Those of us who are crafters understand that any worthwhile project takes time. I don't quilt, but I crochet. Crocheters and knitters start out with a hook or needles and a skein or ball of yarn (or several), and end up with a blanket, or a sweater, or a pair of socks. As you begin, the task seems daunting, and you wonder if you'll ever finish or if you should just chuck everything into a box and go do something actually useful, or at least clean out a closet or something. But then, as the project grows by rows or squares, you start to see progress, and at the end you look at your finished product, whether it's for yourself or a special someone, and realize that all the work was worth it in the end.

I'm sure it's the same for quilters, like Sara, her sister Ann, and many others; they start with a pile of fabric and a pair of scissors, and gradually, as they cut and fit the pieces like a puzzle, what looks like stuff for the trash to most people becomes a work of art.

Jack Conway is running for Senate from the state of Kentucky. Not only is he running to replace the retiring Jim Bunning, he is running against Rand Paul, a man who has severe problems with the Civil Rights Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act as they apply to his friends in the business community. And as one who has a mother-in-law whose disability bridges the era before and after the ADA, this one's personal, folks.

Rebuilding Congress has a lot in common with all crafts; it's not going to happen overnight, and it takes a lot of hard work. And, just like you need money to buy yarn or fabric, you also need money to elect candidates. And thanks to the generosity of Sara R., you can not only have the opportunity to know that you contributed to changing this seat from Republican to Democrat, but also the opportunity to receive the above pictured quilt!

As Sara wrote in her diary:

Back in 2006, at the very first Yearly Kos convention (now known as Netroots Nation), we had a quilt available for signing – something that has since become a tradition and a symbol of progressive blogger community. That quilt is “From Red to Blue”, a roman stripe patterned quilt designed by Aunt Arctic, pieced by Aunt Arctic, my sister and me, and hand quilted by me. This quilt really is an artifact of that first convention – and it contains some fabulous signatures. Here they are, listed by block number: 1-1 Shirley Koegel

1-2 fabooj

1-3 Rain

1-4 Pastor Dan

1-5 Yerritt Blom

1-6 Mary Blom

1-7 Brian and Jane Elliot

1-8 Quicksilver

1-9 Francie Goodrich

1-10 Toni R. Ramiz

2-1 Joe Trippi

2-2 Sobermom

2-3 democracylover

2-4 Malacandra

2-5 Timothy D. Smith

2-6 Danielle Coppola-Smith

2-7 Kate Daniels

2-8 Adam Conner

2-9 Hunter

3-1 Christina Stallard

3-2 Arianna Huffington

3-3 Frisco

3-4 Scott Harrid

3-5 Atrios

3-6 Mariva

3-7 Eddie C.

3-8 Colleen

3-9 Liz Noteware

3-10 Murray Waass

4-1 Lo Owens

4-2 Anne Schu

4-3 Warren Lathe

4-4 Mrs. Pastor

4-5 Chunyang

4-6 Mark in San Fran

4-7 Bridgitt Funk

4-8 Chinton Wheeler

4-9 Ann Reed

5-1 China Parmalee & Elizabeth Compa

5-2 Ambassador Joe Wilson

5-3 Emptywheel

5-4 Twin Planets

5-5 Sharon Mahoney

5-6 Pachacutec

5-7 Gov. Mark Warner

5-8 Jerome a Paris

5-9 Barb Morrill

5-10 Rick Boston

6-1 Fred Koegel

6-2 Robert Greenwald

6-3 Shermanesqe

6-4 Jessica C. Clark

6-5 raginggurrl

6-6 Bonddad

6-7 George Lakoff

6-8 K.J. Lakoff

6-9 Linda Mercer and the Boise Peace Quilt Project

7-1 Howard Carlin

7-2 Ducktape

7-3 Jerome Armstrong

7-4 Ellen Harten

7-5 bendygirl

7-6 Susan S.

