More than 100 textile pieces, spanning more than 100 cumulative years of work, are on display at the Winters Heritage House Museum. "Interwoven: A Multigenerational Showcase of Textile and Fiber Arts" features quilts, bags, clothes, books and other sewn goods created by three Indian-American women: Zahira Paul, Zebun Rangwala and Aparna Paul. The exhibit opened on April 5 and will run through Saturday, April 19, at the museum, located at 47 E. High St., Elizabethtown.

The exhibit was developed after Aparna visited an art gallery in Boston to see a handcrafted pottery display. She thought of her mother's many handcrafted textiles and thought her own family could put on a similar display.

When she called her mom, Zahira, her mother suggested also including Aparna's grandmother, Zebun, in the showcase.

"(My mom) said, 'We should do this for Nani's work, too,'" Aparna recalled. "She has decades and decades of seamstressing and fiber arts and all manner of craftwork." While planning the exhibit, the women also pulled in pieces from Zebun's mother and aunt, all of whom sewed and sold their work to sustain their families. The original version of the showcase debuted in Cambridge, Mass., at the Cambridge Public Library in July 2024.

They chose a venue for the show in Elizabethtown, where Zebun and Zahira live. "We decided to host a showcase here so that our friends and family in the area could attend," Aparna said. In organizing the local exhibit, Aparna and Zahira focused on building community through crafting - making gifts for friends, learning craft techniques from friends or teaching others how to sew/quilt - as well as making and mending, a practice of reusing, recycling and repairing what you have to make new things.

Teresa St. Angelo, director of the Winters Heritage House Museum, learned about the women after a member of the museum's on-site quilt group told her about the Massachusetts exhibit. She is excited to bring in accomplished textile artists and showcase their work.

"Our quilters group avidly seeks fellow quilters," she explained. "I see their eyes light up when discussing techniques, looking at other quilters' finished pieces and sharing their stories about their craft. I wanted to offer a quality program to our quilters and our community on this topic."

When Zahira showed Teresa a few of the finished pieces and a description of the program she had presented in Cambridge, Teresa knew the exhibit would be a good fit for the Elizabethtown museum.

"Her background story about all the quilts, clothing and textile work that her mother and her daughter had created and how they worked together for years was impressive and touching," she recalled. "All three generations of women would have to be a part of the exhibit and program."

Zebun is a textile/fiber artist from Mumbai, India, currently based between Elizabethtown and West Windsor Township, N.J. Her craft practice has spanned commercial sewing, sewing for family, quilting and crochet lacemaking.

Zahira is a textile/fiber artist from Mumbai, India, currently based in Elizabethtown. Her craft practice has included mostly quilting but also knitting, crocheting and embroidery. Outside of crafting, she is an occupational therapist at Penn State Hershey Medical Center.

Aparna is the curator of the show. She grew up in Elizabethtown and is currently based in Cambridge. She writes and performs poetry and is a chemical engineer.

Teresa said visitors for the exhibit can expect an expansive display of creativity.

"Our cabins will be filled with the work of three generations of women who have put their heart into their art," she stated. "Come and see the artistry behind each piece. ... These women are an inspiration! One family, three generations and what they have created and completed will amaze visitors. ... The Winters Heritage House Museum is thrilled to provide our community with a variety of cultural experiences that highlight the skills, traditions and collections of local individuals."

"Interwoven" will be open from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays through Tuesdays; from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Wednesdays; and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays through April 19. There will be extended hours on Friday, April 11, when the exhibit will be open from 4 to 8 p.m. during Elizabethtown's Second Friday.

For more information, call the museum at 717-367-4672, visit http://www.wintersheritagehouse.org or follow the museum on Facebook.