Betty Blais
Tigard, OR


To respond to this challenge I decided to honor all of the members of my close family that have served. I collected pictures of them in uniform and learned a ton about all of them in the process. I also wanted to honor those of us who "have also served" and their photos are on the lower third of the piece. It is embellished with buttons, badges and campaign medals collected from the veterans.

Kathryn Brown
Winston-Salem, NC

"Protect, Serve and Defend" is a result of a challenge from Quiltart, an internet art quilt forum. The red stripes in the flag are pieced with many different red fabrics to represent our multi-dimensional nation. American people are from many different lands with different religions, races and cultures. The "protectors" of our country, the Army, Navy and Air force, are represented by the tank, ship and plane. Without them, we would not enjoy the liberties of this country. The eagle represents the strength of our nation. The red, white and blue couched threads represent how all American lives are woven together through our love of freedom.


detail

"Protectors"
24" x 19"

detail


"Thank You"
Approxinately 8 1/2" x 10 1/2"


Techniques: My original computer generated design printed on muslin with inkjet printer, pigma hand painting, machine quilting, hand beading, fringing.

Tracy L. Chapman

As a former soldier, wife of a soldier and one day soon possibly the mother of a soldier, it is very heavy on my heart to express my thanks to those who protect, defend and serve the United States of America.

Red, white & blue colors and there are 50 stars placed throughout the piece -- included for patriotic and traditional reasons. Denim was used as the "quilt sandwich - front & back" because soldiers in the field long for the day when they return home to wear their blue jeans. Once the printed fabric piece was mounted on top of the denim sandwich and quilted, the denim edges were fringed. The two color fringing represents the two facets of being a soldier: 1. The discipline to serve to death 2. The longing for peace. The gold bugle beads were attached by hand with red pearl cotton and represent the wealth of freedom that we have been afforded in the United States of America. The red was meant to "show" as it represents the blood shed in wars and service (past, present and future) that secured the great treasures of our liberty--because our great wealth of freedom came and still comes at a very dear price. The text of the message explains it all.

Ann Flaherty
Sanford, NC


I love National Geographic Magazine. And the July 2002 issue was no disappointment. In particular, I was drawn to the image of hundreds of contented eagles waiting on a hillside for food in Homer, Alaska.

Never having seen these birds in such a large gathering, and without talons drawn, aloft on immense wings, I could not help but contemplate this congregation of our national symbol and draw analogies to the changes our culture is experiencing today. Intuitively, my creativity flowed and this work emerged. Prior to September 11, 2001, content with regular increases in the market, we sat peacefully, trusting in our dream. On top of the world we sat, on our island of immunity, confident that nothing could damage the "American Way".

The sun is almost set, and we are awakening. The eagle is no longer content to respond. Talons are drawn, wings will spread, and no matter the method: be it external weapons of mass destruction or internal plans to steal the hard work of our neighbors, we will defend our dream.

The three blue stars honor three family members that were deployed at the time this quilt was made .


detail

"Sunset on Contentment"
19 ½" X 23 ¼"

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"Family"
31" x 22"



Gretchen Hayes
Chesapeake, VA


My family has a history of Military service. We've had family members in each branch if the service. This quilt is made up almost completely of Uniforms, except for the red fabric, and the backing of the quilt. The Lance Corpral patch is mine, being the former Marine in the family. The back of the quilt has all of the verses of the Navy Hymn on it, to include the verses created at later dates to honor all military service branches.

Michael Monroe and Kelly Simbirdi
San Carlos, CA

Kelly and I enjoyed the opportunity to work together on this Protect, Defend & Serve Challenge Quilt. Data in my personnel records, phrases I recalled and memories of my experience in the US Navy were used to bring life to our entry.

My tour of duty aboard a nuclear submarine as a Sonar Technician and Ship's Diver during the tail-end of the cold war was the basis for our interpretation of what it is to "Protect, Defend & Serve" our country. While at sea our view above the waves was limited to what was called "periscope liberty." The stadia lines of the periscope overlay our view of the world tempering what we saw with the harsh reality of our mission at sea.


"Hide In Plain Sight"
27" x 22"

Hand painted silk, photo transfer, silk screen, beading, hand/machine quilting, bullet casings (representing 21 Gun Salute)
Maryanne Watson
Cave Creek, AZ
 

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