A Patriotic Quilt story

I have followed a free motion quilt blog for over a year, inspired to push myself to free motion quilt more, gain skill and think outside the box.  Several months ago I began a semi traditional quilt for a neighbor who was deployed, the blocks reflected his interests and attributes.  As I began to quilt the back it soon became evident to me that the front might be the back and the back the front as the quilting became a story of its own and deserved space and attention to enjoy.  Each bit of the quilting also reflected his life, his family and his love.

As I considered his wife's patriot support and decorating style I thought about how to honor that in a quilt.  I chose to go with a simple pattern so that the quilting itself could be enjoyed, though subtle by color on color.  I also thought of their life in a log cabin and wanted the quilt to have a primitive feel and casual nature.  What I came up with is below- each large star features the name of a family member.  Each stripe speaks to the cost or contribution of their patriotism.  I was reminded that both spouses had served in the armed forces, so all the units that they were part of are listed.  While in the military it is common to live in many states and do much travel- that is also indicated with the states listed.


I really enjoyed making this quilt, thinking of the recipient and how it will speak to her heart.  I have learned the value of not breaking thread as I quilt and finding a way to transition from one point of quilting to another without loss of stitches- after spending 2 days of free time tucking loose threads beneath.  I am finding that my comfort with larger pieces is growing- this quilt measures 56 x 80 inches.  By working from top to bottom slowly I was able to do each section in its entirety before moving along and had no back wrinkles- yeah!

After completing the quilt I gave it a short soak in weakened tea to take the bright out of the white, seeking for an antique, used look.  not sure i achieved quite what I was seeking, but did not want to go too deep and risk tan instead of muted white