Hope you have a wonderful Independence Day. As you are celebrating the rights and liberties you enjoy because some men decided to stand up for their rights many years ago, please take a moment to think about those who aren’t so fortunate.
Not sure what to do? Here are a few ideas:

You can head to freerice.com and donate some food to people in an underdeveloped nation.
Grownups can watch a movie like Beyond Rangoon that shows how hard it is to live in a country that doesn’t offer the freedom we have in the US. (This excellent movie starring Patricia Arquette is …read more

Many of the traditional quilt patterns of yesteryear carried names of  patriotic events or people.  As a celebration of the Fourth of July (sometimes called Independence Day), let’s discover these.
(From your knowledge of American history, do you recognize these patriots’ names or the event?)

Clay’s Choice
Lincoln’s Platform
Little Giant
Old Tippecanoe
Union Square
Union Star
Whig Rose
Democrat Rose
President’s Wreath
Alexander Hamilton’s Quilt
Burgoyne Surrounded
Yankee Pride
Fifty-Four-Forty-or-Fight

Do you have favorite patriotic quilt patterns…those of yesteryear or today?

I was checking out some of the different events that are going on this year around the 4th of July and was amazed by the variety of things that are happening. When I was a child, it was the parade and then a picnic in the park and fireworks. Now, there are so many more things we can do.
One Independence Day event that caught my eye was the Founder’s Favorites Fireworks and Fountains event at Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania. If you are in the area, it is well worth visiting. The fountains are beautiful even if fireworks aren’t shooting off. …read more

QuiltingAndPatchwork.com
 In the United States, we’re celebrating Fourth of July, or Independence Day. There are parades, fireworks, community activities, and for many a weekend off from work.  You may be involved in a craft or quilting show since come towns often feature such events.
When I was growing up, we couldn’t take a day off from the dairy farm. However, we usually visited relatives for a holiday meal, a family reunion type of gathering, then returned home for the evening chores. Then as dusk descended, we watched fireworks from the “Big Hill,” a hay field on a hill top from which we …read more