Greetings from Iraq -

We received the following thanks from the soldier in Iraq who received a box of our Halloween fabric postcards:

Chetan received the Halloween Postcards on Monday and his note is below:

Thank you....the post cards have and will continue to put smiles on our faces.

We received the package on 22 Oct--mail travels fast--I passed it on to our First Sergeant, SMSgt Dennis Wellman; he is cc'd on this e-mail.

He passed it on to the remaining First Sergeants here, we are trying to reach out to the maximum number possible.

Also, can you send us the link, it will be easier for us pass on that way.

Again, thanks and we look forward to the Christmas ones.

v/r Chetan

Penny’s Postcard Posse Rounds ‘em up Again. . .

Marine Jets Take off on Friday to deliver 639 Miniature Quilts to Our Troops in Iraq for Halloween

Since Halloween is the most celebrated holiday in the US, quilters have once again dropped everything to create tiny quilts for soldiers abroad.

These pocked-size Halloween greetings, made from bits and pieces of fabric, will take off on Friday headed for Marine Squadrons from Miramar that are part of the 3^rd Marine Aircraft Wing stationed in Western Iraq to let them know that people here in the States are thinking about them and praying for their safe return.

The postcards were delivered to Miramar on Friday, October 19 to Sargeant Major Louis M. Espinal (pictured above - on the left). Ed Rush, on the right, is a friend of Penny's who arranged for the delivery.

“Halloween is such a fun occasion that soldiers wouldn’t normally celebrate, we thought it would be a wonderful surprise that would bring smiles to soldiers’ faces and fond memories of Trick or Treating.”

The Marines are excited to be recipients of The Postcard Posse's miniature quilts; probably just as excited as the hundreds of quilters are who made them.

This Roundup included quilters as well as children from a second grade class at an elementary school in El Cajon, members of the College Lutheran Church, the La Mesa Rotary Club, and the staff at North Island Federal Credit Union.

In addition to the fabric postcards that were delivered to Miramar, cards were sent directly to Iraq to soldiers from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Cleveland, Ohio.

The next Roundup is scheduled for Thanksgiving, with deadlines fast approaching i order to get the cards winging their way across the globe for arrival before Thanksgiving day. In addition, quilters will be making cards for Christmas. In fact, fabric postcards have already been arriving for both of those holidays.

While I was at Miramar, I found out that soldiers from San Diego will once again begin deploying after the first of the year. It seems to me that there is no reason to wait until they are already over there. How about if we have our first 2008 Penny's Postcard Roundup start in January so individual soldiers can carry a pocket-size quilt with them as they travel across the globe to serve our country!

More later -Happy Quilting!

Penny Halgren

Penny's Postcard Posse Begins Rounding up Tiny Fabric Postcards for Halloween

Tiny fabric quilts are starting to pour into the West Coast How-to-Quilt Headquarters. To date 255 fabric postcards have been received and will be going to soldiers in Iraq at the end of September.

The theme is Halloween. We thought that this fun and widely celebrated holiday would be a good time to just "pop" in to send our Thanks and Greetings to the troops serving in our military.

Photographs continue to be posted at www.Fabric-Postcards.com for this Roundup as well as all Roundups in the past.

Check it out to see what's been sent, and get your creative juices flowing to send a card or two of your own.

No special skill is required, just a few scraps of fabric and your imagination will put a smile on the face of a guy or gal who is far away from home wondering whether anyone is thinking of them.

Happy Quilting!

Penny Halgren
www.Fabric-Postcards.com

www.TheQuiltingCoach.com

2163 Fabric Postcards Rounded up in Penny's Postcard Posse

The 4th of July Postcard Roundup was a rousing success with a final count of 2163.

This Roundup attracted elementary and middle school children as well as Girl Scout troops, a YMCA after school program, and individual quilters.

Several quilters sent in more than 100 each, and one quilter sent in 986!

Pictures are posted at: http://www.fabric-postcards.com/july0407pics.shtml

On a more local front, my home town of La Mesa and the surrounding area - San Diego - ran a story on the local TV news on the 4th of July. You can watch it here:

Local Woman Touches Lives Of Troops Through Quilts - Video - KGTV San Diego

And, my local Assemblyman, Joel Anderson, recognized the work of our quilting community on the Friday before the 4th with a Resolution from the State Assembly.

Thank you to everyone who sent in postcards. To think that we reached 2163 soldiers with a piece of their homeland that they will have forever is just amazing!

Happy Quilting!

Penny Halgren
www.Fabric-Postcards.com

P.S. We're gearing up for the Halloween Roundup. I've been asked to speak at a local middle school about quilting, and I will be taking some fabric postcards for them to decorate. If you have an opportunity like that or can create one - go for it!

Penny's Postcard Posse - 2nd Annual Roundup for the 4th of July

With the 4th of July just around the corner, Penny's Postcard Posse's mailbox is teeming with activity.

