This quilt was made in 1981 to honor the 40th anniversary of Los Alamos and presented to the Research Library, where it hangs on permanent display on the main level of the Study Center. We share it as an intriguing presentation of our local history.

From the original brochure:

"If you love a memory, stitch it," advises the old sampler.

The members of Pajarito Chapter, Embroidery Guild of America, treasure their hometown and together they have stitched 58 quilt squares memorializing Los Alamos, New Mexico.

During 1981 a committee of 35 women, headed by co-chairmen Margaret Hollabaugh and Irene Schott, put the tied quilt together.  The blocks represent the symbols, scenery, and structures so unique to this mountain-top community.

The history of the Los Alamos National Laboratory is presented by the central squares of Trinity Site and the mushroom cloud of the first atomic bomb blast.  The top of the quilt commemorates early Los Alamos.  The Laboratory was planned in 1942 as a focal point for America's atomic research.  The old water tank, Bathtub Row, and the locked front gate reflect the town's military origins.

Today's city, built around the Los Alamos National Laboratory, is portrayed across the lower half of the quilt.  There is the golf course, the reservoir, the canyon bridge, and representations of lasers and computer graphics.

In between are the sights and essence of our tri-culture: a Maria pot, a kachina, a Spanish rug, a cowboy, Bandelier and Black Mesa.

The local chapter of EGA was founded in 1977 to "maintain high standards of design and technique in needlework... and to stimulate interest therein in the community."  This quilt, of monk's cloth and brown velour, employs a range of needlework techniques: both hand and machine embroidery, applique, overlay, reverse applique, mola, and counted thread.  Even an Ojo de Dios and a miniature Spanish rug woven of handspun wool dyed with indigo are incorporated in the quilt.

- Pajarito Chapter, Embroiderer's Guild of America