The winning quilt

2026-02-21 - 14:14

And the winner of the raffle prize made and donated by the Wednesday Quilt Class at the Methuen Senior Center is...yes, I won it. I could not have been happier. It’s a beautiful geometric piece, composed of summery-colored squares and triangles laid on the diagonal. I immediately went to the class, coincidentally in session, to express my excited thanks. As host of a monthly discussion program at Methuen Community Studios entitled Following Your Muse, I invited the ladies of the class to come on my show to discuss the quilt. Instructor Cyndi Ferguson did. What a thrill. My prize quilt graced my bed for several months when I thought: what if I were to design my own quilt to celebrate metal art that my late father, Abraham, had made? And what if I were to incorporate images of watercolors I painted to pay homage to Dad’s art, as well — the very reason I’m in painting class at the Senior Center. For decades I’ve used design and drafting software at work. Being fond of Persian carpets, I utilized my computer skills to lay out boxes within a Tabriz garden-pattern rug to highlight photos of my and Dad’s art. Though still in preliminary format, my design needed someone to make the quilt. Cyndi had too many others scheduled, so I asked a personal friend. Pat’s the artistic, multi-talented re-upholsterer of my dining room chairs. She said my design would be too challenging. What to do? Around that time, another of my friends, Caroline, invited me to her women’s a cappella group’s concert at the Morse Institute Library in Natick, which simultaneously and unbeknownst to me was hosting the County Line Quilt Group Fiber Exhibit. I sat in the function room, transfixed by the cheerful music and the numerous lovely sewn pieces surrounding me. I had heard of the New England Quilt Museum in Lowell and decided it was time to visit. I toured the museum with my mouth agape at the stunning works of art. Upon leaving, I asked at the front desk if the museum might know someone willing to take on my quilting project. Almost before the greeter could finish her response, another associate enthusiastically expressed interest. Vanessa and I agreed to meet at the Pollard Library a block away. I presented Vanessa with my latest design, and she showed me pictures of several impressive pieces she had quilted. In what I call opportunition — the combination of opportunity and intuition — I took a chance with Vanessa Rico. We met multiple times at the Pollard, each time going over my expectations, her critiques of my evolving designs and the timeframe for production. Eventually, we selected the fabrics and finalized the sewing and quilting details. At first, Vanessa said the complete operation would take the entirety of 2025. True to her word, she delivered the completed quilt in December, bringing along her friend, Anne Gallo, one of the founders of the Quilt Museum. As it turns out, Vanessa had been consulting with Anne about my design and its technical challenges. Much to my amazement, I learned that Anne had made over 500 quilts. She was impressed with my design and Vanessa’s expert execution of it, telling me the piece ought to be publicly displayed, as it ranked among the top 10% of those she had made. In one amazing year, I went from winning a quilt to designing and having one custom made. In the next few months, my quilt will be the backdrop for a presentation Vanessa will give. It will also be an integral part of a display of my and Dad’s art at the Lawrence Heritage State Park in Lawrence, Massachusetts. If you’re looking for a quilting class or a quilter, I have one of each to recommend.