Introducing...my United quilt!  This is one of the most special quilts I own!  Many hands went into making it.  It was completed in 2020 so this blog post is long overdue! Keep reading to hear the story behind this quilt...

I am sure you would all agree that 2020 was a rough year for humanity.  At the beginning of the year, people started to realize we had a terrifying worldwide Covid-19 pandemic on our hands.  Then, a few months later George Floyd was killed by a Minneapolis, MN. police officer.  Riots ensued and cities across the country burned. All of this happened during a major U.S. presidential campaign.  Things got ugly.  It wasn't our best moment as Americans.  My heart was in turmoil.  So what does a quilter do when things get rough?

They create.  They use the hum of a sewing machine to blur the chaos of the world.

So, I made a little flag block and then another.  They were so fun and easy to make.  I quickly realized what would make them even better though - if some of my Instagram friends joined me.  So I put a request out there for anyone who desired - to please send me a flag block for my special project.

My request was for just one block in soft red, white, and blue fabrics.  Of course, many quilters could not resist sending more than one because they are that simple to make!  Just 2 seams!  It takes more time to pick out the fabrics than it does to make the block!  They're kind of addicting to make.

I received so many blocks!  Most came with sweet notes, a few with extra fabric they thought I would enjoy.  Everyone was so kind; it was so fun to open each package.  After I received all of the flags, I started piecing together my quilt top which included 50 flags (to represent the 50 states), plus 5 stars and 1 heart.  Thus, my United pattern was born!  And there really wasn't a question about what I would call it, "United" was meant to be.  It really was such a heartfelt project, from beginning to end.

I smile when I see the back of my quilt because it represents the generosity of my Instagram friends!  I didn't know any of them personally, but I received so many blocks that I had to put some on the back!  It's a reminder of how good, kind, and thoughtful people really are.  Despite all of the different religious, political, economic, and cultural backgrounds we have (there was even a flag from Australia!), we are all humans, and I believe, children of God.  And that is the greatest uniter.  We have more in common than we think and sometimes we need to be reminded of that.

I enjoyed putting the quilt together and then I took it to my quilter, Jen Ostler, who quilted it using the Diagonal Plaid panto.  It's a great general panto that looks good on everything!

I think the light blues and reds look great on the navy background.  But I've also made a United quilt with a low-volume background that you can check out HERE.  It's extra scrappy.  I would love to hear which one is your favorite!

This quilt will always have a special place in my heart.  I want to thank everyone who sent me a block.  They mean so much!  I even had several pattern testers for United so be sure to check out the #unitedquilt hashtag on Instagram to see lots more inspiration.  They really knocked it out of the park.  People have even hosted block swaps for United (which I have thoroughly enjoyed seeing!) 

This quilt finishes at 78" x 87". So it's big!  Someone told me the other day that they gave their United quilt to a friend in her "Military Mom Era".  That made me so happy!

If you'd like to make a United quilt you can grab the 

paper pattern HERE or the PDF pattern HERE.

Have a great day!

Scrappy United Quilt

 Hi friends!  Happy New Year!  I am so excited for 2025!  I love a fresh start and am looking forward to some fun things on the calendar this year!  I don't know if you've noticed but I now have an "Events" tab at the top of my blog with some of the said things on my calendar!  Check it out if you're looking for trunk shows, classes, and retreats you can do with me this year!

Today I want to share a quilt I started back in July of 2023.  

I just finished it last month and finally have some pictures to share!

This is my United quilt pattern and the third United quilt I've made.

Okay, I just realized that I never blogged about my other United quilts!  

I will have to make another post for those ASAP!  But here's the original United quilt. 

It has a great story...stay tuned.

01//14/25 Edit: I finally posted about my original United quilt!  Click HERE to check it out and hear the beautiful story of how many hands came together to create this quilt.

I really love the original quilt so much but I saw a scrappy version that one of my friends/pattern testers made and I was smitten!  Leah @pinkdesertblossoms.shop on Instagram made a darling low-volume background version that I couldn't stop thinking about.  Here's her finished quilt:

[Photo by Leah @pinkdesertblossoms.shop on Instagram]

With Leah's permission, I totally copied her!  Because I just loved it so much!

I made scrappy little flags whenever I had red and blue fabrics out.

United has 50 flags in the pattern - to represent the 50 states of course!

It also has 5 star blocks and 1 heart block for a little extra sweetness!

I used a red and white striped fabric for the binding and was absolutely in LOVE 

with the two-toned blue floral fabric I used for my back.

Jen Ostler quilted it for me with a really fun quilty star panto that was new to me.

It's called Starry Sawtooth by Melissa Kelley of Sew Shabby Quilting.  

I love how the quilting turned out!

Lots of fun fabrics were used!

The red and white wide-striped fabric below was from an old shirt of mine! 

These flag blocks are SO easy to make!  It will take you more time to decide 

which fabrics to use than to cut the fabric and make the blocks!

The quilt is pretty big!  It finishes at 78" x 87". 

I'm gonna give you a pro tip too!  It's awesome to do this pattern as a block exchange because then you don't have to buy so many different red and blue fabrics (if you want all of the flags to be different).  I did end up buying quite a few for mine because my red stash had gotten really low!

You can snag a paper or PDF version of this pattern HERE in my Etsy shop.

I'd love to hear what you think of this United quilt!

I'll try to do another post soon of my other United ones!

Happy quilting friends!