I don't know if this is a crazy idea-let me know-I would like to make a quilt for all of the fallen soldiers that have died in the iraq and afganastan war. I would need a pattern for the grave stone and I would like to put all thier names on it. Any ideas?

Good luck! That is a large undertaking.

Welcome to the board from Southern California!!

Sounds like a wonderful idea, but as Sadiemae said, HUGE undertaking.

thousands and thousands of names.
Bless you for the thought, as others have said HUGE undertaking, just in collecting ALL the names.

My brother a retired combat vet designed an amazing tattoo to represent all fallen and had it tattooed on his forearm when he retired. It was like hands comming out of the sky holding crosses and dog tags etc.
Now to represent the fallen of Iraq and Afganistan You could perhaps have the gravestone and then do like a bargello effect pouring out of the stone or something like that I can see it in my mind .If you are wanting actual names I have no Idea but I am sure someone here will.
I commend you for taking this on I will think on it and see what else I think up.
Rae

I would stay away from the head stone and go with the bargello idea. do it from grays to maybe blues of a sky with a lovely yellow starry burst in the center and maybe have the names quilted into it. this way it is more of a memorial instead of something sad looking. that is at least how I feel about headstones. You might need to make 3-4 quilts to fit all the names on them. I would make at least two, one for each "front". you might for the backing want to get military material for each branch that is fighting and piece it together. but this is just a loose idea that came to mind for me. you will show us what you end up doing.

A Bargello sounds like an awesome idea.

i'm just curious here. what would you do with it?

It was like hands comming out of the sky holding crosses and dog tags etc.
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I like this idea, and I think all the names would be almost impossible to see, or write/embroidry on it. They all could be represented by the 5 different service emblems. Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard and Marines. The Marines could be shown with the Eagle and Earth, etc.

I think that a dark, threatening sky in batiks would be good, with the hand holding the dangling dog tags that all military wear, and one hand cradling a cross that lights up from inside. Maybe embroidered with gold thread. And the cross with silver thread. Simple and instantly recognizable, it would be worth showing at different group meetings of any VFW that was in reach of your home. I think they would truly appreciate such an act of love.

We go to a VFW hall in Livingston, CA for blood drives, and these men and women are solidly in touch with our present AND past, lost warriors.

Thank you for doing such a marvelous thing for them.

As for names, you would never, ever be able to keep up with the constant loss of life in combat situations "over there" in all the wildest and most terrible parts of the world we are trying to help.