Special to The Dorchester Banner/Nancy Snyder Holding the finished product are (not in order) Jean Browne, Terry White, Deborah Coffin Kennedy, Lisa Krental and Mary Ellen Jesien who lovingly put all of the pieces together to create a queen-size Diamond Jubilee quilt.

CAMBRIDGE — Artist Lisa Krentel was looking for something in the back of a closet when she came across a brown box with faded gold printing on top. While it looked vaguely familiar, she could not recall what it contained. So she opened it carefully and peered inside.

Here were the myriad of pieces for a long-forgotten, never completed quilt that she had started in the 1970s. Now, Lisa is a highly talented, well-trained artist who paints, draws, and photographs expertly. She’s the manager of the Art Barn at the Hatchery in Easton, an art gallery and store. She belongs to both Wednesday Morning Artists in Cambridge and Friday Morning Artists in Easton. She currently exhibits at the Shops at Magnolia Grove in Cambridge and at the Art Barn. But Lisa does not make quilts any more.

So the unassembled pieces of the old quilt were lovingly passed to a quilting group, the Stitch Witches, a branch of the Wednesday Morning Artists of Cambridge. Jean and Jim Browne, Terry White, Deborah Coffin Kennedy, and Mary Ellen Jesien pored over the pieces, trying to figure out the intended pattern of a quilt that had been planned and started by someone else. There was a lot of “move this over there,” “turn this one upside down,” “that can’t be right,” and “let’s take a break to clear our heads.”

Slowly, the pattern emerged. Then the pieces were assembled and the batting put in place. Then came the pressing, the washing, the measuring, the sewing, the backing, the binding, more sewing, and more pressing.

The assembled queen-size Diamond Jubilee quilt can be seen in the front windows of Hunt Insurance Company at 436 Race St. A raffle is currently underway so that someone can be chosen to cherish this work of art and to put it to good use. Tickets are $1 each or 6 tickets for $5 and will be sold from now through Dec. 13. To buy tickets, stop in to Hunt Insurance or contact Mary Ellen at 410-228-5193 or mejesien@gmail.com. Proceeds will benefit the arts in Cambridge.

On Dec. 13 from 5 to 7 p.m., the Wednesday Morning Artists will be presenting Opening Night for their Small Works and Other Good Things Show that will be in the Main Gallery of the Dorchester Center for the Arts during the month of December. This one evening gala, called Night of a Zillion Snowflakes will feature lavish décor, specially prepared light appetizers, drawings for new art center memberships, other entertaining and educational activities, and a “zillion” snowflakes. At the conclusion of the evening, the winning ticket for the quilt will be drawn. You need not be present at Opening Night to win.