Trip Around the World Quilt, quilt of valor for Peggy

 When my children were younger the youngest became fast forever friends with Peggy. She and her siblings eventually joined the army, went to Iraq (I believe ) then she went to West Point, graduated did some work as an MP, and other stuff, and JUST recently returned home from her 2nd deploment in Afghanistan. She is now stationed at Fort Knox Ky.

When the call for quilts after hurricane Sandy was put out, I did a Trip around the World (Bonnie Hunter pattern. She has a lot of them on her "Free patterns) I was finishing that one it went quickly, and thought it was a fitting pattern to make for Peggy too.

The way things go with quilter, I was also working on Jared Takes a Wife also a free pattern by BH, I had started it with patriotic colors because my daughter (best friend of Peggy) is in the Army Reserves Band. I had purchased this fabric for the backing of that quilt

But for some reason I decided it wasn't right. I did use it on the both Trip Around the World, for Sandy donation, and in the front of Peggy's quilt too. I had gotten a great deal on it at Jackman's Fabric in Il!

It was such a soft pretty fabric, at less than $4/yd, that I BOUGHT the rest of the bolt! So I easily had enough to do the back of Peggy's quilt.

 

There are a couple few funny stories about her quilt:

1) I used it as a diversion so that my DD would not see her quilt. When DD was coming over, I would cover it up w Peggy's quilt. LOL DD never saw her quilt in the making!!!!

2)We had planned on sending it to her, then she posted that she was starting to send some things home. I could see no sense in shipping it over there, when she would have to send it back! So we waited.

3) Peggy saw DD's quilt on Face book while  in Afghanistan, when pictures were posted.  She told me after she opened her quilt how jealous she was that DD got a quilt and she hadn't. She is/was too sweet to ask too!

 

4)Her mom and she were in love with the back, because  she has always talked about "The Lady" her parents took her as a child to see the Statue of Liberty, because she always talked about "The Lady". I have no memory of this, but maybe on some level I was aware of it.

 

So here is Peggy starting to unwrap her quilt.

 

I think she was surprised!

 Auditioning fabrics for the Border. My DGrandteen chose the colors and "Oked" the Combinations. LOL she has a better color sense than me.

Quilting in progress

On the frame.

Close up of quilting.I used a red white and blue variegated thread, it's hard to see in the quilt pictures though.

 The two strips in the middle are 'orphaned' blocks from DD's quilt.I think they look like Twin Towers....So she "always has her Best Friend with her in bed"