September 3, 2008

• …the Queen Bee quilt has made its way to a wounded American soldier!

                               

  And the seven Queen Bees are so proud to be part of this honey of a project.

  American Hero Quilts was the brainchild of my husband’s cousin, born in 2004. You can find the detailed, inspiring story of how the idea for this project was conceived and delivered at http://www.americanheroquilts.com/story.htm. And you can find the strange and wildly fascinating story of how I found out about it in a post I made on October 20, 2007!

  Anyway, after the other Queen Bees heard about American Hero Quilts, they were all a-buzz with excitement and decided we should make one for the project. For even though we’re all Queens, we’re also good worker bees. When we buzzed over to Susan’s hive late last winter, we set to work. The one requisite for American Hero Quilts is that they must be made of red, white and blue fabrics. A simple pattern is best when working with inexperienced quilters, so I chose a basic 9-patch block, one that is easy to piece.

  Although most of the Bees are not quilters, there are things that anyone can do to help the project along. I had it all cut out so we could get right to work.

                       

                           (My mom, Bonnie Bee, pinning away)

  Queen Bee Mom Bonnie has arthritis and thus has trouble using a needle and thimble, so she pinned pieces together. The rest of us hand-pieced blocks.

                       

                     (That’s Susan Bee, our hostess, busily piecing a block)

  The pieced blocks alternated with squares cut from navy plaid homespun. Even the simplest block can become a stunning quilt with a little finesse…this one was set on point to give it a little pizazz! As the other Bees finished blocks, I worked at the sewing machine, setting pieced blocks and navy plaid squares into rows.

                               

                                    (Above, Linda Bee and Karen Bee piece away!)

  A bonus for me that day was getting to use Susan Bee’s Featherweight Singer, (see it on the table?) inherited from her Aunt Bernie, who was known and loved by us all. I’ve always thought I wanted one, and this experience made me know that I would LOVE to have one of these little beauties. It sews like a top and is so cute and handy! And we all loved thinking about Aunt Bernie (who would have been a perfect Queen Bee) looking down on us, approving our use of her little sewing machine.

                               

        (Above, Beth Bee and Julia Bee–Julia is resting after a busy bunch of piecing)

  I brought our quilt top home, added borders all around, and contacted my friend, Glenda Jones, in Springfield. Glenda does the most beautiful machine quilting I’ve ever seen. (When I made my two sons-in-law quilts out of their old sports t-shirts one year for Christmas, she turned those into works of art. I knew she would do justice to our project. She has special Queen Bee-like qualities!) Glenda used multi-colored thread in red, white and blue, quilted stars into each of the squares in the 9-patches and turned our simple little quilt top into a real jewel. The crowning touch was the red binding my Queen Bee-in-law, Julia, added around the edge.

                                        

  The other Bees were all abuzz (we get that way quite often and easily!) when they saw the finished product! How proud we all were! And the final step was taken when we flew over to Linda’s, where we all signed a label that was then stitched onto the back of the quilt.

                                       

  Soon, it was packed into a carton, and special delivery bees carried it out to Vashon Island, Washington, where Sue Nebeker was instructed to find just the right person to receive our gift.

  Here is what she wrote me back three days later, when our quilt arrived at her home:

  “…finally I came down to the studio to work with my volunteer. We had boxes stacked everywhere. I was telling my friend Su as we worked that we had a request for a quilt for a very special young man and I wanted it to be a really lovely quilt. This young man is in terrible shape with serious head injuries. We went through box after box (we had quite a number here) when Su said, “Oh my gosh, what a beauty, I think I have found his quilt!” We both oohed and ahhhed over it and then went to log it in. Su said, “Oh look, they sent a picture too.” I am sure you know where this is going. Of course it was the beautiful, beautiful quilt you and your group made. It is fabulous! I think it’s owner will love it. You are all just the most wonderful people, thank you!”

  And all the little Bees felt so warm and fuzzy-buzzy about making the quilt that when Beth Bee suggested another one, we decided to do it! Last week, we buzzed back over to Susan’s and got right to work.

  This time, we made 4-patches, and I put them in a sort of Jacob’s ladder block. Blocks were surrounded by sashing strips held together with corner stones. Half the top was completed by the time we left that day, and Karen Bee took it home and finished setting it all together.

                                

  Again, this shows how even the very simplest patchwork can turn into a really pretty quilt! This quilt will get one more border, six inches wide, of the light fabric (which has a blue scroll-y design in it), and then it will be ready for quilting. Our label is already made, and soon another soldier who has made a great sacrifice for his country will have a gift made by loving wings from deeply appreciative American Bees from the Ozarks.

  And the need continues. If any of you quilters out there would like to participate, I know that Cousin Sue would welcome your help. She accepts pieced tops and will also quilt them on her long-arm, herself. It’s a very worthy project, if you have a little time and the inclination to help, and it’s a great way to use up some of the reds, whites and blues in your stash. Who knows how many young Americans will be gravely injured before this awful war is over? It’s a wonderful feeling to be able to bring a little comfort to even one.

  • 9:28 am
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