November Featured Maker and Pattern: Broken Zig Zag by Sarah Ruiz
It’s a new month, and we’re back with an exciting new designer and pattern! November’s collaborator is Sarah Ruiz!
Sarah’s featured quilt pattern, our November pattern of the month, is Broken Zig Zag. For the month of November, Sarah will be donating 100% of the proceeds from the pattern to Team Rubicon. Read on for this month’s chat with Sarah about her collaboration with Modern Service Quilts!
Can you tell us a little about yourself and your quilting journey?
I’m Sarah Ruiz, a quilter, a pattern designer, and an aerospace engineer living in Houston, Texas, with my husband and our two elementary-age daughters. I work full-time at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, but I’ve also loved art and creative pursuits since childhood. As an adult, I dabbled in web design, graphic design, and photography before taking a quilting class in mid-2011. After that, I was hooked!
Quilting quickly became my creative activity of choice, and after building my skills, I began designing patterns about 6 years ago. My small business has grown somewhat organically since then. I currently publish 2-3 new patterns per year and do quite a bit of work behind-the-scenes as a tech editor helping other designers get their own patterns prepared for publication. My quilts have won awards at multiple shows, and my work has been featured in publications like Curated Quilts and QuiltCon Magazine.
Why did you want to collaborate with Modern Service Quilts?
I learned about the Quilts of Valor program very early on in my quilting journey. I loved the idea of honoring service members with special quilts but did not see any quilts that fit my style and aesthetic — and felt that surely there must be veterans that share that aesthetic! I appreciate how MSQ is filling that gap, while also focusing on a subset of service members who are often underrepresented.
Do you have your own personal connection to the military, service members, or the tradition of making honor quilts?
In my job at NASA, I’ve had the opportunity to interact with many current and former service members who play a role in our space program, whether on the ground or as members of the crew. I always enjoy learning from their unique set of experiences and seeing their perspective on our space agency and the role it plays in promoting the peaceful use of space.
This month, we’re highlighting your Broken Zig Zag quilt pattern. Why do you think this particular design lends itself well to becoming a modern honor quilt?
Broken Zig Zag has a striking geometric motif that echoes the shapes and lines seen in military flags and insignia, and the arrow-like flow of the diamond shapes gives subtle superhero vibes.
Do you have any other patterns you think could work well as honor quilts?
Yes! Pathfinder and Triangles at Play are both fat-quarter-friendly and would look great in a variety of red, white, and blue prints or solids. Split Level looks flag-like with its rows of strips in different sizes.
Do you have any tips for making a quilt pattern appropriate for an honor quilt?
Visually, when I think of the military, I think of flags, medals, uniform patches, and the shapes and angles of airplanes and ships. Aside from the obvious stars and stripes, many modern quilters use shapes and lines in their designs that echo these ideas. The modern aesthetic also widens the traditional red/white/blue honor quilt color palette to include everything from navy to sky blue to maroon to pink. I think this broader use of color adds to the appeal of modern service quilts.
You’ve chosen to support Team Rubicon with your Broken Zig Zag pattern sales this month. What led you to choose that particular charity?
As a resident of the Gulf Coast, I’m intimately familiar with the constant threat of hurricanes and flooding and the devastation they can cause — many families in my area are still recovering from Hurricane Harvey five years ago. Team Rubicon has been a part of that recovery, both in Houston and around the country, and their assistance is vital to those most impacted by storms and other disasters.
Sarah, we’re so glad to have you on the MSQ team this month! Head to Sarah’s shop to purchase your own copy of the Broken Zig Zag pattern by November 30, and share your wonderful work by tagging Modern Service Quilts (@modernservicequilts, #modernservicequilts) and Sarah on social media (@saroy, #brokenzigzagquilt). We can’t wait to see the beautiful 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 Sarah’s pattern. Until then, be sure to follow us on Instagram for lots more photos and information and sign up for our email newsletter below.
