When Pocahontas County High School band director Ryan Ullman found himself staring at a surplus of 100 band uniforms two years ago, he began to brainstorm fundraising options with his wife and assistant director, Danielle.

ﾓMy first thought was to sell them,ﾔ he said. ﾓThere are websites out there that bands can buy from, but what are the chances there is another school that is maroon and gold and has a Warrior as the mascot? Then we thought about what else we could do, and my wife and I decided to make a quilt.ﾔ

After receiving permission from the board of education to create a quilt out of the uniforms, Ullman was on the search for a quilter, and what better place to look than in the family?

ﾓMy grandmother [Jolinda Pollack] quilts a lot and sheﾒs the first person I went to,ﾔ he explained. ﾓShe cut pieces out and started doing it and then she got too busy. Sheﾒs a volunteer and active in her church, so she asked if we could find someone else to do it.ﾔ

Ullman went to his mother-in-law, another quilter, and she took on the project.

ﾓFinally, this summer we got things going on it and got it finished,ﾔ he said. ﾓItﾒs been about two-and-a-half years in the making.ﾔ

The queen-sized quilt only took 10 to 11 uniforms to make, so there are options for future projects, big and small.

ﾓA quilt is an endeavor, it took a long time, so one thing weﾒve talked about is we might do something smaller like a throw, wall hanging, or throw pillows,ﾔ Ullman said. ﾓWeﾒve talked about doing some of those in the future because we still have 80-to-90 uniforms left that we didnﾒt even touch. We used every part of the uniform ﾖ the pant leg stripe, the shoulders, everything that was there.ﾔ

Ullman said the quilt, while made from band uniforms, will be a great keepsake for any Warrior fan or alum.

ﾓThe nice thing about it is, it really doesnﾒt say anything about band specifically,ﾔ he said. ﾓIt would be nice for anyone. Anyone from the community could enjoy it because it really is a nice, one-of-a-kind piece.ﾔ

The uniforms used to make the quilt were purchased new in 1993 and were retired around 2005 when the band fundraised for new uniforms.

To break up the monotony of maroon and gold, Ullman said his mother-in-law used fabric with complementary colors to add to the beauty of the quilt.

ﾓWe got some filler material so it wasnﾒt just ketchup and mustard, or maroon and gold,ﾔ he joked. ﾓIf it was just the band uniform, it might come out a little tacky, but the way she did it, with tying in a couple more colors, it looks really nice. I think she did an excellent job with it.ﾔ

Tickets for the quilt are available through band members or Ullman. The fundraiser ends December 9, although tickets will also be available at the bandﾒs Christmas concert at PCHS December 12 at 7 p.m.

The winner will be announced during the concert.