BELLOWS FALLS, Vt. – The River Artisan’s Cooperative store on Main Street in Bellows Falls has a wide range of art and craft articles by talented and interesting local artists. Among the many choices are the colorful and unique quilts of Priscilla Petraska.
Learning about Priscilla’s story of her family history of quilting is fascinating. Her grandmother had a family of nine children, and from necessity nothing was ever wasted. Every bit of fabric, every piece of outgrown clothing, was used to make not only dresses and shirts for the family, but also to make practical and needed bedcovers. As was the case in those days, necessity played a large role in quilting. Her daughter, Priscilla’s mother, was deaf, and she became a very skilled quilter, and with her mother’s teaching, Priscilla herself has been quilting since she was a young girl.
Priscilla’s quilts are sewn by hand with lovely intricate patterns. She does the piecing and appliques. Then machine sewing to attach the batting and finish the quilt has been done by her son-in-law, who had the long arm sewing machine for this part of the process. Now he has retired, but his two daughters have used his machine, and they have taken up quilt making. Priscilla’s quilts that you will see in the Bellow’s Falls shop are not only beautiful, but carry a wonderful representation of a creative family history through four generations.
Stop in to the shop at 28 Village Square in Bellows Falls, Wednesday – Monday, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., to see several of these stunning quilts, as well as the wide range of wonderful items by other local artisans and artists. For more information, visit www.riverartisanscooperative.com, or call 802-591-2085.