WESTFIELD-Piece by piece, local women forged a bond to create a unique quilt that will be raffled off on May 19 – the city’s 350th birthday.
The “Historic Westfield 350th Quilt” was made and donated by women of the Piece Makers Quilt Group and will be displayed at the Westfield Athenaeum in November, Pottery Cellar in December, Pilgrim Candle in January, Pottery Cellar in February, the Westfield Senior Center in March, and Westfield City Hall in April.
A unique quilt will be raffled off next May in conjunction with the Westfield 350th celebration. (Submitted photo)
The women of the group who made the quilt include Sarah Kirst, Helene Gates, Jeanette Fletcher, Marie Tessier, Lana Fitzgerald, Carol Young, Gladys Hedges and Deb Lovejoy.
“The quilt came about when Sarah Kirst was asked last May if she would raise the issue of a fundraiser with the quilt group,” said Mary Hoth, who served on the Westfield 350th board at the time. “Within a couple of weeks they had decided they would like to make a quilt and began the planning of it.”
Hoth added that by January the women had begun the tedious task of embroidery of the squares which required a “considerable amount of talent and patience as they had to create their own transfers of the various buildings, etc.”
The quilt features the dates 1669-2019, Whip City, Pure Food City, black squirrels, the Carillon Tower at Stanley Park, the First Church of Westfield, Fowler Tavern door, the original Noble Hospital, Westfield State Normal School, the Seal of the City of Westfield, the Westfield Athenaeum, a Columbia bicycle, the old Post Office, and a plane to represent Barnes Airport.
Raffle tickets can be purchased at the locations where the quilt will be displayed, as well as at Blended Village Marketplace, Rosewood Home & Gifts, or by sending an email to [email protected].
