My Block for the Great American Birthday Quilt – America 250

Can you believe it? America turns 250 years old on July 4, 2026! Wow—what an incredible milestone and a moment in history we get to witness. I’ve heard there will be a country-wide celebration to mark this semiquincentennial, and while I’m not entirely sure what that will include, the idea alone fills me with pride and excitement.

During my curious search online for more details, I stumbled upon something that immediately caught my attention: The Great American Birthday Quilt Project. As an avid quilter, my heart practically leapt! The thought of contributing even a single block to a quilt celebrating our nation’s 250th birthday felt like both an honor and a joy. What a beautiful way to commemorate such a historic event!

When I read the theme—“What do you celebrate most about America?”—I knew exactly what my answer would be: freedom. More specifically, the freedom of religion, which allows me to live and share my faith openly. As a proud Catholic wife and mom of nine, my greatest joy is following Christ and raising my children to know His love. That freedom is something I never take for granted, and it’s at the very heart of what I celebrate most about this country.

With that inspiration in mind, I began planning my block. I chose a 16×20-inch size, as the guidelines suggest. At its center is a cross made of red, white, and blue buttons, carefully sewn onto a red and white background. This cross represents both my faith and the beautiful unity of America’s colors. Around it, I added red and blue stars—symbols of hope, courage, and patriotism.

I wanted to add a Bible verse, but couldn’t get it to look how I liked it, so eliminated the verse idea. Instead, I added the word FREEDOM as any American believes, freedom is what America represents.

Creating this block has been such a meaningful experience. Whether or not my block is chosen to be part of the final quilt, I feel deeply honored to have stitched my love for faith and freedom into something that celebrates the heart of America.

I can’t wait to celebrate America’s 250th Birthday!