More than 1000 fabric postcards were made by quilters around the country and will be off to Iraq within days.

For this Penny's Postcard Posse Roundup, several school children contributed postcards in addition to quilting groups and individual quilters and their friends and families.

This is just one of the fabulous postcards, and serves as an example of the thought, effort and love that quilters are putting in to making these tiny quilts for the soldiers abroad.

By Friday, June 22, a big box of fabric postcards will be winging its way to Iraq to be distributed to individual soldiers who are far away from home, and missing their loved ones.

This is the sixth Postcard Posse Roundup during the last year. In addition to the 4th of July 2006, fabric postcards were Rounded up for Thanksgiving and Christmas 2006, and Valentine's Day and Spring 2007.

More than 1781 postcards were Rounded up by the earlier Posses. The 2nd Annual Penny's Postcard Posse could round up as many as 1200 fabric postcards to send to soldiers for their celebration of the 4th of July.

We are hoping that soldiers will sign on to the blog and post their comments about the cards when they receive them.

In the meantime, check out the pictures as they go up on the website and post your comments on the blog:

http://www.fabric-postcards.com/july0407pics.shtml

With more than 1200, it could take a few days to get them all posted, so visit that page often.

For all the scoop on the project, visit:

http://fabric-postcards.com/

Discover how you can get involved in The Posse and show your support for the individual soldiers who are thousands of miles away from home defending our freedom.

Happy Quilting!

Penny Halgren
www.Fabric-Postcards.com
Quilt Greetings Across the Miles

www.How-to-Quilt.com
Specializing in Information for Beginning Quilters

www.TheQuiltingCoach.com
Where Quilters Connect

YMCA Kids Join Penny's Postcard Posse's 2nd Annual Roundup of Miniature Quilts for Our Troops in Iraq for the 4th of July

As a welcome relief from annual tests, children in the YMCA childcare program Green Elementary School in San Diego, California will turn their creativity to postcard-size fabric to express their appreciation to soldiers who are currently serving in Iraq.

These children will join hundreds of quilters across the United States who are creating miniature quilts to be sent to the troops for the 4^th of July.

“Quilters have a history of sending quilts to soldiers,” observed Penny Halgren, creator of Penny’s Postcard Posse and leading expert on teaching beginning quilters how to quilt.

“Generally, though, quilts go to wounded soldiers and the families of fallen soldiers. We want to do something special for the soldiers who are out there still fighting the fight for freedom. Full size quilts didn’t seem too practical, so we decided to make tiny quilts that the soldiers can carry with them.”

Children, too, have a history of creating fabric postcards for soldiers. In December 2006, more than 800 postcards from students in La Mesa and Spring Valley elementary schools were collected for the troops from Mountain Home, Idaho who were stationed in Iraq.

Penny’s Postcard Posse is celebrating its Second Annual 4^th of July Roundup, following five successful Round ups that have gathered more than 1721 miniature quilts for the troops.

Soldiers from Camp Pendleton (California), Mountain Home (Idaho), and Alberta (Canada), have received postcards from the previous Roundups. In addition, wounded soldiers being treated at Landstuhl, Germany received greetings in the Spring. The recipient base will be announced later this month.

To join Penny’s Postcard Posse’s next Roundup, visit www.Fabric-Postcards.com

Penny’s Postcard Posse Kicks Off its 2^nd Annual Roundup for the 4^th of July

Remembering what the 4^th of July is all about, quilters are once again dropping everything to create tiny quilts for soldiers abroad. These pocked-size greetings, made from bits and pieces of fabric, will be sent to Marines in the remote parts of Iraq to let them know that people here in the States are thinking about them and praying for their safe return.

“Quilters have a history of sending quilts to soldiers,” observed Penny Halgren, initiator of Penny’s Postcard Posse and leading expert on teaching beginning quilters how to quilt.

“Generally, though, quilts go to wounded soldiers and the families of fallen soldiers. We want to do something special for the soldiers who are out there still fighting the fight for freedom. Full size quilts didn’t seem too practical, so we decided to make tiny quilts that the soldiers could carry with them.”

Quilters began this project on Memorial Day 2006, and collect more than 230 fabric postcards by the middle of June, one quilt representing each year since the Declaration of Independence.

“Quilters are amazing,” Halgren continued, “and quite responsive. I suspected that many would enjoy participating in this project, since it was something that anybody could do, and a tiny fabric postcard could be completed in less than 2 hours. It’s impressive to know that in one short year, Penny’s Postcard Posse has rounded up more than 1721 postcards that have been delivered to soldiers in the Middle East.”

Soldiers from Camp Pendleton (California), Mountain Home (Idaho), and Alberta (Canada), have received postcards from the previous Roundups. The recipient base will be announced later this month.

For more information, email Sherry at sherry@how-to-quilt.com; to participate Penny’s Postcard Posse’s next Roundup, visit www.Fabric-Postcards.com