Local Quilter Offers Talent To State Bicentennial Project

In celebrating the Bicentennial of Louisiana’s statehood on April 12, parish officials called upon local artist Annette Lanoux to use her talent to represent Ascension Parish as part of a quilt that will symbolize all of the parishes in the state.

Through a partnership between the office of Secretary of State Tom Schedler, the Louisiana State Archives and the Louisiana Police Jury Association, the unveiling of the quilt entitled “Stitch by Stitch, Binding Together 200 years of Louisiana History” will take place in April.

“I called the quilting society in Baton Rouge and they said we have one of the best quilters in the state located in our parish,” said Beth James, chief executive assistant to Parish President Tommy Martinez. “Annette was gracious to help us on this project.”

As part of celebrating the state’s 200th birthday, Lanoux provided a finished square of nine- by nine-inches that will be added to those of the other parishes to make up a 98- by 110-inch quilt. The 64 parish squares will be arranged in columns in order of their location in the state and they will have blue and gold borders. The center of the quilt will contain a medallion representing the Louisiana State Archives.

James said the quilt will be housed at the Louisiana State Archives, and then will be rotated to each parish in the future so that all citizens of Louisiana may be able to enjoy the craftwork of the Louisiana artisans.