An Opportunity
Long, long time ago my husband’s co-worker asked if I would be interested in making a fundraiser tee-shirt quilt. The subject of the quilt was the Special Olympics World’s Largest Convoy. At the time I was already swamped with piles of projects waiting for my attention. Unfortunately I had to take a pass on the opportunity.
Fancy Meeting You Here
Fast forward several months…..while strolling through the aisles of an outdoor art show we just happened to bump into the co-worker. During our interaction I asked her if she had ever successfully completed the tee-shirt quilt. Expecting her to say she had set the project aside, you can imagine my surprise when she announced she was nearing the end and was wanting to drop it off for quilting. I was not at all prepared for that response. Finding time in my schedule would mean I would somehow have to sandwich it in between a laundry list of jobs. Since this very special quilt was destined to be a fundraiser, for a very worthy cause, there was no way I could turn down the chance.
It’s Here
As was promised, the quilt was finished and delivered in fairly short order. No limitations were placed on the stitching or thread colors. With only a very short window of available time, I set aside the project I had planned on starting and loaded this one on instead.
Stitch Patterns
I used a variety of stitches on the quilt. Among them were my all-time favorites: bubbles, swirls, and square meandering. The border was black, grey and white filled with overlapping circles. Using black thread I filled the border with loads of bubbles. The tee-shirts were quilted with a square geometric meander. Each section was quilted with a matching thread. Changing thread color every time the blocks changed color added a lot of time but the end result made it all worth it.
After applying the last stitch I stepped back to take a look. Not to toot my own horn, but I was so amazed at how awesome it looked. After removing the quilt and carefully laying it on a flat surface I grabbed my camera to document the finished project.
Day of Delivery
My husband had the pleasure of delivering the quilt. I would have loved to accompany him and share in the experience but my schedule wouldn’t allow it.
According to my husband, my customer’s first reaction was to hold back a flood of tears. She was overwhelmingly pleased with the outcome. Every ounce of effort I had poured into that quilt was rewarded ten-fold by her reaction.
The Special Olympics World’s Largest Convoy quilt was eventually put on display and sold at the fundraiser auction for $500. I received recognition for quilting the project in the event brochure.
Take a look…..

Vital Statistics:
- Size – 57″ x 88 1/4″
- Hours Spent Quilting – 8.5
- # of Stitches Applied – 170,704
- Thread Colors Used – Too numerous to mention.
- Special Note – The only fee charged for this project was my customary fee for batting. The fee for applying the quilting stitches was ZERO.
Cindy Anderson of In A Stitch Quilting
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