Stitching together the County

HARTINGTON  — When someone looks at Kathy Brummels’ Cedar County quilt, she wants them to react like commissioner Dave McGregor did, by pointing out where they live.
Brummels brought the quilt in to the Board of Commissioners meeting on Tuesday, July 24, 2018 to donate it to hang in the courthouse. Once the board and Dave Dowling agreed to accept the quilt, they immediately began brainstorming where to hang it.
Each town or village on the quilt is represented by a button. Each square mile is mapped out with a two inch by two inch square of fabric Brummels bought from a quilt shop in Wayne. Each highway is “double zigzagged” and the Missouri River meticulously measured out and appliquéd with blue fabric she found in her attic.
Brummels also went as far as determining the geographic details of Cedar County by using the different colored two inch by two inch squares. Also, proudly embroidered upon the quilt is “Nebraska: The Good Life.”
According to Dowling, this is the first time they have accepted something like this at the courthouse.
“Once you commit yourself to displaying something like this, down the road other people may want to have stuff displayed as well and we don’t have a lot of places to display,” Dowling said.  
Brummels started working on this quilt on June 19, 2018 with the intention of having it done by the Cedar County Fair in mid July. Although it didn’t win any ribbons at the fair, Brummels said the quilt itself is priceless to her and that it was entertaining to create.  
As of now, the quilt will be on display in the courthouse indefinitely, Dowling said. Brummels said she would like to see it hanging in the courthouse until after September when everyone comes in to pay their taxes.
Her inspiration behind creating this quilt says it all on the quilt. It also is a combination of her love for Nebraska and Cedar County and the fact that she has lived here for 45 years.
“Nebraska is the good life, we all know that,” Brummels said.

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