Resurrected UFO

My local quilt guild has been involved in making quilts for American Hero Quilts, an effort that was begun by a woman who lives about as west as you can get in the state of Washington. We received a plea for more quilt tops this weekend as they are getting more requests for quilts than they can fill. This reminded me of a UFO that has been in the back corner of my closet for years. Time to get it out and put it to good use!

This began as a round robin project with about 8 other guild members back in 1997. I think each participant was encouraged to make a 12" block and some four inch filler blocks or units. I do remember the challenge of setting those blocks and parts into a cohesive whole. There were several arrangements before this heart shape showed up.


The problem was that I didn't know what to do with it after that. It's a horizontal orientation, 63" wide by 57" tall. I had less studio space back then than I do now, and no-one in my family had any strong desire for a patriotic quilt. So it went into a box.

There were some extra blocks in the box when I opened it up today. I suspect I must have made a couple of them well after the top had been put together but I never pursued incorporating them into the quilt.


Actually, the four patch blocks and the sailboats were separate little blocks (4") that I set together today into a 12" block. I still have plenty of the navy blue print that I used to finish up the top originally. With the experience I now have under my belt it didn't take long for me to see that I could make a couple of columns of blocks to add to either end of the existing top and bring the whole thing up to the required minimum size of 63" x 87."

These columns have now been added and a bit of the navy blue sewn all around for a final frame. It's as big as it needs to be now but it's too big for me to get a decent picture of it by myself. The plan is to get together with a couple of my friends later this week; maybe I'll be able to get a good picture then. And one of them can turn it in for me so it can be quilted and bound and sent to a soldier in need. :- )