This year’s raffle quilt is a striking red, white and black star design, from a pattern in “Quilts from the Quiltmaker's Gift: 20 Traditional Patterns for a New Generation of Generous Quiltmakers” by Joanne Larsen Line, Nancy Loving Tubesing, Gail De Marcken (Illustrator), Nancy Loving Tubesing (Illustrator).  The design was chosen by NSQG guild members Jackie Fowler, Laura Goldstein and Cathy Jankus because the guild had not previously made a quilt with this color palette, nor with Asian-motif fabrics.

The pattern consists of 96 black stars, half of which were sewn by guild members from kits distributed earlier in the year.  Using a design board, the star blocks were then pieced together with ‘sashing’ which formed the additional black and white stars.  Borders with ginkgo leaves and Chinese writing complete the quilt top.  The quilt backing fabric chosen depicts cranes, representations of long life, on a red background, the color for celebration. 

“Northern Star’s Milky Way” quilt was machine quilted by Mark and Janice Roy, owners of the Little Red Quilt House in Stratford, Connecticut.  Mark designed the quilt pattern for the white stars himself and has now added Northern Star to his repertoire.  Binding for this queen-sized quilt was sewed by Laura and Jackie.

The recipient of this year’s raffle quilt proceeds is JessBecause, an organization that provides teens and adults with developmental, physical and emotional disabilities a creative outlet to express their feelings, hopes and dreams.