Community Quilts:
A True Waterbury Story
Saturday, March 22 - Mid-April 2008

The Waterbury Community Quilt
In October of 2007 while planning the upcoming exhibition of quilts, Cover Stories: Quilts and Bed Coverings from Regional Collections, the idea of creating a quilt reflecting the communities of Waterbury and the surrounding regions was born. When the exhibit officially opened to the public on January 17, 2008, scrolls containing directions and a simple 6” x 6” piece of fabric were made available to the public. Knowledge and aptitude in the area of quilting was not necessary… any medium could be used.

The first completed square arrived January 30th. Made by Jean Hellyer, the state motto "Qui Transtulit Sustinet" (He Who Transplanted Still Sustains) is illustrated by an embroidered vine bearing fruit, reflecting the story of Jean’s and her husband’s immigration from their native England.

By March 2, 2008, fifty exquisite and unique squares arrived at the museum and the task of making the quilt lay before us. Without trepidation, a remarkable group of volunteers from Baby Love Quilt Project painstakingly breathed life into the dream that began five months earlier. It is their hands that quilted the images of our community together. Our thanks to Edie Bardelli, Susan Fontana, Elizabeth Mainuli, Wanda Ramsey, Gloria Howell, and Vi DeCortin of Baby Loves, and all those whose squares celebrate our Community!

Girl Scout Badge Quilt
Each badge on this quilt represents goals achieved by girls of all ages through the support and guidance of adult volunteers. As a tribute to one such person, this quilt was made to celebrate years of selfless service and the legacy that would continue because one person reached out to many in the true tradition of community.

Girl Scout Anniversary Quilt
In celebration of the 96th Anniversary of Girl Scouts and the union of all local troops to form a regional troop, this quilt was designed to reflect the individual troops and their common goals to community service.

Waterbury Police Force Quilt
What began as a simple square with a department badge, in the skillful hands of Officer Andréa Deyo, became a lasting tribute to each department and officer that has sworn to “Protect and Serve” the community of Waterbury.

Memory Quilt
Throughout time quilts have served to reflect memories and are enduring gifts of love. Girl Scouts, classmates, church members and neighbors came together to create a quilt that celebrates the lives of a family whose day- to- day interactions with the world around them was the embodiment of Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophical belief that “You must be the change you want to see in the world.”

Flags of the United States
Flags and banners have been used as symbols of communities for thousands of years. Their colors and symbols are purposefully selected and carefully constructed. North End Middle School students from Lisa Mason’s eighth grade class working as a community of learners, researched flags of the United States going back to the colonial period. In the tradition of all quilters of the era they studied, the students used the medium that was available to them to create a quilt that combines history, art, and inspiration.

Baby Love Quilt
The Baby Love Quilt Project began as an idea to bring warmth, color and hope to children and families of pre-mature infants at Waterbury and St. Mary’s hospital. Today this community of compassionate quilters reaches out to those in need, making quits and pillow cases for the Hole in the Wall Summer Camp for Children, VMA, Fernwood Rest Home, and others.