‘All about community.’ Town assembles massive quilt to celebrate 350th anniversary
The inspiration for the project goes back 50 years to a quilt made for Southbury's Tercentennial in 1973, which still hangs in Town Hall.
Southbury Town Hall’s meeting room was turned into a workshop Thursday.
“Today we are in assembly mode,” said Kelly Keenan, chair of the Arts and Culture Subcommittee for Southbury’s Economic Development Commission.
Keenan organized the Community Quilty Project in honor of the town’s 350th anniversary.
“We called out for residents to submit quilt squares that celebrated the theme of ‘Home Sweet Home Southbury,’” Keenan explained.
She told News 12 that 56 squares came in, which are now in the hands of volunteers with the Southford Falls Quilters. They’re the ones putting the pieces together of what will become the quilt’s story.
“It's all about community,” said quilter Christy Keefe, who’s lived in Southbury on and off since 1966. “The people are just absolutely fabulous, and there's a real sense of volunteerism in the community.”
The inspiration for the project goes back 50 years to a quilt made for Southbury's Tercentennial in 1973, which still hangs in Town Hall.
“We wanted to kind of have our own take on that by having the community participate this time around, so we have a more varied representation of this very dynamic, colorful community that we all live in,” Keenan said.
Some squares take note of Southbury's rural beauty and history. Others honor the town's support services or share personal experiences.
“All of that is going to be documented in a digital book that's going to accompany the quilt, so you won't only be able to see the quilt, but you'll be able to see the individual squares, who contributed them and the stories behind them,” explained Keenan.
Once finished, the quilt is expected to be 102 inches on each side. It’ll be officially unveiled at the 350th Anniversary Gala. Keenan said the plan is for the quilt to then travel around town, so everyone has an opportunity to see it before being permanently put up at Town Hall.
“It's been very interesting to be involved in it—just to be part of something that somebody is going to look back on and say, ‘Wow, look what they did,’ something that is a legacy for the town,” Keefe told News 12.
To learn more about celebrating Southbury’s history, click here.
