Quilters remember September 11, 2001

At 8:56 am on September 11, 2001, the first plane struck the World Trade Center.  In response to 9-11, many quilters expressed their sorrow, compassion and love, in words and in cloth. We feel privileged to be able to share some inspired works with you.

9-11 Quilt, by Jennifer Myers, at Art Quilts by Jen

"The background for this quilt was designed and completed about a year before 9/11 happened. It sat on my design wall all of that time because I didn't know how to finish it. Then when 9/11 happened, it finished itself. The twin towers are hand beaded with hundreds of tiny beads. The blue streaks represent the blue lights that shone in the New York sky following the disaster, and the windows and doors at the bottom of the quilt represent the debris." ~Jennifer Myers

New Tears, by Kim Ritter, at Kim Ritter.com

"Tears that burst from my eyes were unlike any I had ever shed before - sad, angry, jagged, unbelieving." ~Kim Ritter (published in America from the Heart)

Twin Towers Quilt and Pattern, by BJ Reed, at Piecemaking, LLC

"The three dimensional design represents the Twin Towers in New York City and, on reflection, how our lives in the USA will forever be changed." ~BJ Reed

Waves 1, by Beth Carney, at Beth Carney Studio

"I looked out my window and saw the candles flickering as flags waved in the wind. Our colors were standing strong and proud. Wave after wave." ~Beth Ann Carney (for the full quotation, see America from the Heart)

River of Tears, by Helen Simon, at Helen's Harvest

"This quilt, published in America from the Heart, expresses my anguish and hope for America." ~Helen Simon

Editor's note: The book America from the Heart is a powerful tribute to September 11. All of the quilts were made in the five short weeks following the tragedy.

Lady Liberty, by Gretchen Crozier, based on the design by Linda Hibbert at Silver Linings Originals

Some of the most enduring images of 9-11 were those of the Statue of Liberty, holding her torch high, amidst the smoke and destruction. The pattern is available at Silver Linings Originals.

Flight 93 Memorial Quilt, by 911 Memorial Quilts, including detail of the Flight 93 block

"Days after September 11, 2001, Jeannie Ammermann founded America’s 9-11 Memorial Quilts Organization. Jeannie began her quest with a few people who believed in her mission, and today, more than 500 volunteers across America have joined in this thread-of-life memorial. It is our hope to memorialize those we lost in a compassionate and uplifting way, with great respect, dignity and honor, to heal hearts and preserve memories for years to come. ~Teri Jahn

Ground Zero Quilt, by Lois Jarvis, at Lois Jarvis Quilts

"I hope (the quilt) will show the viewer that the individual people on this quilt, the happy smiling people at work and at play, the brides and grooms, the fathers and mothers, the young so full of promise and the old with so much still to offer, who all perished that day, are the important things to remember." ~ Lois Jarvis

Editor's note: The Ground Zero Quilt has been viewed by over 2,000,000 visitors through Lois Jarvis' website, and installed at 90 group and solo exhibitions nationwide. For more information, visit the Ground Zero Quilt website.

Image credits: Images are shown with the generous permission of the artists.  We first posted these quilts on September 10, 2010.