The americana was started early on in 2008 collecting fabric in red whites and blues from all over the country. Trading fabrics with quilt buddies from the east and finding some on line and in shops here locally. I came to USA ( from canada ) in 1990 with my husband and we started the journey to get our citizenship not long after. It turned out to be an 11 year process and $52,000 dollars out of pocket for his companies and ourselves combined. Once you have your green card you must wait another 5 years before you apply for citizenship IN the end we had gotten it one week before my son turned 21.. thankfully or he would have had to go back to canada or apply for it on his own and with out being legally able to work he had no experience that another american couldn't have done. . Anyways back to now..my son joined the US NAVY in 2003 at the age of 24 and served 5 years and two tours in Iraq. IT was a combination of getting our citizenship ( I got mine February 08 he got his january 08 , our daughter may 08 and hubby october 07 )and his serving the US navy that prompted me to make an americana quilt that year .
My son died August 2, 08 and the quilt was not finished.... and sat for several months until a friend helped get me moving on it again and i finished it several months after his death. I now have a room filled with american memorabilia in his honor..I collect flags, and many other red white and blue items and have made the quilt the centerpiece for the room. It is a reminder to me of his service to our country and also our looong journey to citizenship. So that is the story ;)>>
ON the dog one.. i was quilting for a group that made quilts for kids with brain cacner in 2007 and i picked a boy who was 7 who loved dogs.. the few ties that are on the quilt were required as all quilts we made had to be tied.. so people could tie another as they prayed for him. I designed the quilt and he loved it .