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Gilbert woman’s stunning discovery leads to quilt

BY SRIANTHI PERERA

Tribune Contributor

Afew years ago, Priscilla Duffin of Gilbert made a startling genealogical discovery: Her seventh greatgrandfather, Reverend Nicholas Noyes, executed Sarah Good during the Salem Witch Trials. Good was one of the first three women to be accused of witchcraft in 1692 Colonial Massachusetts. “I was stunned,” Duffin said. “I’m sure we have studied about it in school because I lived in an old town called Georgetown and it wasn’t far from Salem.” Before moving west, Duffin lived in Massachusetts for 25 years. That part of Salem now comprises the city of Danvers. Good put a hex on Noyes before she was hanged: that he would drown in his own blood. And he did drown in his own blood later during an illness, Duffin said. Fascinated by the story, Duffin created an elaborate and tasteful quilt depicting witches.

“This story fascinated me, so when I saw the quilt pattern, I decided I had to make it,” she said, adding “the project was involved.” The four panels depict the witches quilting, enjoying a social hour with goodies, auditioning their quilts and finally displaying them. Duffin purchased a 120-box of Crayola crayons and a special brand of thread called Cosmos that cost about $90 (six of the threads were metallic and cost $6 a piece), among other items. “It was expensive,” Duffin recalled, say ing that while she spent about $300 on supplies, the value of the quilt is “priceless.” While Duffin was shopping for the items in her favorite quilt supply store in Gilbert, she overheard a woman talk about an upcoming class she was going to take on a witch quilt. She confirmed it was the same one she was going to do and signed up for the class. During the class, Duffin found that the The second panel of Priscilla Duffin’s quilt details the witches’ happy hour of socializing.

(Courtesy of Priscilla Duffin) fourth depiction was for a pillow, but she decided to incorporate it into the quilt as the fourth panel.

She spent three hours tracing each panel with a Pigma Micro pen, an indelible sharpie. Utmost care was needed for this because a mistake cannot be erased. “The coloring went faster than anything. Getting a trace took three hours per panel. I was very careful. I’m sure there were some boo boos. I didn’t want to have to repurchase more fabric,” she said. Working eight to 14 hours daily, she spent about three months on her particular “witch-craft.” “Once I got started, I was hooked. I was up many mornings early, around 4 Gilbert resident Priscilla Duffin shows off the witch quilt that took her a.m., and worked three months of labor to complete. (Courtesy of Priscilla Duffin) as much as I could all day, in between housework and meals. I didn’t know what to do when I finished,” she added. The project combined embroidery, sewing, quilting and coloring. Since embroidery is a hand craft, she was able to take small pieces while traveling and do hand work when she was not near the sewing machine.

After she mastered the stitch, she found it beautiful and the finish was gorgeous. Learning to paint in a swirling motion while holding the Crayola flat was essential to the project. She used a batteryoperated dremel to blend and shade the color. “The hardest part was trying to find out the color crayon they recommended from 120 in the box, all with different names, Duffin noted. Duffin didn’t like the finish offered in the class as she thought the border would be too gaudy and take away from the quilt. She found a woman in San Tan Valley who did McTavishing, a free-motion design that creates a texture of flowing water or blowing wind on fabric. The last step was to seal the quilt with a fabric sealer so that the color won’t run when she washed it. Duffin, who has quilted since 1993, said the whole project was “a total departure from anything I’ve ever encountered.” The labor was intense but the final product was worth it. Her daughter and grand-daughter have expressed an interest in the quilt, and she hopes it will pass from daughter to daughter down several generations. Because of the history, she wants it to stay within the family. Duffin doesn’t want to enter it into a competition, either. She did exhibit it at the recent quilt show and sale at Trilogy, Gilbert, where she lives. “I’m too nervous about giving it up. I couldn’t replace it. I couldn’t redo another one if it was lost or stolen,” she said. “I enjoyed every minute of it. It was wonderful. It was like I was compelled to get this thing done.” 

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