Quilt stitches together genealogy

Who says there's no money to be made in family history?

One woman (from Hanover, Pennsylvania) is in line to win a $10,000 prize for a quilt focused on her family's history. Each block displays something about the life of someone in her family.

Dawn Gerber's creation is one of 280 quilts from 42 states and 10 countries to be displayed at the eighth annual American Quilter's Society Quilt Expo in Nashville, Tennessee in August.

"Stitching together genealogy" is the story here.

The pattern known as Baltimore album features a scalloped border surrounding traditional and non-traditionl squares. One depicts a Hershey factory where her father worked.; another a barn, from her farming history; words from a relative's 1750 will; one features a tree with family names on its leaves.

It's not made of photos. It's not encased in leather, and it's not
divided into pages. Instead, Gerber hand-sewed her family's history into a
quilt - a quilt that will soon head to Nashville, Tenn., and could earn her
$10,000.

The Hanover resident's creation will be one of 280 displayed at the
American Quilter's Society Quilt Expo in August. One of those will win the Best
of Show prize worth $10,000.

Gerber mailed in pictures of the quilt as she was finishing it in the spring. Her quilt was selected as a semi-finalist from more than 470 entries.

It was a way to combine genealogy and sewing, she said of her fourth quilt, and told beginners that quilting takes perseverance.

The show takes place August 20-23, at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center in Nashville, Tennessee with awards totaling $45,000 (including best in show $10,000).

The York Town Square blog offers information on the York County Heritage Trust archives' genealogy section resources.

The York County Heritage Trust archives' genealogy section offers resources for families to search out their ancestors.

Related posts include Genealogists find mother lode in York County and Peeking into Pennsylvania's attic, which offers information on Pennsylvania State Archives resources. Both have links to further resources.