HOGS FOR HEROES checking in here…and we are stunned, and honored, by this beautiful effort to support our healing mission! We only just learned of Lisa’s generous plan and can hardly believe quilters across the nation will unite to sew their hearts out to benefit veterans’ healing. Thank you!

A little bit about us, because knowing who benefits from your labors is important to your heart. Hogs For Heroes is a small, WI nonprofit created by four family members, none of whom served. We do this volunteer work simply out of gratitude for those who served and sacrificed much on our behalf, and from a desire to provide struggling, at-risk Veterans with a healing alternative: wind therapy, as we Bikers affectionately call it. We raise funds to buy Harley-Davidson motorcycles for Veteran riders who, injured in the course of active duty, find themselves hurting–mentally, physically, emotionally–and unable to have a Bike in their life. We help them heal by gifting them a Harley that allows them to regain peace on the road, control in their life, clarity, pride, and joy…and equally important, support from the rider community and Veteran brotherhoods.

We know motorcycling isn’t everyone’s cup of tea… but if it’s your blood its roots run deep and make up an identity, culture, and community for its riders–all things similar to the military, and deeply missed as Veterans separate from service. It is estimated that 22 Veterans a day commit suicide; another compelling reason to offer alternative therapy with a “tool” that is well established in the military community and will support them for years to come. We direct 100% of every donation straight toward the next Bike and Veteran pairing. And because we do this work voluntarily on the side of jobs, family, and life…we thought we would be successful if we could raise funds to gift one Harley a year. Instead, in just a little over 4 years of gifting bikes, we wrapped up our 2020 season by returning SIXTEEN injured Veteran riders back to the road they love on beautiful Harleys. Each Recipient will tell you that our gift has truly changed their life and, in several cases, literally saved their lives. And while our gift is only given to one individual, its positive ripple effect impacts the lives of their spouses, families, friends, employers, and community as they find new outlets, opportunities, and support systems.

Thank you for reading through our nutshell-version to learn about our unique work. And thank you, for participating in this amazing project to support our veterans’ healing needs.

Like what you heard? Be sure to LIKE US on Facebook to stay on top of our activity and announcements! You can learn more about our work and the Veterans we have supported at http://www.hogsforheroeswi.org. And, if you’re so inclined, you can donate there too, but I know Lisa is raising funds as well with this stitch along and you may want to contribute to the Quilters effort.

Peace to all…. and best wishes as you each make these beautiful quilts!  Audra Thompson

If this doesn’t touch you?  I don’t know what does, It has even more impact seeing it in person. May 2019 I watched Rob Thede receive his bike…and with tears streaming down my face that is when I decided I was going to “try” and do this for another vet.  Believing you can is 90% of completing a goal.  It is now time to make that happen.  With this American Quilters Stitch Along WE are going to accomplish it. I hope you’re along for this ride...because I need y’all to do it!  I’m counting on us Quilter’s to make this happen!  Audra left the above info as a comment on my blog but I wanted you all to read it.  She sent this to me after I called her and explained what I wished to do.  We have set up a separate bank account for our funds raised, you will be able to directly donate to it.  I will let you know when that time comes.  But while you are waiting you can start getting ready…

         Here is a PDF of the following info…You may want to print it and start a binder for this project!                                                                                  Click HERE to print SAL Prep

                                                                       

★    Hey Everyone…                                                                                                              

    I am so excited you are going to Stitch-Along with us on this wonderful pattern. This quilt is so much fun and everyone will want it! You now have to decide if you are only going to make one, or more than one! Hopefully, we will be starting on time, but if our fabric is delayed we will have to push it back and start when it is possible!                                       

  I do have an underlying reason for this SAL and that is to raise money for Hogs for Heroes.    

    I hope all of you can help me do this, and we can help change lives for our military veterans. I will be posting more information about this on my blog.                                     

