Bethany Reynolds

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AQS Anchor Project

In response to the tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001, the staff of the American Quilters Society organized the Anchor Quilt Project. Marjorie Russell, Managing Editor of AQs, wrote:

"We're inviting every quilter to make one red, white and blue block that will be a finished 9" size. Your block can be of any design, original or traditional. Let that one block (any technique) be a positive statement of your anchor - your hope, and the love you will not surrender.

We are also asking guilds and other groups to volunteer to assemble the blocks into quilt tops and finish them early in 2002. If your group is willing, let us know. AQS will donate or auction the finished quilts and use the proceeds as donations for needs related to the tragedy."

Knowing there are many caring and enthusiastic quilters on my email newsletter list, I decided to ask them to help out with the AQS Anchor Quilt Project. I cut nearly 200 Stack-n-Whack® star block kits and mailed them out with piecing directions to quilters who mailed me self-addressed stamped envelopes. Block kits went all over the US, as well as a few to Canada, Australia, and Germany. In order to keep the block sets together, I asked quilters to return the finished blocks to me for assembly.

I got back about 160 blocks, which I'm sorting and arranging into at least 4 quilts. Click on the text links below the photos for a larger view.

JULY 23 UPDATE: The completed quilts have been auctioned on eBay. Totals for the whole auction have not been announced yet, but the five quilts shown here netted over $3700 for Sept. 11 charities!

Many thanks to all the quilters who have helped with this project, and to the bidders!

AQS Anchor Project Stack-n-Whack® Quilts
full view and detail of finished quilt- quilted by Bethany Reynolds 104K Quilt #1 AQS #A126 - "American Kaleidoscope"	full view and details of the finished quilt- quilted by Susan Webb (400K) Quilt #2 AQS #A118 - "Path of Hope"
full view and detail of the finished quilt -quilted by Debbie Alley (156K) Quilt #3 AQS #A120- "Framed Stars"	full view and details of the finished quilt -quilted by Linda Robinson (300K) Quilt #4 AQS # A112- "Patriot's Stars"
full view and detail of the finished quilt- quilted by Teri Devine (111K) Quilt #5 AQS #A115- "Little Star Quilt"

Click here to read an update on the Anchor Quilt Project at the AQS website.

If you would like to help out by machine quilting one of my Anchor Project tops, please contact me using the link below.