Ace & Jig’s Zero Waste Community Quilt

I’ve wanted to participate in a quilting bee for a good cause ever since I watched cranky Mrs. Snow pull together a patchwork quilt for the church bazaar in the movie “Pollyanna.” I love the idea of quilts bringing (or is it snuggling?) people together despite perceived barriers. So, when I found out about Ace & Jig’s annual community quilt that celebrates connectivity, zero waste, and providing relief to the homeless, I signed right up.

For every three completed quilt blocks, Ace & Jig makes a donation to Project Night Night, a non-profit organization that provides comfort objects (blankets, books, stuffed animals) to kids experiencing homelessness. 1 in 30 kids will face homelessness sometime this year. That’s a staggering figure. Over the course of two weekends this June, I sewed three (very large) squares that incorporated bear paws, flying geese and good old little blocks to ensure that another Project Night Night tote bag of comfort got out into the world.

The bear paw block is my favorite of the three, but I also love the wild dynamics of the flying geese and little scrappy squares. My recent quilts have used lots of solid fabrics, but busy fabrics were my first love. Creating these squares for Ace & Jig was a good way to get back to those roots of smashing all the busy fabrics together.

If you’re on Instagram, follow @aceandjigcommunityquilt to see the other madcap creations for this year’s quilt. I hope Ace & Jig posts a photo of the fully assembled quilt in the coming weeks!