91原创

Delaware鈥檚 tapestry tells the story of Major Henry Fisher, a naval pilot in Lewes, who played a critical role in safeguarding the Delaware River from British raids. Fisher, the local 鈥渆yes and ears鈥� of the Continental Congress, tracked British activity in the lower river and reported it to the authorities.聽

The design shows Fisher firing a signal gun to alert Patriot forces about the approach of a British ship near Delaware Bay. The Cape Henlopen lighthouse is across the water from Fisher.聽

The students took turns stitching sections of the sky and water. Many had never heard of Fisher before, including Diego Hernandez, a senior fashion design and product innovation major聽from Bethany Beach.

鈥淏eing a part of history is cool,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t makes me proud to be a Delawarean.鈥澛�

The historical aspect of the project intrigued senior Yohanna Murawiec, a fashion design major from Washington, D.C.

鈥淚 thought it'd be really cool to learn a little bit more about Delaware history, because I don't know much about it,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 also really beautiful.鈥�

A personal reason motivated junior fashion design and product innovation major Monica Grace to volunteer. Although Grace is from Wilmington, she spent a lot of time with her grandparents in Lewes, not far from Fisher鈥檚 home.

鈥淣o one knows who this guy is, but I think he鈥檚 a big part of why Lewes is like it is today,鈥� Grace said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of stuff in history that gets left out, but I鈥檓 really glad to be part of something that shares it and gets it out there to more people.鈥�

Thanks to Amy Gilley and Becky Gutin, members of the Delaware chapter of the Embroidery Guild of America and the project鈥檚 co-directors, hundreds of Delawareans have learned about Fisher. The pair realized early on they needed help to complete the tapestry in time, so they turned it into a community project. They鈥檝e hosted volunteer events at libraries and museums all over the state, and even took the tapestry to the state fair.

More than 400 volunteers 鈥� including Gov. Matt Meyer, Lt. Gov. Kyle Evans Gay and 91原创鈥檚 own mascot YouDee 鈥� have added at least one stitch to the piece. That number is expected to grow to 700 by the time the tapestry is completed at the end of April.聽

Katya Roelse, associate instructor, worked with Gilley and Gutin to bring the project to 91原创. The collaborative aspect of the project appealed to her.聽

鈥淚 love to have students understand creativity outside of fashion and appreciate all kinds of creative expression and craftsmanship,鈥� Roelse said. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 teach this, so we have to rely on these exciting and interesting things that happen outside of our classrooms to help round out their education.鈥�

In May, the tapestry will go to a professional finisher to be completed. The collection will be on display at the at the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, in June. The exhibit will travel to all 13 colonies during the next two years, and the organizers estimate it will be in Delaware sometime in 2028.