Fitzwilliam, NH Library Quilt 
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The Fitzwilliam Library Quilt hangs on a large wall in the Library's new addition. The quilt is LARGE (12' on each side). Each block was done by a different person and depicts a familiar scene from the community. I was honored to have been a part of this wonderful project.

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(Click on the thumbnail images to see a larger picture)
MARKING THE QUILT This is a picture of the quilt laid out on the floor prior to quilting. I marked the parallel lines in the border for each block as well as the design of the feather pattern that surrounds the entire quilt. Given the size of the quilt (roughly 12' on each side) it was MUCH easier to do this BEFORE I put it on the machine!
MARKING THE QUILT

This is a picture of the quilt laid out on the floor prior to quilting. I marked the parallel lines in the border for each block as well as the design of the feather pattern that surrounds the entire quilt.

Given the size of the quilt (roughly 12' on each side) it was MUCH easier to do this BEFORE I put it on the machine!


FINISHED! I used 20 different colors of thread and it took about 50 hours to complete the quilting. Each block was custom quilted based on the subject involved.
FINISHED!

I used 20 different colors of thread and it took about 50 hours to complete the quilting. Each block was custom quilted based on the subject involved.


QUILT IN NEW HOME
QUILT IN NEW HOME

OPEN HOUSE January 20, 2007
OPEN HOUSE
January 20, 2007

NEWSPAPER ARTICLE A very nice article plus pictures appeared on the front page of the Monadnock Home Companion (02/02/07). A similar article also appeared in the Keene Sentinel (Sunday, 02/04/07, page A-2).
NEWSPAPER ARTICLE

A very nice article plus pictures appeared on the front page of the Monadnock Home Companion (02/02/07). A similar article also appeared in the Keene Sentinel (Sunday, 02/04/07, page A-2).


FITZWILLIAM TOWN LIBRARY Jan Ray-Thompson Jan provided the original inspiration for the whole quilt project as well as organizing the huge undertaking and seeing it through to completion. She used her pleater to make the pleated fabric for the clapboards of the building, and novelty fabric for the brick walk and bushes.
FITZWILLIAM TOWN LIBRARY

Jan Ray-Thompson

Jan provided the original inspiration for the whole quilt project as well as organizing the huge undertaking and seeing it through to completion. She used her pleater to make the pleated fabric for the clapboards of the building, and novelty fabric for the brick walk and bushes.


BLAKE HOUSE Theresa Sillanpaa Theresa works countless hours at the Historical Society, which makes its home in the Blake House, so it seemed important to her to make a block reflecting that part of the Town's heritage. She has always loved history and the house. This block shows the Blake House's
BLAKE HOUSE

Theresa Sillanpaa

Theresa works countless hours at the Historical Society, which makes its home in the Blake House, so it seemed important to her to make a block reflecting that part of the Town's heritage. She has always loved history and the house. This block shows the Blake House's "old" kitchen. She says she had an awful time getting it just right, and indeed she took it apart and redid it four times to get it so that it looked the way she wanted it to.


LIBRARY BOOK GROUP Sandie DeNault Sandie says that the Library means a lot to her, and the Book Group in particular is one of her favorite things, so she wanted to remember it in this block. Each person in the block is a particular individual and long-term member of the group. The spirits of Beth and Jean Auperin are in the white filmy material near the flag. How many people can you identify?
LIBRARY BOOK GROUP

Sandie DeNault

Sandie says that the Library means a lot to her, and the Book Group in particular is one of her favorite things, so she wanted to remember it in this block. Each person in the block is a particular individual and long-term member of the group. The spirits of Beth and Jean Auperin are in the white filmy material near the flag. How many people can you identify?


FITZWILLIAM COMMON Vicki Mercier Vicki chose to do the Fitzwilliam Common because as a little girl her parents would drive the kids through Fitzwilliam to see how beautiful the town and the common were. It was because of this that she and her husband settled in Fitzwilliam. The block was fun to make and brought back many memories for her.
FITZWILLIAM COMMON

Vicki Mercier

Vicki chose to do the Fitzwilliam Common because as a little girl her parents would drive the kids through Fitzwilliam to see how beautiful the town and the common were. It was because of this that she and her husband settled in Fitzwilliam. The block was fun to make and brought back many memories for her.


DAMON MILL & FARM Harriet Ries and Beverly Damon Harriet wanted to do a block showing the Damon Mill and Farm to ensure that the State Line area of Fitzwilliam was remembered. Her great-grandfather, who established both businesses, was one of the original settlers of the town, and the farm and mill have long been town institutions, as well as having an important place in her earliest memories. It was made out of fabrics that she had on hand, and designed and assembled from memory.
DAMON MILL & FARM

Harriet Ries and Beverly Damon

Harriet wanted to do a block showing the Damon Mill and Farm to ensure that the State Line area of Fitzwilliam was remembered. Her great-grandfather, who established both businesses, was one of the original settlers of the town, and the farm and mill have long been town institutions, as well as having an important place in her earliest memories. It was made out of fabrics that she had on hand, and designed and assembled from memory.


