Image: sxc.hu

I found one in my grandmother’s memorabilia trunk.  It represented her son, my Uncle Charles, who served in that war and came back alive.  These flags, a blue star on white background surrounded by a red border hung in the windows of families who had a member fighting for our country’s freedom.  (More stars if more than one person was in the war.)

If the soldier was killed in war, a gold star was hung above the blue and if injured a silver star instead.  Thus also originated the term “Gold Star Mothers” who lost a son or daughter in the war.

Supposedly Army Captain Robert Queisser, of the 5th Ohio Infantry, designed a service flag to honor his two sons who were serving in the military during World War I.  These flags symbolize brave men and women in all our wars.

Nowadays, they’re made as flags, banners, pillows and quilts, to keep in mind the military men and women serving to keep us free.

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Learning About Patriotic Service Flags

Image: sxc.hu

We have one of these Service Flags, originally made to hand in a window.  My grandmother used it when her son Charles served in World War I.  Consisting of a blue star on a white background, surrounded by red border, it let everyone know her son was serving for their freedom.

Uncle Charles came home from the War.  However, if someone didn’t, a small gold star was added on top of the blue, thus the term “Gold Star Mothers” originated.  Siver stars were used when a service member was injured.

I don’t know if my grandmother made her flag or if someone did and gave it to her.  I’m proud that we still have it in our family.  To me it represents Uncle Charles and other members who served – Uncle Al during World War II and my husand during the Vietnam war.

Today, quilters are making many variations of these banners and quilts.  (An interesting article about Service Quilts appears in McCall’s America Loves Scrap Quilts, Spring 2008 issue.)

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Patriotic Service Flag Quilts

When I was a youngster, veterans’ service to our country was well recognized and not criticized as we appreciated being free.  I lived during the years of World War II and knew about black-outs, bomb scares, rationing, scarcity of food, aluminum drives and everyone working together to support the military.

Image: sxc.hu

Then Memorial Day (often called Decoration Day, when we decorated the graves of the fallen military or those who had served and died later) was a time to recognize their sacrifices.

We hung the large flag from our front porch. I still have photos of our family standing in front of it with my uncle who has served in an even earlier war, World War I.

Crafters today often make items with patriotic colors and themes.  My daughter has a number of these she places around the house.  What do you make for patriotic celebrations and family gatherings?

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Memorial Day Celebration & Patriotic Crafts

My husband has been sitting down with him nightly and drawing the continents and telling Truman whatever he knows about the countries. Truman relays this information to me throughout the day: “Mommy, did you know it is very, VERY cold in Antarctica?” “Mommy, you know what Mommy? There is a really bad war in Iraq.” “Mommy, did you know people in Sudan are very sad?”

My husband has now taken the “world studies” with my son to the next step – flags. He has printed a list of the thumbnails from this FlagWorld site and my son has been coloring the different flags. Not to sound like the dumb-arse that I am, but I had no idea Tuvalu was a country. (And now that I know, I think I want to live there one day.)

Truman wants to know why each continent doesn’t have its own flag, which was a difficult question to answer. And so my son took it upon himself to design flags for each of the countries. (Here’s Africa on the right.) What a pleasant way to occupy my son’s overactive mind during the rainy days of spring break!

JWJourney

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Kids Discover The World Through Flags

Veterans Day celebrations bring to mind parades, flags flying, patriotic songs, and recognition of those who have and are serving in the military to protect our country.  I think of my Uncle Al, whose flag we fly from our deck for patriotic celebrations.

(This was the flag draped over his casket at his funeral many years after his service for his country during World War II, service of which he was very proud.)

Have you made patriotic quilts, pillows, and other fabric art items in recognition of patriotic holidays?  There also are many quilt patterns with patriotic names in recognition of events of the past.

Do you have quilts you’ve made for patriotic events?  Those done in patriotic colors?  Do you have them on your blog that I can link to?

(Alyssa Preston/Amazon image)

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Patriotic Quilts for Veterans Day

Many quilting patterns incorporate the flag motif and patriotic themes into various projects.  I found a delightful wall hanging pattern, Salute to the Troops, at Quilt Town USA that uses flags and hearts.  

Janet Foggy-Befort, of Plant City, FL,  designed the hanging as a tribute to friends and relatives in the armed services.  It’s as appropriate today as when Janet designed it in 1991.

You’ll find free pattern and instructions for making this hanging, along with a picture of a finished product.  I also enjoyed exploring the entire Quilt Town USA site.  I found several more free patterns for patriotic quilts and wall hangings.  You may want to check these out for future projects.

Also, if you are looking for more patterns and ideas for patriotic and flag projects,

             you may want to check into these books.

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Creating a Quilt for Flag Day

 This is a large flag given to our family when my Uncle Al died.  He was a World War II veteran who served in the Pacific Theater.  The flag was draped over his casket at his funeral.  Three veterans attended and presented the flag to my mom, Al’s sister, at the cemetery. 

(I’ve written a story, published in two anthologies, about this flag and it’s meaning to our family.)

As I’ve researched my family history, I discovered I have ancestors who served in the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Civil War, World War I and World War II.  My husband was an Air Force pilot during the Vietnam era. 

Today our granddaughter marches in the local parade, playing a trumpet in the high school band…and we fly “Uncle Al’s Flag.”

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Commemorating Memorial Day in our Quilting World

My daughter found, among her fabric stash, red-white-blue printed fabric with flags on it.  “This will be great for a table runner for the 4th,” she remarked. 

So she’s hemming it, and will add solid color red, white, and blue napkins.  These can be fabric ones or paper.

Among the books available with project ideas utilizing red, white, and blue colors along with stars and stripes is:  Patriotic Little Quilts by Alice Berg, Sylvia Johnson, and Mary Ellen Von Holt.  Just the design on the cover inspires you to start one of these.

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Red, White & Blue for July 4th Quilts

Flag related designs have long been popular in quilts and quilted items.  (These can be flags from whichever country is yours.)

One of the books for patriotic and flag design ideas is Sandy Bonsib’s Americana Quilts.  Her patriotic themes involve flags, stars and stripes, etc. with a folk art influence.

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Flag Inspired Quilts & Fabric Art