Today we’re diving into the first part of the Stronger Together Quilt Along! It’s part of our first ever quilt and stitch along for Black History Month, to bring our creative community together to support a worthy cause and to highlight the achievements and contributions of several African American women in the fiber arts. This week, we sewed the half-square triangle units that border the quilt center and support the North Stars from the first week.
Through February 28, 2021, 100% of the proceeds from the sales of Stronger Together Quilt Patterns and Stronger Together Cross Stitch Patterns will go to United Negro College Fund (UNCF). The mission of UNCF is to increase the total number of African American college students and helping them persist to graduation. They do this through awarding scholarships, providing financial support to historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), and advocating for the importance of minority education and community engagement.
About the Quilt
We started with the inspiration of Harriet Tubman for her courage, persistence, strength, endurance and wisdom. Tubman was guided by her moral compass to do the right thing and guided physically by the North Star that led her and the slaves she rescued to freedom multiple times. No matter the obstacles, risks and handicaps, she persevered.
Our quilt is made in Speckled by Rashida Coleman-Hale of Ruby Star Society. We have a limited supply of quilt kits (Update: More quilt kits will be available soon. This is unfortunate but not uncommon given the current disruptions in worldwide shipments).
Gee’s Bend
The second part of the quilt pattern features the amazing quilters of Gee’s Bend, a remarkable collection of quilters whose quilt designs have captivated art and quilt lovers all over the world. Since the 1800’s, residents of this isolated town on the Alabama River have been creating modern and timeless quilts. Now they have brought their famous quilts to Etsy!
We invited some friends to stitch along with us and they’re sharing their progress along the way! You can follow them on social media for inspiration and tips along the way!
Join Us
EVERYONE can sew along! To join in, all you have to do is purchase a pattern and gather your supplies. Keep up with us by visiting the blog each Tuesday, or follow the hashtag #FQSStrongerTogether on Instagram to see and share work from your fellow quilters. If you’d like to make the cross stitch design, check out the stitch along page! We’ll see you next Tuesday, February 16 for Week 3.
Stay connected to FQS!
