Gulf Coast MQG 2020 QuiltCon Charity Quilt

My guild, the Gulf Coast Modern Quilt Guild, made a beautiful quilt last year for the QuiltCon 2019 charity quilt challenge. I designed and coordinated it, and was so happy with the result that I figured it would be impossible to top. …But we did! This year’s QuiltCon 2020 charity quilt will be on display at QuiltCon in Austin next week and it’s really amazing!

The challenge theme this year was “text” with a prescribed color palette was black/white/gray. I coordinated the effort again this year, and as a guild we discussed several different design and theme options before landing on something that would celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo program. We were headed down the path to a totally different design when I threw this idea in last minute, using a key line from JFK’s famous 1962 “we choose to go to the moon” speech.

I took on creating the overall design again, and the organizing. The star blocks are 3″, 6″, 9″, or 12″ blocks, which made it easy to divvy up block assignments among all our members. The letters are paper pieced, and were modified (with permission) from the My First Alphabet pattern by Diane Bohn.

We had more than 20 members make blocks, including Arden Quinn. Arden was new to sewing when she joined our guild early last year, but had a lifetime of artistic and creative experience and quickly became one of our most enthusiastic members. Sadly, Arden passed away in early December. We already miss her greatly, and are happy to have one of her blocks included in this quilt as a way to remember her.

We had a sew-in day in mid November and got most of the sections pieced together, and I finished the quilt top construction on my own at home. I then passed it off to Katie Welch, another member, who did an ABSOLUTELY STUNNING job of quilting. It sadly doesn’t show up well in the photos because it’s black thread on black fabric but if you are at QuiltCon, definitely take a close look!! The piece de resistance is that she quilted a second quote — “one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind” — running down the right side of the quilt top. It’s truly amazing.

I’m so, so in love with this quilt and have given serious consideration to making another one on my own just to keep for myself. For the photoshoot, of course I HAD to take it over to Rocket Park for some photos with the Saturn V rocket. Thanks to Jose for being my quilt holder!

The stats:

• Quilt measures 65″ x 85″.
• Blocks and quilt top were constructed by 20+ different members of the Gulf Coast Modern Quilt Guild.
• Pattern was created by me except for the letters themselves, which are from My First Alphabet by Diane Bohn.
• Fabrics are Moda Bella solids in black and white, plus other fabrics from members’ stashes.
• Backing is a space/science-themed print from Sparkly Elephant Sewing Lounge. (Can’t remember the name and manufacturer.)
• Machine quilted by Katie Welch on a longarm.
• Binding is Moda Bella solid black. Binding and hanging sleeve were made and sewn by Marcia Brenner.