| In 2017, the tiny town of Chatham, NH, celebrates its 250th anniversary. The town, 300 residents strong, will be celebrating with special events all through the year. In the spirit of that celebration, I'll be sharing my own small contribution to Chatham history over the next few weeks. |  |
Chatham has been my home only since 2005, which makes me definitely "from away." Actually, if I lived here another 50 years, I'd still be "from away." Such is life in rural northern New England. All the same, I feel a deep connection to my adopted community, and particularly to its lovely little church.
The church, built in 1871, houses a massive bell made by the Paul Revere firm in Boston. Weighing nearly 900 pounds, it's one of the largest cast by Revere. The bell traveled by ship from Boston to Portsmouth, New Hampshire. From there, it was hauled overland by 6 yoke of oxen in the dead of winter. That's 12 burly beasts!
Over the past several years, I've made a suite of small quilts to serve as pulpit hangings for the church. Creating these banners has been some of the most absorbing and soul-satisfying work of my quilting journey. As I handled the fabrics and meditated on the meaning of each liturgical season, the designs seemed to reveal themselves.
Each quilt also honors the memory of one of the church's departed elders. I hope that through my little quilts, the memory of these fine individuals will live on in Chatham history.
To celebrate Chatham's anniversary, I'll be sharing these original designs, and making the patterns available in the Thimble Garden Craftsy shop.
The church, built in 1871, houses a massive bell made by the Paul Revere firm in Boston. Weighing nearly 900 pounds, it's one of the largest cast by Revere. The bell traveled by ship from Boston to Portsmouth, New Hampshire. From there, it was hauled overland by 6 yoke of oxen in the dead of winter. That's 12 burly beasts!
Over the past several years, I've made a suite of small quilts to serve as pulpit hangings for the church. Creating these banners has been some of the most absorbing and soul-satisfying work of my quilting journey. As I handled the fabrics and meditated on the meaning of each liturgical season, the designs seemed to reveal themselves.
Each quilt also honors the memory of one of the church's departed elders. I hope that through my little quilts, the memory of these fine individuals will live on in Chatham history.
To celebrate Chatham's anniversary, I'll be sharing these original designs, and making the patterns available in the Thimble Garden Craftsy shop.
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