A Day for Quilting

Nine Patch Stars and Stripes by Kathy Lichtendahl,

Did you know that there is a day of the year devoted solely to quilting?  It all began in 1991 when the National Quilting Association (NQA) passed a Resolution designating the third Saturday in March as National Quilting Day.

The idea had begun in 1989 when the Kentucky Heritage Quilt Society organized "Quilter's Day Out" to celebrate the rich traditional of quilt making in Kentucky. The first National Quilting Day was observed in 1992.

Suggestions for ways to celebrate this day include: 1) Making it a service day to work on a quilt for your favorite cause; 2) organizing an exhibit at the local library or historical society; 3) working on a quilt with a school, 4-H, Scout troop or by simply taking time to sew with a grandchild; 4) sponsoring a Sewing Day making lap quilts for Seniors, turning it into an oral history project by capturing stories of the community; and 5) giving a baby quilt to the first baby born on National Quilting Day each year.

Each year a free quilting pattern is offered to quilters. This year, the pattern is Nine Patch Stars and Stripes designed by Kathy Lichtendahl of Powell, Wyoming. The photo above was taken by Linda Miller. Suggestions for using this free pattern include creating it to donate to an organization supporting veterans, people serving in the military or their families. To download the free pattern, click here.

Sponsored by the Fabric Shop Network

In 2013, the Fabric Shop Network is hosting their first Worldwide Quilting Day, Saturday, March 16. Celebrating independent quilt shops, participating shops are creating a variety of activities to commemorate the day. Suggestions from the Fabric Shop Network include 1) shopping at independent quilt shops who need love and support on their special day; 2)spreading the word about the day; and 3) participating in any sales or activities a local shop might have for Local Quilting Day.

One fun event this year is the 7 Summits Strip Quilt Challenge where quilters will be putting together fabric strips to create quilts for their favorite causes. Using 2-1/2″ strip bundles, quilters will piece together quilt tops, counting each inch in an effort to reach the top of the seven tallest summits in the world (figuratively, of course!). Each 2-1/2″ strip bundle works out to a 1600-inch strip when pieced end to end, which translates to 218 quilts to reach the top of Mt. Everest! To learn more about the challenge and to enter to win the daily prize drawings, click here.