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Subject of Square:
Salt Marsh Hay Harvest
Quilter’s Name:
Ann Carnaby
Background on subject:
The mounds of salt hay are representative of Hampton’s
past as an agricultural community. They will always be a stirring visual image of
life and survival long ago. The hard work depicted in the scene is a representation
of the farmers and their tools that allowed them to put food on their tables.
Why you chose this subject:
As a schoolgirl, I knew we were getting closer to
our vacation destination when we finally drove past the first view of the mounds of
salt hay drying in the marsh. To me, they were a signal that we were nearing a
salty beach where we could swim and play. I was excited for the opportunity to
include this aspect of our town’s history in the quilt.
Thoughts on your representation/design/color choices/etc.:
I felt that an
observer could "see" the haying process by using varying shades of hay colored
thread as a good way to indicate the individual strands of hay in each pile.
Depicting the shape of the farmer and his hay rake in silhouette is a representation
of all the farmers at their work.
What you hope this quilt will mean for the people who see it:
I hope this quilt and its
various squares will encourage people to learn
more about Hampton history. In the case of
the Salt Marsh Hay Harvest, there is a
wonderfully informative DVD titled
Saltmarsh Farming on the NH Seacoast by
Joshua Silveira produced by the Hampton
Historical Society and on sale at the museum.
03-03 - Salt Marsh Hay Harvest
