Hey, everyone!

What if I told you that your next quilt could help send a United States veteran on the trip of a lifetime? I’ve been dreaming up my latest quilt-along, Betsy, for a while now — quietly squirreling away every red, cream, and blue scrap I could get my hands on from my patriotic fabric lines and beyond. Those of you who know me know that supporting our veterans is always on my mind, so when the opportunity came together to combine that with a quilt-along I have been itching to do, well… talk about a no-brainer! That’s why I’m super excited to say that the wait is over — Betsy is here, and I can hardly wait to get started!

Betsy is a red, white, and blue, scrappy orange peel quilt — a classic design that has been around since the 1800s. This stunning patriotic masterpiece is made up of repeating curved petal shapes that come together to create a gorgeous secondary circular pattern across the entire quilt. Finished, she measures 72″ x 76″.

Like I mentioned, Betsy isn’t just your everyday quilt-along — it’s also a way to give back to our precious veterans, simply by purchasing the pattern and fabric for the project. Not only will you have a gorgeous red, white, and blue quilt to show for it in the end, every printed or downloaded Betsy pattern sold donates $5 to Missions of Honor. And it doesn’t stop there… we’re also adding a $10 donation for every fat quarter tower ofAmerican Gatherings III purchased from Primitive Gatherings! It’s an easy, tangible way to combine your love of quilting with supporting our veterans.

The Betsy quilt-along is designed so that you can either work at your own pace, follow the QAL schedule, or work ahead if you’re feeling ambitious. To give you an idea of what you’ll need to do to finish the quilt by the end of 2026, plan on completing about 63 blocks per month (that’s roughly 15–16 blocks each week). Whether you’re stitching steadily along with us or powering through in bursts, you’ll be amazed at how quickly those little curved petals turn into one heck of a show-stopper.

Looking for a little extra motivation to help keep you on the QAL track? Starting in March and going through December, be sure to share photos of your completed 63 blocks each month in my STITCH with Lisa Bongean Facebook group, and you’ll be entered into a drawing for one of Heidi’s super sweet prize packages. If prizes aren’t your thing, posting your blocks is still a great way to share your progress, celebrate your wins, and watch everyone’s quilts come to life right along with yours!

Speaking of motivation, if you think you might need some help or guidance along the way, Joanne Blank and I have put together a tutorial video packed with guidance and hot tips to keep you stitching with confidence. Just click the STITCH icon below to watch it on my STITCH with Lisa Bongean YouTube channel!

Alright! After all that, I know you MUST be itching to get started on this fabulous quilt-along, so let me tell you how. To make Betsy come together as seamlessly as possible, you’ll obviously want to have all your supplies on hand ahead of time if you can. A complete list of everything you’ll need — from fabric requirements to notions — is available on the official Betsy QAL Information Page, which you can find at lisabongean.com under the “Quilt-Alongs” tab or by clicking the button below.

Ok, stitchers — now that you know all about Little Miss Betsy, it’s time for me to focus on my week to come! With my flight cancelled this morning, I’ve got an unexpected extra day to make sure all my ducks are in a row before I hit the sky and finally head out toward my cruise. That means I’m leaving the rest up to you — gather your supplies, start dreaming up your fabric choices, and get ready to dive in, because when I come back, I want to see some progress! Have a great weekend, everyone. See you soon! ~Lisa