Star Light Star Bright..

Back in the Spring, Moda put out a call for quilters to help them with a charity project, called Just One Star. The basic idea was to make 100 quilts in 100 days to donate to the Quilts of Valor program for injured servicemen and women, using donated pieced star blocks. Moda planned to present the quilts, all based on a quilt flag pattern by designers Minick and Simpson on Flag Day, June 14th. They needed 1800 star blocks to make 100 quilts. So out went the call for volunteers.

Twenty-eight Quiltsy members joined in and sent their blocks. Most had so much fun creating, they made and sent multiple blocks. Each block was signed with the creator's name and town so the recipients would feel the love from all over.

Participating Quiltsy Team members in the block donation project were: stashthis, rooee, Pamelaquilts, PeppersAttic, Springwaterdesigns, NannyGrans, handmadebyGiovanna, UniquelyNancy, Serenstitches, crazywickedstitch, ClubAloha, SallyManke, HeatherLairDesign, brenniequilts, DebiDesigns, KelSay, MoranartandQuilts, MooseCarolQuilts, fabricartist21, ladylikedesigns, anotherghostquilts, SuzyQquilts, susiquilts, atthebrightspot, ThreeCat, MurphysHouse, onesheeptwosheep, and whimbrella.

Quiltsy Team member Ebony of LovebugStudios wrote about her experience quilting one of the 100 quilts. Read about it in her blog.

We all know quilters are generous. Moda knew this, though they might not have realized HOW generous. Instead of 1800 star blocks, they received over 12,000 star blocks -- instead of 100 quilts, they have enough stars for 1,000 quilts. Isn't that awesome?

Quiltsy is starting a list of member quilters who are willing to help Moda finish up some of the remaining 900 quilts.

Dawn, of SpringWaterDesigns took her enthusiasm from this experience and designed a new patriotic quilt pattern that meets the specifications for Quilt of Valor donation quilts. See it and download her free pattern here.

For more information about the fabric industry's support of the QOV project, with links to the 9 specially designed fabric lines and many free patterns, click here.

Sisterhood of the Traveling Quilt in a Classic New England Town

Block NE-3 of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Quilt project was made by Nancy of UniquelyNancy of the quaint New England town of Warren, Connecticut.

Originally part of Kent, its neighbor to the east, Warren was settled in 1737. In 1786 the western Connecticut town was incorporated and named for the Revolutionary War hero, General Joseph Warren, who was killed in the Battle of Bunker Hill. Even though for most of its history Warren has been an agricultural community, by 1810 Warren became known as an educational center with 5 private schools and an academy which produced 15 ministers and educators.

Warren lies in the highlands between the Housatonic River Valley and the basin of Lake Waramaug (a glacial lake of extraordinary clarity and beauty) which has been a recreational and tourist mecca since the early 19th century, once supporting 7 inns and now ringed by spacious summer homes with lawns sloping down to the water. You can drive, bike or run around the lake on winding town roads or camp, swim and canoe at Lake Waramaug State Park. Warren shares the lake with its neighbors that have all joined together to create watchdog groups dedicated to maintaining its water quality and monitoring its use to prevent incursion of invasive aquatic plants.

Warren center, consisting of the town hall, the grammar school, a general store and a liquor store, is dominated by its Congregational church which was built in 1818 on a knoll overlooking the village center. The church steeple features a clock visible for miles -- a clock that in the 20th century had stopped functioning until artist Eric Sloane organized a fall festival and auction to raise funds to restore it to working order. The festival has continued and still retails the flavor of Mr. Sloane's harvest fair and auction. Sloane, whose last studio was in Warren, is famous for his paintings of New England landscapes and barns which usually feature dramatic skies and weather formations. He is also well known for his massive mural of the American landscape and clouds and weather patterns above it which adorns the main gallery of the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. Collections of his early American tools and implements as well as a re-creation of working studio are permanently displayed at the nearby Sloane-Stanley Museum.

