique wrap for your wedding dress or want to wear the gown that makes his eyes pop — contact Emily Rohm!

Don't tell me Americans aren't grateful for our troops!

and we got it!

Five hundred and twenty six pounds of beautiful Polartec fabric sent right from the mill.

All the pillows we’ll make (and as yet, I can’t even guess how many!) will be shipped to Landstuhl, Walter Reed, Brooke, and field hospitals/aid stations through Iraq and Afghanistan.

Leah, 10 and Michael, 8, are the lucky models!