Dated 2008
2009.024.0001

This exceptional quilt was created by Gail Belmont, Cathy Morris and Marie Aquino for the Quilts of Valor Foundation. Field of Stars is embroidered with inspirational quotations, and machine quilting highlights details of an American flag held in the talons of a bald eagle with stars scattered below. In the outer border, the eagle motif is repeated in each corner, with banners flowing between them.

In addition to acting as an example of the ongoing tradition of expressing patriotic sentiments through quilts, this quilt fills a category of the museum’s contemporary mainstream collection as an example of outstanding long-arm machine quilting.

The Quilts of Valor Foundation was created in 2003 by Catherine Roberts of Seaford, Delaware, who asked volunteers to make wartime quilts of valor to comfort wounded armed service members and to thank them for their sacrifice for their country. To date, the Foundation has delivered over 22,000 quilts to U.S. service people.