Quilted - 2

     We had a brief glimpse the other day of Quilts 1700-2010: Hidden Histories, Untold Stories edited by Sue Prichard, but I've read the book now and found it not just a rich, visual feast but a fascinating and often surprising study of a subject I knew little about.

     "Quilts stimulate memories of warmth, security and comfort", and "... stitching provided a refuge from the day-to-day operation of the household, a momentary pause for quiet reflection and rare seclusion", but the book shows that the making of quilts represents more than simply cosy artistry. Illustrated with paintings from the period showing the textiles in mainly but not exclusively domestic settings and the quilts themselves from the V&A's and others' collections, the book goes into the development of the craft from economic necessity and form of re-cycling to expression of creativity, status symbol and accepted art-form.

     We are shown wholecloth, pieced, embroidered and appliquéd examples, quilts as celebration and commemoration, quilts made by the military and those confined in jail, superior products for glamorous Art Deco interiors and the stitching of scraps for homely projects big and small. There are pieces which, through what they depict, bring the wider world and important events into a domestic setting, and others which speak of the purely personal and the experience of their maker alone.

    From the use of the word 'patchwork' as a negative metaphor in the eighteenth century to the ingenious wartime utilisation of blackout material and parachute silk, the book sets quilts and their making in context and provides a great deal of inspiration for anyone wishing to practise the art today.

Comments

[Harriet]

I do love qulits and have done a little myself though in a rather amateurish way. This book looks glorious.

[Fran]

I managed a trip to the V and A Quilt exhibition this week. It is stunning, and I think I may go again as there is so much to take in. I am now saving up for the book, which I would love to read before a return visit.

[Dark Puss]

My Aunt and Uncle went to see this yesterday and their views echo those of "Fran". I trust you will be down soon to see it for yourself?

The lovely weather in Geneva has broken this morning, I hope it's better back in the UK for my return this afternoon.

Love from all chez F.