Quilting Group

Stitches Together Strands Of History

By Andrew Gorosko

It took more than 700 hours to fabricate, but the time spent was well worth the effort, according to Sew Together Gals.

That even, steady, repetitive effort produced a finely detailed, 90-by-90-inch quilt known as “Town Square Quilt,” which the sewing group presented last week to the Newtown Historical Society.

The sewing group annually produces a hand-quilted piece that it donates to a local civic group. The civic group then uses the quilt as the centerpiece of a raffle conducted as a fundraiser.

This year Sew Together Gals decided to donate a quilt to the Newtown Historical Society.

The historical society will be selling raffle tickets for the quilt and other raffle items from December 7 to March 28. The quilt has an estimated value of $2,000.

Raffle tickets are $5. Other items to be raffled off include an antique gilt-framed mirror, a signed print of Newtown General Store, a signed print of the Main Street flagpole, and a selection of Newtown books.

The raffle drawing will be held at the society’s antique show on March 28 at Reed Intermediate School.

Sew Together Gals started the queen-size Town Square Quilt last January, finishing it this month. The quilt depicts seven buildings. Decorative elements of the quilt include embroidered flowers, vines, trees, birds, cats, and other objects.

During its fabrication, more than 1,000 feet of thread was consumed by the quiltmaking. The front and reverse sides of the quilt are 100 percent cotton. The batting is nonallergenic polyester.

Town Square Quilt is the fourth quilt made by Sew Together Gals. The group formed in 2005.

The three quilts that the group has created for other civic groups raised about $4,000 through fundraising projects, according to Sew Together Gals.

The group decided to donate a quilt to the historical society because it does positive work in keeping the town’s history alive.

“We sincerely hope that raffling the Town Square Quilt will go a long way toward raising money to help the society with its good work,” according to Sew Together Gals.

Those who worked to produce the quilt were: Fran Ashbolt, Emily Ashbolt, Lori Jacques, Peg Jacques, Marian Wood, Betty Doty, and Susan Shaw.

The quilting group presented the quilt to the society on November 21 at Stockwell Bates LLC, an accounting firm at 30 Church Hill Road.