Today, Warren remains a very rural enclave with virtually no visible commercial center. It has recently undergone a modest housing boom as families from more suburban towns to the south have chosen a less crowded environment to raise their families.

Nancy has been a professional seamstress and costumer for over 20 years, though she has been sewing for 50 years! Nancy's focus is mainly on handbags and quilts. She loves using bright fabrics with unexpected color combinations. The new art quilts make Nancy's brain spin with new ideas.

Nancy's items are truly unique. You might check out Nancy's "sold" items for a peek at some of her Teapot Handbag creations...and her Tomato purse. She's very talented and well worth your time to check out her shop, UniquelyNancy.

Block SOUTH-3 of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Quilt Project

Located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Morganton, North Carolina is a gateway town to the mountains in the west and the economic centers in the east.

Natural beauty surrounds the area, providing a respite from city life and a great variety of outdoor recreational activities. Living and working in this idyllic place is Linda of SewUpScale, creator of Block SOUTH-3 of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Quilt Project.

Rated the #1 retirement community by Retirement Living magazine, and one of the top 10 places to raise a family by Readers Digest, Morganton has a mix of culture, leisure activities and quality of life that make it a favorite with young and old alike. The city's downtown is filled with clothing stores, restaurants and antique stores.

Pisgah National Forest's eastern borders are west of town. Morganton is half an hour west of Hickory, North Carolina, an hour east of Asheville, North Carolina and an hour and a half north of Charlotte, North Carolina. Morganton's location gives it a great advantage of accesibility, while remaining a bit off the beaten path. Here is a beautiful nature blog about hiking in the area.

Local wildlife includes bald eagles, falcons, hawks, deer, bears, and turkey. There are four challenging golf courses in the area. The nearby 6,500 acre man-made Lake James provides boating, camping, sailing, skiiing and fishing opportunities. The pristine water from Lake James is the primary source of drinking water for every community along the Catawba River. The Catawba River is famous for trout fishing, rafting, tubing and canoeing pursuits. A 5-mile paved Greeway parallels the Catawba River where joggers, bikers, and walkers can enjoy the natural sites and wildlife. In season, cross country and downhill snow skiing are available less than an hour away in the upper Blue Ridge Mountain elevations near Boone.

The area also supports a strong arts culture, from musicians to painters, potters to scultors. Several arts galleries are located in downtown Morganton. The annual Tour d'Art fine arts show is held there showcasing visual, performing and culinary arts.

Linda has lived her whole life in and near the mountains of eastern Tennessee and western North Caroina. Linda has a special affinity for making things featuring mountain landscapes and outdoor scenes. Currently she concentrates on using a variety of fiber art techniques to make small landscapes within the genre known as fabric postcards.

Like many quilters, Linda has sewn most of her life and made everything from doll clothes to dog collars, and of course, full sized bed quilts. Once she even made a man's suit! Linda loves the challenges of custom work. Check out her shop SewUpScale and consider her for your next creative idea.

Sisterhood of the Traveling Quilt SW-3 from Sunny Scottsdale, Arizona

Scottsdale, Arizona is located in the Sonoran Desert -- a vibrant oasis bursting at the seams with unusual wildlife and vegetation, including 2,000 native plant species. Scottsdale is also home to Donna of DesertSkyQuilts, creator of the SW-3 Block of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Quilt Project.

By day, Scottsdale's sunny skies and lush desert setting create an ideal backdrop for outdoor adventures, championship golf, relaxing spa treatments and lots of shopping. By night, acclaimed chefs, ArtWalks and dozens of wine bars, lounges and performing arts venues await. The New York Times described downtown Scottsdale as a "desert version of Miami's South Beach."

Due to the area's high concentration of full-service hotels and resorts, other major tourism-based industries flourish there too. Scottsdale claims to be the world's finest golf destination. It's a bold claim that they back up with nearly 200 area golf courses with 330+ days of sunshine a year.

