A copy of "Joy of Cooking," a mug with the Waterford Public Library logo on it and a cat are a few of the things that sit on the shelves of a quilt made especially for the library by children's librarian Amy Sindel.

The quilt was unveiled at an employee potluck in December. Library director Roslyn Rubinstein said the quilt was packaged in a box marked "Open me last."

Sindel, who has worked at the library since 1997, said she hoped her coworkers would look at the quilt and identify books they like and items that reflect their interests.

"That's what this quilt is really about. It's the library and the people who work here," said Sindel.

The roughly 45-by-72-inch creation uses fabric with basketball hoops to please University of Connecticut basketball fans, a spine for the book Outlander by Diana Gabaldon, (one of Sindel's favorite works) and a book spine with "yoga" written on it.

On the top shelf sits a cat - Sindel saved the design from an old sweatshirt.

"Cats are like stereotypically associated with libraries," Sindel said.

Oh, and it's in Dewey Decimal order, with non-fiction books on the bottom shelf and fiction on the top.

The quilter mostly used materials she had on hand or else culled from the collections of her mother, sister and a friend. She started the project in October, spending at least 60 hours on it before giving it to the library in December.

The quilt is now displayed near the front desk of the library, in a spot Rubinstein said is permanent as far as she is concerned.

Sindel said she started quilting 30 to 35 years ago when she was studying for her masters in library science in Ohio, where her mother still lives. She said she grew up sewing but that quilting was a skill she acquired as an adult.

She said her mother is also an avid quilter and takes and interest in the historical nature of quilts. In keeping with the spirit of making something reflective, Sindel included a label on the underside of the quilt.

"In honor of my wonderful colleagues at the Waterford Public Library," reads the note, which is written in marker below a collection of staff signatures.

Rubinstein said she was speechless when she saw the quilt, and pleased at how it reflects the close bonds among library employees.

"It's just incredible," she said.

Library user Judy Pisacich saw the quilt for the first time last week while picking up a book.

"It's beautiful," she said, and gasped. "That's really neat."

T.TOWNSEND@THEDAY.COM

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