National Quilting Day
History
NQA began sponsoring National Quilting Day with a resolution passed by members attending the 22nd Annual Show in Lincoln, Nebraska, in June 1991. The third Saturday in March is officially designated as National Quilting Day, but quilters are flexible and we love a celebration — especially when fabric is involved! So over the years, observance of National Quilting Day has unofficially been expanded to the whole month of March.
For the 22st anniversary of National Quilting Day, we have chosen this pattern, an Ohio star with a simple Mariner’s Compass center designed by Martha Ethridge, to share with your group or guild to use to celebrate National Quilting Day, March 17, 2012. Our colors blend with those of Rebecca Barker’s poster used for the 43rd Annual NQA Quilt Show. You should be creative with color combinations used to build your own Pointing the Way quilt. Then share your quilt and tell us about it. Mariner’s Compasses were used to guide sailors and it is possibly one of the earliest named quilt designs in America. So make your compass star and share it with others. Even the annual show in June is featuring Mariner’s Compass quilts this year.
Ways to share your quilt and love of quilts include, but are not limited to, the following ideas.
- Make it a service day and work on a quilt for your favorite cause — national projects such as ABC Quilts, Project Linus, or one of the great ones for the troops. If you don't have a favorite service project, start one! Check with police and fire departments, children's services, nursing or rehabilitation facilities or local hospitals to see if they have a need for quilts.
- Organize an exhibit for your local library or historical society. Exhibit quilts, tools, books, etc.
- Find a local shelter for battered/abused women with children — a log cabin 'home' for those without a real home.
- Check with VA Hospitals — lap quilts for invalids.
- Organize a quilt history day or a quilt documentation project.
- If a military facility is nearby, contact the social services there to see where to give quilts or how to send to soldiers or their families.
- Contact local churches to see if someone in congregation needs a little home love.
- Check with local hospital about giving to first baby born on National Quilt Day, 2011.
- Nursing homes for those who don't have much, or are newly without their own home may be a good place to donate quilts.
- Work on a quilt with a school, 4-H, or scout group, or spend the day passing along your love of quilting to your children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, or neighbors.
- Contact a local senior citizens group or facility and organize a show and tell of their quilts and yours. Or sponsor a sewing day to make lap quilts for seniors. Turn it into an oral history project to gather quilters' stories from your community. You will be amazed at what you learn.
- Organize a stitch-in, banquet, workshop, lecture, retreat, bus trip or even a shop hop.
- Celebrate on your own — visit your favorite quilt shops, pass your love of quilting on to a child or friend, or spend a few hours sewing or reading your favorite quilt book.
Make a quilt and share it with someone else. After you and/or your guild do this, please send us information and pictures of how you shared. We want to show others what you have done.