I completed my second quilt of valor soon after the first, in February/March 2010. This one I called “As American As Pie”, based on the blueberry and cherry fabric I bought for the quilt. Snowed in at home in front of my sewing machine, I was dreaming of Spring and fresh fruit pie. I wrote the following during the sewing process:

There are some things you miss out on and can’t ever get back: birthdays, anniversaries, celebrations, commemorations. Then there are other things like Springtime, with fresh-faced little crocuses bursting out of the snow. They’re going to keep coming back, year after year, long after you and I are here to greet them. The fact that Spring keeps coming, regardless of how harsh the winter has been, is a kind of miracle. So is pie, just as good the second time as the first and maybe even better. Because the best pie is the one in front of you now.

For the main pattern I picked “Stars and Stripes” from Judy Martin’s Block Book. I love Judy Martin patterns because they are always correct! Just follow the instructions precisely and you’ll get the intended result. Unfortunately that is not true of all quilt (or recipe) books. I picked a block called “Liberty Bell” for the center and pieced some smaller “Judy’s Stars” for the top and interior borders.