Scottsdale's rich arts scene is brimming with Native, Western and Contemporary Arts. There are more than 100 galleries, making it one of the most concentrated collections in the US. Scottsdale is home to internationally acclaimed museums, architectural icons, renowned arts festivals, the country's longest running art walk, world-class performance spaces and an award-winning public art program that dot's the community's landscape with striking statues and dramatic fountains.

Frank Lloyd Wright originally visited Scottsdale while consulting on the Arizona Biltmore Resort in the late 1920's. The natural serenity of the desert provoked him to buy 640 acres of land from which he created his world famous house and school, Taliesin West. This National Historic Landmark is located in the northeast fringe of the city, at the base of the McDowell Mountains, and is now one of the most popular tourist attractions in Arizona.

The brand new baseball facility, Salt River Fields at Talking Stick is the new spring training home of both the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Colorado Rockies. This amazing new sports complex is located just a short 7-mile drive from downtown Scottsdale. While the main stadium is shared by the two teams, each team has their own wing of the complex with 6 practice fields, clubhouses, batting cages and other amenities. Fans can get up close during batting and pitching practices as well as the outfield grass area of the stadium.

The famous Mayo Clinic has one of its three major branches in Scottsdale. Some of the companies headquartered in Scottsdale include Fender, GoDaddy, Kona Grill, P.F. Chang's China Bistro and iCrossing.


Donna started sewing when she was 5 years old. She studied textiles and photography at the Philadelphia College of Textiles and draws from that experience when creating.

Donna has been particularly smitten lately with the Cotton Theory style of quilting. She loves custom work and helping build stronger community through supporting various charities with her work.

Check out the great items in her shop, DesertSkyQuilts.

Sisterhood of the Traveling Quilt - Final Canadian Block NW-2

Just 20 minutes from downtown Vancouver, via Sky Train, you can discover the Royal City. New Westminster is where you'll find fiber artist Terry Aske of Terry Aske Art Quilts, the creator of Block NW-2 of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Quilt Project.

The oldest city in western Canada, New Westminster was the capital of British Columbia between 1858-1866. Founded on a lofty hill where two branches of the Fraser River meet, New Westminster was chosen as much for the strategic value of its natural defenses as for the commercial potential of the area.

In 1859, New Westminster was the mainland berth for the fleet of sternwheelers that plied the waters between Victoria and yale, the starting point of the Cariboo Wagon Road. The young city saw much action and furious traffic and trade during the Gold Rush years.

Positioned at the hub of the Greater Vancouver network today, New Westminster is now a charming mix of old and new, with a picturesque waterfront and fabulous Victorian architecture -- a vibrant and progressive city with a community rich in tradition and respect for its heritage. Actor Raymond Burr is one of many New Westminster notables. Check out the live web cam here.

Terry's earliest creative memory is from making a mosaic from seeds and beans during kindergarten. Thus began her life-long quest to find the perfect medium with which to express herself. Over the years she has dabbled in such creative activities as beading, drawing, painting, knitting and sewing. Although all were enjoyable, they didn't hold her interest very long.

Then in 1998 a friend invited her to a one-day quilting course. Finally Terry found an artistic medium that fascinated and inspired her! She discovered the world of art quilts and now you can say the design and construction of fabric-based art has become Terry's passion.

A self-professed perfectionist by nature, Terry finds the precision demanded by the complex quilts she creates, combined with her passion for beautiful and vivid fabrics, makes art quilting the perfect outlet for her creativity.

Since 1998 Terry has completed more than 60 art quilts. Many of her quilts have been or are currently or about to be on exhibit in the US and Canada. I had the pleasure of meeting Terry last year when she flew to Houston to attend the International Quilt Festival. THREE of Terry's pieces were exhibited there at the world's largest quilt show.

Terry's goal is to continue to evolve as an artist and explore new subject matter and techniques in her art quilts. Terry is a founding member of the Vancouver Modern Quilt Guild. Be sure and see some of Terry's beautiful work in her shop.