DAPHNE — More than a dozen artists and historians gathered Saturday at Daphne City Hall. While they were working on a quilt, this wasn’t your grandmother’s quilting bee.

The Bay River Artists Guild (BRAG) brought in fiber artist Dianne Williams to oversee and facilitate the design and construction of a quilt, documenting the history and culture of Daphne.

“It’s a community heritage project,” said BRAG project coordinator Maralyn Ammons. “We invited 12 people from the community. With their help, we are taking the heritage of Daphne and putting it in quilt squares.”

Topics for the squares included the Jubilee, the statue at city hall, history, schools, churches and various ethnic groups.

“We want to celebrate culture and heritage through the arts,” said Kathryn Lewis as she worked on a square representing the Episcopal church. “It is a partnership between the artists and the different elements of the city.

“It’s community building, celebrating a sense of place.”

The group gathered at Daphne City Hall Saturday morning at 9 and worked most of the day designing and assembling the squares, under the doting eyes of Williams. Not only was she quick to offer friendly advice, she also brought a cache of lollipops, to help bring a bit of whimsy and sweetness to help artists unlock their inner children.

“We will finish the squares today,” Ammons said. “Dianne will take the squares with her and put them together as a quilt.

“She will bring it back Nov. 8 for a reception at city hall where we will show off the finished quilt.”

Williams, from Jackson, Miss., calls herself a “narratologist” — a story weaver who spins tales from history, mythology and folk tales. She started working with fiber more than 45 years ago as a seamstress in her own business, “Diane’s Sew and Sew.”

She also has 35 years experience quilting. She serves as the industry director for the Mississippi Arts Commission. In the past year, she has explored the possibilities of mixed media fiber and textile art.

She often incorporates hand-dyed fabrics and elements such as stone, pine straw, silk yarn and beads in her work.