The Town of Old Lyme set out a call to quilters - of all ages and experience levels - to submit quilt squares for a Community Quilt commemorating America's 250th anniversary.

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This quilt was made in celebration of America’s Semiquincentennial, honoring both the homecraft traditions of colonial times as well as a quilt stitched by community members fifty years earlier for the Bicentennial. The America 250 Quilt was unveiled at the Old Lyme Town Picnic on July 5, 2026.

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In May 2026, community members were invited to contribute quilt blocks reflecting Old Lyme scenes and traditional geometric patterns in red, white and blue. Twenty-five blocks were submitted, then assembled into a patchwork, and finished by professional quilters resulting in the artwork displayed here.

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The women who created these blocks demonstrated community in many forms. In addition to several quilt blocks completed independently (and in some cases, dedicated to the memory of loved ones), other quilting happened alongside family members (including a nine-year-old girl and her grandmother), and some at a “Quilting Tea” which took place at the Old Lyme Historical Society in early May. One block was completed by the sewing ministry of a local church.

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We thank the following artisans whose blocks appear in the quilt left to right, top to bottom:

Row 1: Linda Dow, Eleanor Hufford, Maureen Dinnan, the St. Ann’s Church Sewing Ministry, Margaret DeMaria

Row 2: Karen MacDonald, Julie Martel, Lisa Reneson, Donna Currier, Cassidy Johnson

Row 3: The Roger Tory Peterson Estuary Center, Michaelle Pearson, Donna Currier, Andrea Fenton, Michelle Feola

Row 4: Cynthia Peabody, Edie Twining, Darlene Grasdock, Ava D’Amato with her grandmother Milly Salafia, Wendy Lecot

Row 5: Jamie Snurkowski, Dawn McCarthy, Judith G. White, Cynthia Peabody, Christine MacGregor.

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The blocks were assembled and finished by Debbie Mackenzie and her team at Stitch Chicks, a business in Franklin, Connecticut. We are grateful for the skill and care they brought to our vision of a community quilt that reflects the pride and craftsmanship in our community.