‘Flags of Thanks’ is a national collaborative art project led by Alabaré, as part of the 2019 Armed Forces Day celebrations hosted by Salisbury. The Quilters’ Guild would like to support Alabaré in inviting our quilting community to join in with this mass act of thankfulness.

The nation are being asked to create customised flags that reflect the gratitude and support for the Armed Forces Community, from those currently serving, to veterans and cadets. The flags will then be displayed in a public exhibition during the event in June, in the City’s oldest Church, St Thomas’.

Afterwards, the general public will be able to sponsor having a flag made into something meaningful or useful, such as a sleeping bag or quilt. These will be gifted to residents of Alabare’s Homes for Veterans, who have previously been homeless, as a gesture of support and community. Lt. Col. Neil Stace, also known as the Sewing Soldier, will be spearheading the project, running workshops and transforming the flags into quilts, sleeping bags and ponchos.

Making your flags

Anyone can make a flag, from the experienced quilter and sewer to the creative novice who can use a pair of scissors and glue. The fabric flags can be either patchwork, appliqued, embroidered, drawn or painted with washable fabric ink or any combination of the above. Designs are to be military themed or literal messages of thankfulness.

It would be really lovely if you included a note as to who your flag is from and where, and any message you would like to share. To ensure that Alabaré are able to include as many flags as possible, please make sure your flag has arrived by 10th June 2019.

Please share your work with the rest of our community by posting your creations on social media using the hashtags #flagsofthanks and #imintheguild.

For full details of how to participate in this wonderful wave of thanks, visit the Flags of Thanks website, here.