First Lady Katie O'Malley Commends Award-Winning Maryland Quilt

Annapolis, Md. (January 18, 2011) ― An award-winning quilt created by the Tawes Quilt Club celebrating the great State of Maryland has been selected for display in the Miller Senate Office Building.

“The Marylanders who created this beautiful quilt have shown their love and dedication to the traditions of Maryland, incorporating our State colors and symbols,” said First Lady Katie O’Malley. “I hope many people are able to enjoy it during the session and, look forward to having it on display elsewhere in the state later this year.”

This quilt was started in December 2007 by Tawes Quilt Club, made up of employees of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and Maryland Judiciary. It was inspired by the bright colors of the Maryland State flag.

The finished product won a first-place blue ribbon at the 2010 Anne Arundel County Fair, and was on display in the DNR building at the 2010 Maryland State Fair. It will be on display at the Senate Building until the end of session.

“The quilt is intended to inspire others to celebrate the great State of Maryland and incorporates State symbols including the Black-Eyed Susan, Chesapeake Bay retriever, skipjack, and the image of the Maryland State House,” said DNR Librarian Ann Wheeler.

Quilters used hand and machine piecing and appliqué to create the squares and then hand-quilted the layers together. It was completed in April 2010.

The quilt was envisioned by Tawes Quilt Club, which meets in the DNR library once a month. Members of the club made the squares at home, and then brought them into the library and quilted it as a group.

The following members of the Tawes Quilt Club worked on the Maryland Quilt:

Paula Becker of Edgewater, DNR’s Wildlife and Heritage Service
Laura Bowne of Davidsonville, DNR’s Information Technology Service
Trudy Brown of Easton, Maryland Judicial Center
Diane Feheley of Crofton, DNR’s Maryland Park Service
Sharon Hoff of Shadyside, Maryland Judicial Center
Missy Kelly of Glen Burnie, DNR’s Maryland Park Service
Bradley Kennedy of Mount Rainier, DNR’s Wildlife and Heritage Service
Kerrie Kyde of Dickerson, DNR’s Wildlife and Heritage Service
Ellen Nye of Deale, Maryland Judicial Center
Cathie Shanks of Catonsville, DNR’s Watershed Services
Ann Wheeler of Crofton, DNR’s Library

The Maryland Natural Resources Police is the enforcement arm of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). With an authorized strength of 247 officers and a dedicated staff of civilian and volunteer personnel, the NRP provide a variety of services in addition to conservation and boating law enforcement duties throughout the State of Maryland. These services include homeland security, search and rescue, emergency medical services, education, information and communications services on a round the clock basis. NRP is the only police force aside from the Maryland State Police that has statewide jurisdiction.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is the state agency responsible for providing natural and living resource-related services to citizens and visitors. DNR manages nearly one-half million acres of public lands and 17,000 miles of waterways, along with Maryland's forests, fisheries and wildlife for maximum environmental, economic and quality of life benefits. A national leader in land conservation, DNR-managed parks and natural, historic and cultural resources attract 11 million visitors annually. DNR is the lead agency in Maryland's effort to restore the Chesapeake Bay, the state's number one environmental priority. Learn more at Learn more at www.dnr.maryland.gov