Quiltfolk Issue 37: Delaware

Every quilt begins with a first stitch. For our nation, that beginning was Delaware, The First State. Delaware is a place where life feels closely knit, with only three counties— the fewest of any state. In New Castle County, the northernmost, you’ll find a lively mix of historic towns and modern energy: cobblestone streets where the past still speaks, balanced with a bustling city center in Wilmington. In Kent County, farmland stretches toward the horizon, and Dover stands as both the capital and a keeper of tradition. To the south, affectionately called The Slower Lower, Sussex County unfolds in wide open fields, quiet waterways, and coastal towns where the pace turns leisurely and community thrives.

Together, these three counties form a state that may be small in size but is expansive in spirit. In Delaware, the past and present are carefully preserved. It’s a place that reminds us that small beginnings can carry enormous meaning, much like the smallest scrap of fabric can become the heart of a quilt.