7-7 Ilona Meagher

7-8 Sam Seder

7-9 Alinda Lord

7-10 Pucklady

8-1 hono lulu

8-2 Maryscott O'Connor

8-3 Martianchronic

8-4 Eric Wagner

8-5 Ninth Elegy

8-6 Jim Edwards Hewitt

8-7 Nolan Treadway

8-8 Sarah R. Carter

8-9 Aunt Arctic

9-1 Christina S. O'Connell

9-2 Uncle Jack

9-3 Pamela Nelson

9-4 Raines Cohen

9-5 David Perry

9-6 Bonnie Hannifin

9-7 Ke (Kay?) Tibbetts

9-8 Derth Adams

9-9 paxpdx

9-10 Elizabeth Carter

10-1 hyperbolic pants explosion

10-2 Martha Tune

10-3 Andy Ternay

10-4 Chicago Dyke

10-5 Tracy Joan

10-6 Rep. Brad Miller

10-7 David Sirota

10-8 Milo Elliot and Rosemary Elliot

10-9 Jack Carter

11-1 Jeanne Vollmer

11-2 Vigilant Meerkat

11-3 Daniel Senning

11-4 M&M Gal

11-5 Jeffrey Feldman

11-6 Redd Hedd

11-7 Juliette Moore

11-8 Quotefiend

11-9 Brett Spivey

11-10 Glen Greenwald

12-1 Jesterfox

12-2 Momster

12-3 Diane Palmer

12-4 San Diego Dem

12-5 Londonyank

12-6 Rochelle Athey

12-7 mik

12-8 Nicole Sawaya

12-9 Skwimmer

13-1 Barbara B

13-2 CD Moondancer

13-3 Stephen Darksyde

13-4 Maribeth McIntyre

13-5 Baratunde

13-6 World Wide Ellen

13-7 Lisa Schiff

13-8 Brillig

13-9 Mary Ratcliff

13-10 Dante Atkins

14-1 Linda Lee

14-2 YKos volunteers

14-3 Pat Schwieterman

14-4 Frederick Rhine

14-5 Eric Boehlert

14-6 mc joan

14-7 Elizabeth D.

14-8 Evie Zeidman

14-9 virgomusic

15-1 Chris Bowers

15-2 Chris Kenngo

15-3 Greg Felice

15-4 Kos

15-5 Michael Schiavo

15-6 Terry Boggs-Moura

15-7 Mark R. Brown

15-8 Major Danby

15-9 David Keeler

15-10 teacherken

16-1 Kael Alford

16-2 Lucky Ducky

16-3 Diane Purcell

16-4 Maxomai

16-5 James W. Hill

16-6 Lakshmi Chaudry

16-7 Senator Harry Reid

16-8 Dan Abbott

16-9 Alex Vrevick-Ackelsberg

17-1 Kid Oakland

17-2 American River Canyon

17-3 Shockwave

17-4 DiAnne Gieser

17-5 Deborah Brown

17-6 Rick Hegdahl

17-7 Vince Vitale

17-8 "42"

17-9 Zack Brown and Anna Hentzel

17-10 Lil Bird

18-1 Scarecrow

18-2 Gina Cooper

18-3 Laura Fitzpatrick

18-4 David Atkins

18-5 Jamie Vollmer

18-6 Tim Waters

18-7 Ann Rose

18-8 Nancy Skinner

18-9 Outlandish Josh

19-1 Katie Halper

19-2 David T. Harris

19-3 Jamie Ekatomatis

19-4 Claude Hayward

19-5 Robyn D. McMillin

19-6 Jeanne & George Kalogrides

19-7 Mari Higgins

19-8 General Wesley Clark

19-9 John Laesch

19-10 Sari Joseph

Many of those names are still with us; others have gone on to bigger and better things.(Unfortunately, my name is nowhere on the quilt; like Dick Cheney in the Vietnam War, I had "other priorities", but unlike Cheney's priorities I think celebrating my spouse's 50th birthday took precedence even over progressive politics.)

From now until September 15, every day you donate $10 (or more) to this Act Blue page, you will receive a chance to win the quilt – one donation per day will be counted. OR, if you prefer not to donate, you can enter by writing an essay of 50 words or less on this subject: "What Jack Conway’s Run For the U.S. Senate Means to Me” -- and send it to communityquilts (at) yahoo.com. If we find your essay to be topical, we will give you an entry in the drawing, one essay per person per day. The drawing will take place the last day in September.

Please consider helping out in this grand project and taking the opportunity to receive a piece of art that is also practical as well!