Picture quilt up for auction at Utica fundraiser

Attendees at the Utica Foundation’s Tie One On fundraiser have a chance to win a window to the past.

Linda Springer, with help from her daughter Patricia Forsberg and her friend Jane Slawnyk, created a picture quilt that will be up for auction at the event.

“We worked together,” Springer said.

The Tie One On fundraiser will take place at 6 p.m. on July 20 at St. Patrick’s Catholic church in Utica. Tickets are required for entry, or those interested can pay to reserve a table.

Springer said she started the quilt with a single postcard that she had printed on fabric. That becamethe main focal point for the quilt.

Then she expanded the quilt and found more pictures to add.

“I chose old pictures to represent the foundation of Utica,” Springer said.

Springer said she found most of the pictures at the Utica Senior Center’s museum. Those pictures were donated by residents. Other pictures were found in history books about the village.

She also designed the quilt so blocks around the pictures create a window into the past.

Through making this quilt, Springer said she learned a lot about Utica’s history. It has also sparked memories in Utica residents.

On July 6, Springer brought the quilt to the Utica Senior Center to display. It got folks talking about how the town has changed and reminded them of how things were.

Springer said one man recognized his grandfather in one of the pictures. Another resident recognized an old vehicle.

“It’s just kind of fun,” Springer said.

The quilt, which took around 225 hours to make and is around 120 inches long, also has a poem on the back:

Memories were

brought forth

to be reminisced

We are proud to be

a part of this

reflection in time

Springer said she wanted the quilt to tell the story of Utica.

“It’s stirred up a lot of good memories,” Springer said.