FITZWILLIAM DEPOT Dee Raitto Dee chose a theme for her block that brought back memories for her, as she used to frequently ride the train from Boston to Fitzwilliam to spend weekends here while she was dating Russell. She notes that while passenger service stopped in 1958, the trains were an important part of Fitzwilliam's history from their beginnings here in the mid 19th century. They made the town successful in many ways, not least being the summer visitors they brought to the town from Boston to fill Fitzwilliam's inns and hotels. She remembers standing by this station to watch the last freight cars pass by. With special permission, the Budweiser Company in Merrimack was able to transport their large stainless steel tanks on open flat cars. The tanks just barely cleared the buildings, a sight she will never forget. She took three months on and off to finish her square and enjoyed doing it as she likes handwork.
FITZWILLIAM DEPOT

Dee Raitto

Dee chose a theme for her block that brought back memories for her, as she used to frequently ride the train from Boston to Fitzwilliam to spend weekends here while she was dating Russell. She notes that while passenger service stopped in 1958, the trains were an important part of Fitzwilliam's history from their beginnings here in the mid 19th century. They made the town successful in many ways, not least being the summer visitors they brought to the town from Boston to fill Fitzwilliam's inns and hotels.

She remembers standing by this station to watch the last freight cars pass by. With special permission, the Budweiser Company in Merrimack was able to transport their large stainless steel tanks on open flat cars. The tanks just barely cleared the buildings, a sight she will never forget.

She took three months on and off to finish her square and enjoyed doing it as she likes handwork.


GAP MOUNTAIN Robin Haynes Robin grew up climbing Gap Mountain and she has climbed it with all of her nephews and nieces to start with, and then with her own children. The French knots on the top of the mountain represent each of the members of her family that she has shared this deeply meaningful experience with. Gap Mountain is really important to her because of the solitude and tranquility she finds there.
GAP MOUNTAIN

Robin Haynes

Robin grew up climbing Gap Mountain and she has climbed it with all of her nephews and nieces to start with, and then with her own children. The French knots on the top of the mountain represent each of the members of her family that she has shared this deeply meaningful experience with. Gap Mountain is really important to her because of the solitude and tranquility she finds there.


GRETCHEN & DON'S FARM Gretchen Wittenborg The Farm has been a much-loved landmark of the town, and Gretchen has memorialized Isabelle, the llama often seen on walks around the common, as well as a sheep, of which the farm boasted many. The fabrics are bits that were on hand, and echo the architectural features of the place very well.
GRETCHEN & DON'S FARM

Gretchen Wittenborg

The Farm has been a much-loved landmark of the town, and Gretchen has memorialized Isabelle, the llama often seen on walks around the common, as well as a sheep, of which the farm boasted many. The fabrics are bits that were on hand, and echo the architectural features of the place very well.


FITZWILLIAM INN Vicki Mercier Vicki volunteered to make a second block for the quilt and was asked to choose between the Fitzwilliam Inn and Emerson School. She chose the Inn because of its historical presence in the community. The block was fun and she enjoyed working on the details of the Inn. There was a real challenge in completing all of the little details, but in the end she was pleased with the block.
FITZWILLIAM INN

Vicki Mercier

Vicki volunteered to make a second block for the quilt and was asked to choose between the Fitzwilliam Inn and Emerson School. She chose the Inn because of its historical presence in the community. The block was fun and she enjoyed working on the details of the Inn. There was a real challenge in completing all of the little details, but in the end she was pleased with the block.


LIBRARY KNITTING GROUP Kitty Doty Kitty chose to remember the Library Knitting Group in her block, because that is one of her favorite associations with the Library. She wanted to make sure that all ages of knitters were represented. The picture on the wall is made of a small sampler made in an embroidery class. She enjoyed finding a use for it! There are a number of needlework techniques represented, including knitting, patchwork, stumpwork and embroidery of many different kinds.
LIBRARY KNITTING GROUP

Kitty Doty

Kitty chose to remember the Library Knitting Group in her block, because that is one of her favorite associations with the Library. She wanted to make sure that all ages of knitters were represented. The picture on the wall is made of a small sampler made in an embroidery class. She enjoyed finding a use for it! There are a number of needlework techniques represented, including knitting, patchwork, stumpwork and embroidery of many different kinds.


LAUREL LAKE Shelley Earley Shelley's block shows the scene she sees every day. When she first heard about the quilt project, she wanted to make sure that the lake view was a part of the project. She made sure to include all the things that are part of the experience at Laurel Lake– the sentinel pine tree, loons, turtles, the iris, the big rocks, the laurel bushes around the lake, the ripples on the water and the constant wind and movement. She used a number of different techniques, including using buttons for the loons and turtles, silk ribbon embroidery for the laurel and iris and novelty fabric for the geese.
LAUREL LAKE

Shelley Earley

Shelley's block shows the scene she sees every day. When she first heard about the quilt project, she wanted to make sure that the lake view was a part of the project. She made sure to include all the things that are part of the experience at Laurel Lake– the sentinel pine tree, loons, turtles, the iris, the big rocks, the laurel bushes around the lake, the ripples on the water and the constant wind and movement. She used a number of different techniques, including using buttons for the loons and turtles, silk ribbon embroidery for the laurel and iris and novelty fabric for the geese.


PATCH COTTAGE Ann Nunn Ann wanted to do a block featuring the Patch Cottage, because it is such a neat historical place. She feels that it embodies all of the things people come to Fitzwilliam to see.
PATCH COTTAGE

Ann Nunn

Ann wanted to do a block featuring the Patch Cottage, because it is such a neat historical place. She feels that it embodies all of the things people come to Fitzwilliam to see.


RED BIRD OF HAPPINESS Sandie DeNault Sandie volunteered to make a second block so that this project could finally get finished. She decided to make a block showing how reading (books from the Library, of course!) makes her feel. The cozy atmosphere is one many of us can identify with when we sit down with our favorite books.
RED BIRD OF HAPPINESS

Sandie DeNault

Sandie volunteered to make a second block so that this project could finally get finished. She decided to make a block showing how reading (books from the Library, of course!) makes her feel. The cozy atmosphere is one many of us can identify with when we sit down with our favorite books.


       
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