Sunday, July 3, 2016

Happy Fourth of July 2016

We're celebrating Independence Day, July 4, with a picnic, a parade, fireworks, and a tribute to red, white and blue quilts ! Here are some of our favorites; we hope you like them also !

Home of the Brave by Juanice Hess


Second place winner for Best Appliqued Quilt at the 2014 River City Quilter's Guild,  Juanice writes, "I wanted a 4th of July wall-hanging. I found the pattern, enlarged, and changed it, [then] hand appliqued and machine quilted it. [I  was] inspired by Pearl Pereira's New York Block pattern."


In this close-up, you can see the Bald Eagle, the American national symbol, standing proudly on a crest of three stars. The Bald Eagle was featured on the first Great Seal of the United States, approved by  Congress in 1782, and later, this majestic bird became the national symbol in its own right.

Storm at Sea for Quilts of Honor, 50 x 66,  by Caroline Lunstra


Caroline explains, "Storm at Sea" is one of my favorite designs. I have made several."  Caroline made this quilt for Quilts of Honor, an organization that supports veterans and active duty members of the military by making and distributing quilts for the wounded and those who have served multiple tours of duty.


In this close-up, you can see the Bald Eagle on the Great Seal, below the words "We the People" , which are the first three words in the Preamble to the United States Constitution.


Caroline continues, "[In this quilt pattern], the diamond is the tricky piece. This one was made using a new ruler ( found at The Fabric Garden in Sacramento, California) to cut the diamonds. With it, you can cut several sizes of diamonds."

Simply Patriotic by Sue Cold, quilted by Kathy August


Sue notes, "I took a Texas Lone Star pattern quilt-making class from Jan Krentz and was in WAY over my heard from the beginning. But with Jan's guidance and gentle patience, I created my best piece so far." 


The colors of red, white, and blue trace back to the birth of America. On July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress passed a resolution authorizing a committee to develop a Great Seal for the new country. The committee was instructed to design a seal that reflected the Founding Fathers' beliefs and values.

Along with the Bald Eagle, the committee also chose the national colors. Charles Thomson, Secretary of the Continental Congress, explained the significance to Congress when he presented the seal. “The colors,” Thomson said at the time, “are those used in the flag of the United States of America. White signifies purity and innocence. Red, hardiness and valor, and Blue… signifies vigilance, perseverance, and justice.”

Have a very happy and safe Fourth of July !  

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2014 River City Quilters' Guild show (Storm at Sea, Home of the Brave) and the 2015 Diablo Valley Quilters' Guild show (Simply Patriotic).

4 comments:

  1. Those are quite nice for the holiday. I have made two red, white, and blue quilts but neither was patriotic. Since then I have acquired a few eagle prints ... so who knows ... I still have a container of red, white, and blue fabrics waiting.

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  2. Great quilts all. Leave it to Pearl to design such a proud eagle. Happy Fourth!

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  3. Love all of the patriotic themes! Beautiful quilts!

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  4. Happy 4th!. Thanks for sharing these AMAZING quilts. My eyes were enthralled!!
    xx, Carol

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