February Featured Maker and Pattern: Love & Stitches by Megan Collins
After taking a little post-holidays break, we’re so excited to rev back up with our next maker and pattern. We hope you were able to enjoy a safe and relaxing holiday season, perhaps with a little making thrown in (but only if you wanted to). But now that you’re refreshed, it seems like a good time to jump into a new project, right? So, let’s meet our designer for February, Megan Collins!
Megan’s featured quilt pattern, our February pattern of the month, is Love & Stitches. For the month of February, Megan will be donating 50% of the proceeds from the pattern to Team Rubicon, a nonprofit that utilizes the skills and experiences of military veterans with first responders to rapidly deploy emergency response teams. For this month’s interview, we chatted with Megan about her collaboration with Modern Service Quilts. Read on!
Can you tell us a little about yourself and your quilting journey?
I was a junior-high teacher before having children and deciding to stay home. During a summer break, I taught myself to quilt. I have an aunt that quilts, but I had moved from Iowa to Texas and had no one nearby to teach me. I read a book, bought way too much fabric, and learned from my (many) mistakes. My first original quilt design — and my second quilt — was a baby quilt for my oldest son. The process of imagining, drafting, and creating a unique quilt soon became one of the aspects of quilting I love the most.
Why did you want to collaborate with Modern Service Quilts?
There is a long quilting tradition of making for others, and making quilts for soldiers and veterans is part of that tradition. For example, during the Civil War, many quilts were made or repurposed to be sent to soldiers. Quilts also served as a means to fundraise for the war effort. Quilters have proven again and again that when we work together, we have the ability to do so much more.
I admire the mission of Modern Service Quilts to bridge the gap between modern quilters and quilts for service members and veterans. In addition to extending this tradition of making, Modern Service Quilts is also helping the quilting community to fundraise for organizations that support our veterans and military service members every day. I’m honored to be a small part of their efforts.
Do you have your own personal connection to the military, service members, or the tradition of making honor quilts?
My aunt has helped make Quilts of Valor for many years. She is the only quilter in my family, but because we live many states apart, we don’t have the opportunity to quilt together. However, when we visit, I always see the latest quilts being made, and there is always a veteran’s quilt in the group.
Both of my grandfathers served during World War II. My maternal grandfather was an engineer in the Pacific theater of war, and my paternal grandfather served in the Navy. I have an uncle that served in the army during the Vietnam era and an uncle that was in the National Guard.
This month, we’re highlighting your Love & Stitches quilt pattern. Why do you think this particular design lends itself well to becoming a modern honor quilt?
Working with the MSQ team, we thought Love & Stitches was a design that might appeal especially to female veterans, setting it apart from the other quilts MSQ has highlighted so far. The hearts have an almost "bandage" like look to them (there are multiple meanings for the “stitches” in the name of the pattern), which we thought could reflect on the wounds sustained in battle, etc., but in a healing way. For similar reasons, it’s also a quilt that would be good for individuals who serve in the medical field.
Do you have any other patterns you think could work well as honor quilts?
Star quilts are often chosen to be honor quilts. The Star Song quilt pattern makes unique curved stars and would make a striking honor quilt.
Do you have any tips for making a quilt pattern appropriate for an honor quilt?
I think any design thoughtfully chosen and made with the intent to honor would be appropriate if the individual is known to you. For personalizing or adding details to the quilt, I have embroidered words into the Love & Stitches quilt in the past (right). There are simple instructions and photos of a Love & Stitches quilt with these special additions on my website.
If the recipient is unknown or the quilt is being donated to an organization, I would suggest being mindful of the fabrics used. Solid or blender fabrics will be more universally appreciated and will also make your chosen quilt design stand out.
You’ve chosen to support Team Rubicon with your Love & Stitches pattern sales this month. What led you to choose that particular charity?
Team Rubicon is made up of military veterans serving as emergency response teams. I know the organization best because of Hurricane Harvey. In August 2017, our Texas city was devastated by 52" of floodwater that came with the hurricane. The community mobilized to help each other, but when people had to go back to work, there was still much to do. Team Rubicon came to help rebuild and stayed long after the hurricane relief efforts by other organizations had ended. Currently, Team Rubicon is mobilized all over the country, serving communities in the wake of earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, and wildfires. Visit https://teamrubiconusa.org/ to find out more about their current operations.
Megan, we’re so glad to have you on board, and thank you for sharing this wonderful pattern with our makers! Head to Megan’s shop to purchase your own copy of the Love & Stitches pattern this month. And don’t forget to share your work by tagging Modern Service Quilts (@modernservicequilts, #modernservicequilts) and Megan on social media (@megancollins_a, #megancollinsquiltdesign, and #loveandstitchesquilt). We can’t wait to see the stunning quilts you all make.
If you need information on donating your finished quilt to a veteran, check out this page.
We’ll be back mid-month with more information on the sample quilt we made using Megan’s pattern, as well as some pictures of a version Megan made. Until then, be sure to follow us on Instagram for lots more photos and information and sign up for our email newsletter below.
