Guide · Quilts of Valor

Quilt of Valor label requirements

Short answer: the label must say it is a Quilt of Valor, leave space for the recipient’s name, and give the full name or initials of whoever pieced the top, quilted it and bound it. It may add the date and place of the award and washing instructions. It must not carry a religious or political message or advertising.

Source: Quilts of Valor Foundation, Policies and Procedures Manual, 27 August 2026, section 8.10. Last checked 8 October 2026.

What the label must say

“The quilt must be labeled as a Quilt of Valor and include a space for the recipient’s name and the full name or initials of the person(s) who prepared the top (“piecer”), the quilter, and the binder. The date and location of the award and laundering instructions may also be included. The label must not include any religious or political message, or advertisements. Indicating that printing of the label has been donated by a business or other person is acceptable.”
QOVF Policies and Procedures Manual, section 8.10 Label (August 2026)

On the label	Status	Where it says so
The words Quilt of Valor	Required	Manual 8.10; FAQ
Space for the recipient’s name	Required	Manual 8.10; FAQ
Piecer, quilter and binder: full name or initials	Required	Manual 8.10
Each maker’s state	Asked for in the FAQ	FAQ, 13 July 2020
Date and location of the award	Optional	Manual 8.10; FAQ
Washing instructions	Optional	Manual 8.10; FAQ
A thank-you or a dedication	Optional	FAQ
Who donated the label printing	Allowed	Manual 8.10
Religious or political messages, advertising	Not allowed	Manual 8.10 and section 4

What it may add

The Foundation’s label FAQ lists an expression of gratitude, a dedication (its example is “My dad, a Vietnam Veteran”), the date awarded, and washing instructions: cold water, mild detergent, a color catcher and drying on low heat. Its quilters’ FAQ words the washing note as cold water, mild detergent, a color catcher the first time, and tumble dry low. The manual separately requires every Quilt of Valor to be machine laundered before it is awarded, so loose dye has already run.

What it can’t include

No religious or political message, and since a November 2023 amendment, no advertising. Some common patriotic phrases break the first rule: “God bless” is a religious message. Section 4 of the manual adds that members acting for the Foundation don’t express support for a party, an issue or a religion “by word or by deed such as in quilt design or the label on a quilt.” A line saying who donated the printing of the label is allowed; a shop’s web address or an offer is advertising.

Names, initials and the state

The two QOVF sources differ slightly. The label FAQ, last updated 13 July 2020, asks for “the quilt maker(s) name and state, including the maker of the top, the quilter (machine or hand), and the binder”. The manual, amended in June 2026 to allow initials, asks for the full name or initials of the piecer, the quilter and the binder and doesn’t mention a state. Writing the name and the state meets both.

When one person did two or three of the jobs, one line can say so, for example “Pieced, quilted and bound by Ann Lee, Ohio”.

Where it goes and how it’s made

The letter to recipients printed in the manual says that all awarded Quilts of Valor “have a QOV label on the back of the quilt”. The label FAQ accepts four methods: handwritten with permanent ink designed for fabric (it names Sakura Pigma Micron and Identi-Pen), machine embroidered, computer generated, or pieced. The quilters’ FAQ adds that labels can be bought at participating quilt shops or online at Spoonflower. Neither source sets a size.

Only on a quilt that meets the standard

Section 8 of the manual says a Quilt of Valor label also shows that the quilt meets the Foundation’s standards, and a quilt that doesn’t must not get one. The main standards:

Standard	Manual
Finished size at least 55 × 65 in and at most 72 × 90 in; about 60 × 80 in is ideal	8.3
Top, batting and backing, machine or hand quilted; a tied quilt is not acceptable	8.4
High-quality 100% cotton, shirt-weight or quilt-weight, suitable for adults	8.1
Double-fold binding, strips joined with diagonal seams	8.6
Machine laundered, gently and with a mild detergent, before it is awarded	8.7
Not a replica of a U.S. flag (small flag images within a design are fine)	8.2

Quilt of Valor and Quilts of Valor are registered trademarks of the Foundation. Section 2.3 of the manual says the name may not be used on a quilt for sale, or on items listed for sale online without written permission.

Example wording

Quilt of Valor® · Awarded to ____________

Pieced by Ann Lee, Ohio. Quilted by Bo Park, Iowa. Bound by Ann Lee, Ohio.

Name left blank to write in at the ceremony. The label maker joins Ann Lee’s two jobs into one line.

Quilt of Valor® · Awarded to SFC Daniel R. Ortiz

Pieced by M. Kowalski, Wisconsin. Quilted by J. Reyes, Wisconsin. Bound by M. Kowalski, Wisconsin. Awarded 11 November 2026, La Crosse, Wisconsin. Thank you for your service.

Initials and state for the makers; the award date and place are optional.

Quilt of Valor® · Awarded to ____________

Pieced, quilted and bound by Carol Jensen, Montana. For my dad, a Vietnam Veteran. Wash in cold water with a mild detergent and a color catcher the first time. Tumble dry low. Label printing donated by Prairie Thread Co.

A dedication and the washing note QOVF suggests, with a donor line (a name only, no web address).

Make one with the label maker

The Quilt of Valor wording in the label maker is free. It prints the words Quilt of Valor with the ® mark, a line for the awardee if you leave the name empty, and one line per maker. A checklist beside the form ticks off the required items and flags religious, political or advertising wording and missing states. Groups labeling many quilts can paste a list of awardees and makers and print them on full fabric sheets with Pro.

Questions

Does a Quilt of Valor label need the recipient’s name?

It needs space for it. The manual asks for a space for the recipient’s name, so you can print the name or leave a line to write it on with a permanent fabric pen once the recipient is known.

Does the label need each maker’s state?

The QOVF label FAQ (2020) asks for the name and state of the piecer, quilter and binder. The Policies and Procedures Manual (August 2026) asks for their full names or initials and does not mention the state. Adding the state satisfies both.

Can a Quilt of Valor label say God bless?

No. Section 8.10 of the manual says the label must not include any religious or political message, or advertisements. The label maker flags phrases like this when you type them.

What size should a Quilt of Valor label be?

QOVF does not set a size in its manual or its label FAQ. It asks what the label says. Make it large enough that the smallest line stays readable once printed or written on fabric.

Sources

Quilts of Valor Foundation, Policies and Procedures Manual, 27 August 2026: sections 2.3, 4, 8 and 8.10, and the amendment history.
Quilts of Valor Foundation, Quilt Labels FAQ, last updated 13 July 2020.
Quilts of Valor Foundation, Quilters’ Questions FAQ, last updated 5 August 2020.

All last checked 8 October 2026. Rules can change; the manual on qovf.org is the authority.

Peak Apps Studio is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Quilts of Valor Foundation. Quilt of Valor® and Quilts of Valor® are registered trademarks of the Quilts of Valor Foundation, named here only to describe its label rules.