Heather Cox Richardson
Source https://exeter.edu/people/heather-cox-richardson/
Who is Heather Cox Richardson and why are we making her a hero quilt?!
Born in Chicago (a hotspot this week for births!), raised in Maine and educated at Harvard, Professor Heather Cox Richardson has been faithfully, fairly and honestly documenting the history that we are living through for over five years in her daily “Letters from an American,” which can be found on Facebook or Substack.
Her area of expertise is American History, with particular interest in the Post Civil War period, and a broad understanding of our entire American Story. She has authored seven books about history, politics and democracy, and teaches history at Boston College.
Many of us follow her daily letters (you can subscribe to these for free) and weekly Youtube/podcast question and answer sessions, where she offers explanations, perspectives and background to aspects of politics and history. Those answers aren’t always reassuring or positive, but understanding itself is empowering.
And that is her gift to us.
Heather lives in Maine and enjoys kayaking in her rare free time, so our gift to her is a quilt of kayaks. She has been a guiding light and a safe harbor in these stormy seas.
(If you want to know more, you can find her newsletters and politics chats on Facebook, Substack, YouTube and Blue Sky.)
Thanks to Ricki Selva for providing the above information, crossed kayak quilt block pattern, and block tutorials.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heather_Cox_Richardson
https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/
https://www.youtube.com/@heathercoxrichardson
Details and links for Crossed Kayak quilt block and how to participate
Image of completed quilt block:
Block details and instruction:
***Fabric and color selection: please use all of the colors of the sea, from deep ultramarine to pale seafoam, blues and blue-greens. Think batiks, tone on tones with very subtle designs, even solids are ok. Make sure to pre-wash all fabric. Thank you for doing this.
This pattern is for paper foundation piecing, but a skilled quilter with an avesion to paper piecing could certainly use the pattern to create templates with plastic or freezer paper. It is a simple pattern, as there are only 4 pieces! If you make more than one block, don't sew them together. When paper piecing, remember to shorten your stitch length a bit, and please remove the paper before you send the block(s) to me.
The finished block including 1/4" seam allowances should measure 5.5" square.
The cutting guideline makes patches that are generous, specifically for foundation piecing. Those pre-cuts should not be used without the foundation paper pattern.
Use this link to print out the pattern and make sure the block measurement within the dotted lines are 5.5 inches square. Make sure your computer is set to print at a scale of 100%.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mO5dd7PIjtyDGoMzzPh7WKpKz9CQoQ5o/Quick Cutting Guide:
Stack four 7" squares, two dark blue and two light blue.
This will give you all the patches you need to make the four quadrants of this block, as seen in the cutting video below..
(This is a good
use for spare 10" squares.)
Here is the video for instructions on sewing the kayak block using a paper foundation:
Due date and mailing instructions:
***Due date is June 9, 2025. When you have completed your block(s), make sure you've removed the paper and please give them or mail them to Donna DeSoto at 4916 Gadsen Drive, Fairfax VA 22032.
PLEASE NOTE: We now have enough blocks to complete a quilt for Heather, and we also have made and collected enough blocks to make Rachel Maddow's quilt. Please don't make any more kayak blocks.
Next up: Dr. Fauci, then Bruce Springsteen. Stay tuned for details!
If you would like to send a note of support or thanks to Heather or to Rachel Maddow, we plan on bundling and sending them with with the quilts.
Questions:
Email me at desotomailbox@cox.net
Thank you for your help! Together we can make magic. And we can make a difference.