★ HERE ARE A FEW THINGS I THINK WILL BE HELPFUL WHEN MAKING THIS QUILT                                        

   The American Gatherings Fat Quarter fabric bundle. -Each FQ tower of American Gatherings bought at Primitive Gatherings is an automatic $10 donation for Hogs for Heros.                                                  

★    4 or 6 yards of fabric, for sashing, borders, and bindings. I made one quilt with blue and the other one with cream…I will be making several more with the blocks I will be making while doing the tutorials each week. I have two sizes here just in case you want to make your quilt bigger or add matching pillowcases. The four yards is enough to complete the quilt.                                                                                                                              

★    Starch – I strongly suggest you starch your fabrics prior to cutting them. I will be posting a video on How to Starch your fabrics.  Buy Heavy Duty Faultless starch in blue or purple cans, not gold.  You will need about 2 for this project.

★    Threads…My suggestions for threads are any of these three, Aurifil 2309 (cream) 2620            (light/med grey) and 2785 (navy). I personally do not like stitching dark fabrics with light thread…I used the navy for stitching the blue borders on the quilt blocks.                           

★    Small rulers like, 3×7, 6×6, 5×15 Itty Bitty Eights rulers. All of these rulers will be so helpful for cutting these blocks.                                                                                        

★    12½” x 12½’ Creative Grid rulers. This ruler is so helpful in squaring up your finished quilt blocks.                                                                                                                            ★

★    Simple Folded Corner ruler. This tool is awesome…especially if you like perfect blocks.         

★   Optional, but recommended…Single Hole throat plate on your machine. If you have an oblong hole on your machine where the needle goes up and down, you may want to put on a single hole throat plate. These are standard on machines that only stitch straight, but can be purchased for your machine if you do not have one. This prevents the little pieces of fabric from being sucked down into the oblong hole which is standard on machines         

 

I may share other ideas, tips, and thoughts along the way. I will be posting the block each week on here on my Blog along with weekly giveaways, auctions and other fun…do not miss out!            

 Here are all the places to join in-these are links and when clicked will take you there to sign up.

lisabongean.com-you are here…but are you signed up?               

If you are on a computer it is on the right-hand sidebar…if you are on a phone/tablet you will have to scroll to the bottom of this post to sign up…

You-tube channel- Stich with Lisa Bongean

Stitch with Lisa’s Facebook Group.                       

I encourage you to stitch along each week, share your blocks on my Stitch with Lisa’s           Facebook Group, and tag your blocks with #americanquilterssal on Instagram or other social platforms. I know lots of shops will also be hosting this as a Stitch-Along…I am hoping we can get some posts and comments from them as well as showing them all stitching together!                                                                                                           

★   ABBREVIATIONS: I like to use the following abbreviations in the pattern to help from repeating over and over.                                                                                                 

          SFC = Single Folded Corner                                                                                     

         SQ/SQ = Square in a Square                                                                                    

         FG = Flying Geese

         HST = Half Square Triangle                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

★ I will show a couple of different ways to make/stitch the blocks each week. However, you may have a preferred way and you are more than welcome to use your favorite method.           

★Cutting for Blocks: 

In the first week, I will give you the cutting for all the red and cream stripes. You can choose to cut one block each week OR stack and cut ALL of your blocks (20) for the whole quilt the first week.         

 When stacking your fabrics, pay attention to the direction of the stripes. You may want them to run the short way on some prints and/or the long way. This is certainly up to you. (But keep this in mind when you are stacking and cutting your strips.) These strips are also cut longer and will be trimmed down later. I find this much easier with this many strips involved.                                                                                                                        

 ★ Use a scant ¼” seam allowance and test it to make sure you are not too big or too small.                                                                      

 I just found out our FQ bundles will be delayed….there are so many on the order they need a little more time!.   This gives us a little extra time to gather our things and get ready….so no worries, we will start with the first block when the fabric is on it’s way to us from Dallas.   It’s a time of adaptability.  I will redo the 20 bock schedule so we have all the blocks by Memorial Day! Lisa     

Print this for the cover of your binder…there is a PDF  link button below.             

           PDF Cover for American Quilters SAL                                                                                 

That is all for now…I hope you are as excited as I am to get this project started!     

I’ll be in touch….Lisa