Quilting a Quilt of Valor: size requirements and patriotic pantographs
A Quilt of Valor is awarded to a service member or veteran through the Quilts of Valor Foundation (QOVF), so it has to meet the foundation's size and construction rules. This page covers the rules that affect the quilting, how many edge-to-edge rows the recommended size takes, and patriotic pantographs you can preview on your own quilt.
PantoMaker is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Quilts of Valor Foundation. The requirements below are summarized from the foundation's basic requirements page as of September 28, 2026. The foundation can change them, so check that page or your local QOV group before you start.
Quilts of Valor size requirements
| Size | Width × length |
|---|---|
| Minimum | 55 × 65 in |
| Recommended | 60 × 80 in |
| Maximum | 72 × 90 in |
The other rules that matter at the longarm:
- Quilted, not tied. The quilt must be machine or hand quilted, and a tied quilt isn't accepted. The page doesn't set a quilting density or ask for any particular design.
- Batting: low loft, in cotton, polyester or a blend.
- Backing: good-quality 100% cotton. If you're sending the top to a LongArmy volunteer (QOVF's volunteer longarm quilters), the backing must be 8 in wider and 8 in longer than the top. Wide backings from a quilt shop are fine.
- Fabrics: adult-appropriate, quilt-weight cotton, and no juvenile prints.
- Finishing: the label must say the quilt is a Quilt of Valor, and double-fold binding is recommended.
How many rows on a 60 × 80 quilt
Here's a worked example with the free Stars design at a 12 in repeat and 7 in rows:
- Open Stars in PantoMaker.
- Under Size, set Repeat width to 12 and Row height to 7, and check that Row spacing also reads 7.
- Under Your quilt, type 60 for Width and 80 for Length. There's no 60 × 80 button; the nearest are Throw (60 × 72) and Twin (70 × 90).
- Read the line under the preview: 13 rows of 6 repeats and about 111 yd of stitching.
With an 8 in row height (the spacing follows it), it's 11 rows and about 102 yd. PantoMaker runs each row 2 in past every edge of the quilt, and these counts include that overrun. Row spacing follows the row height until you change it. Set it a little smaller and the rows nest into each other.
| Quilt | Rows | Repeats per row | Stitching |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum, 55 × 65 in | 10 | 5 | about 71 yd |
| Recommended, 60 × 80 in | 13 | 6 | about 111 yd |
| Maximum, 72 × 90 in | 14 | 7 | about 140 yd |
The table uses Stars at a 12 in repeat and 7 in rows. Any design at that size gives the same row counts, but a different amount of stitching.
Patriotic pantographs
There are three Stars & Stripes designs: Waving Flags, Star Swirls and Fireworks. You can preview any of them on your own quilt size for free. The machine files and the paper pantograph come with PantoMaker Pro. Other holiday sets, like the Christmas pantographs, work the same way: preview free, files with Pro.
All three are drawn as narrow rows, 1.6 to 3.1 in tall on a 12 in repeat. At that size a 60 × 80 quilt takes 28 to 53 passes, which gives a dense texture. If you double both numbers, the shape stays the same and you stitch half as many rows:
| Design | Library size | Doubled |
|---|---|---|
| Star Swirls | 12 × 1.65 in: 51 rows, about 323 yd | 24 × 3.3 in: 26 rows, about 165 yd |
| Waving Flags | 12 × 1.6 in: 53 rows, about 374 yd | 24 × 3.2 in: 27 rows, about 191 yd |
| Fireworks | 12 × 3.1 in: 28 rows, about 295 yd | 24 × 6.2 in: 14 rows, about 147 yd |
The rows and stitching are for a 60 × 80 in quilt. When you open a design, type in the repeat width and row height you want. The designer keeps the last size you used (12 × 7 in to start) and fits the design to it, which stretches these designs tall until you change it.
Free options all year
Stars and Waves are in the free pantograph library. Both download in every longarm format plus a paper pantograph, and you can stitch them on any quilt, including quilts you give away. Stars in navy or red thread looks patriotic without being busy. Waves at its library size (12 × 4 in) is a soft, open texture that suits busy piecing: 22 rows and about 76 yd of stitching on a 60 × 80 quilt. Cream thread works with either one.
Choosing a design for a veteran's quilt
- Keep it grown-up. QOVF asks for adult-appropriate fabrics, and the same idea works well for the quilting design. Stars, flags and waves all fit, and so do classics like the free Baptist fan and meander.
- Let it drape. A Quilt of Valor is meant to be used and wrapped up in. Low-loft batting with an open design stays soft, while very dense rows make it stiff. Check your batting's package for the widest gap it allows between lines of quilting, and pick a size that stays within it.
- Choose a thread that blends. Red, white and blue piecing is high contrast, so a strong thread color stands out on some patches and disappears on others. Cream, light gray or tan blends across all three. Save navy or red for when you want the design to show.
Before you stitch
Load the file on your machine, check the size it shows, and stitch a test row on scrap with the same batting and thread. PantoMaker's files are laid out like the pantographs you buy from designers: one repeat that starts at 0,0 and ends level. A test row matters most on a top that's going to a veteran. If you're not sure which file your machine reads, see longarm quilting file formats. If you quilt by hand-guiding, you can print a paper pantograph at full size. If something looks wrong, email support@pantomaker.com with your machine and software version.
