The 250th anniversary of American independence is almost here and many quilters are creating celebratory quilts to mark the occasion. If you've been looking for a patriotic quilting pantograph for such a quilt, "Let Freedom Ring" is for you.
This was designed specifically to celebrate America's special birthday, with lettering that repeats "LET FREEDOM RING" continuously across the quilt top, interspersed with the years “1776-2026.”
A Design with Something to Say
My father served in the Air Force for a total of 50 years before his retirement in 2017: 20 years active duty and 30 years as a civilian. I’m so, so proud to be his daughter. I miss him terribly–we lost him to pancreatic cancer in 2019. He instilled in me a deep love for this country, and I can’t work on anything the slightest bit patriotic without thinking of him.
Whatever your political leanings, may we celebrate freedom and hope for a better tomorrow for generations to come. And what better way to share that than with a quilt?
What Makes This One Different: Extended Width
Most of our patterns are edge to edge designs. That means they are one motif that starts on the left and ends on the right, and then the longarm software repeats it to fill the space of your quilt. You decide how you want the layout, by adjusting the offset or the space between rows. These are the easiest patterns to use and all computerized quilting programs accept them. Edge to edge is often abbreviated with “e2e.”
"Let Freedom Ring" is an extended width pantograph with a default width of 144 inches. That’s very different from an e2e. It’s designed to travel all the way across the quilt and back several times, or at least twice, to create one repeat of the pattern. All extended width patterns that we carry also include files that only quilt left to right, in case your longarm doesn’t like stitching right to left. (Who knew robots could be so finicky?!)
That said, a quick heads-up: not all longarm systems handle extended width files. Depending on your machine or software, you may not be able to use extended width pantographs. They set up like a VERY large block. If your software can use blocks, you can use these too.
It's worth checking your setup before you dive in, but don't let that stop you from trying it. The exact method for setup will depend on your software, but you’ll need to trim the excess pattern before you start stitching. The default width is 144”, made for the largest computerized longarms on the market, but most of the quilts you and I quilt are much, much smaller. So you’ll need to trim the excess.
A Low-Stakes Way to Try Something New
One of the best things about this pattern? It's completely free.
As one of the free pantographs for longarm quilting available through The Quilting Mill, "Let Freedom Ring" gives you a no-pressure way to explore extended width designs. You can test how your machine handles the layout, experiment with trimming, and get a real feel for working with this format. All without spending a dime.
Even if you've never worked with extended width patterns before, this is a genuinely friendly place to start. Another bonus is that this one doesn’t nest at all; the lowest point of the row is perfectly spaced with the highest point of the next row so it’s especially easy to set up.
It's modern and meaningful. For longarm quilters who want something a little different from the usual pantograph, this one stands out.
Grab the Free Download
Ready to try it? You can download the design here:
Let Freedom Ring Free Pantograph Download
After you sign up, you'll get an email with access to the file along with updates related to the design.
I hope you enjoy using “Let Freedom Ring” on your next patriotic quilt. From every mountainside, LET FREEDOM RING!