First Post

I'm sure that I will soon get the hang of this!! My intention is to share my collection of Welsh and Durham quilts. I have a large collection; many are "study items" and are not of museum quality. But, perhaps due to my American upbringing, I just love quilts, especially the quilting patterns. Hence my interest in Welsh quilts - the patterns are superb and no two seem to be exactly alike. Most of my quilts are wholecloths, including some strippy quilts, but I do have a few patchwork quilts.

My twin sister Carol Palmer died of breast cancer in 1989 at the age of 33 - she did not have an estate of any size being so young, but I did inherit a small sum of money. After several years of watching the sum yo-yo in value, I decided to invest in some quilts. Carol was a quilter too and would have been interested in them, I'm sure. So I've had great fun buying the quilts from Ebayers and dealers. I value the quilts, which were made by women who are often anonymous. The stock of old quilts is not getting any bigger, and I worry that, being taken for granted, they will just be used up as old blankets or designer items. My quilts are functional but will no longer be used - instead, I will store them carefully and do as much research as possible. I will look at the sewing techniques, the thread, the fabrics and the history of the maker if possible. As a scientist, the research will necessarily be of a different type to that which I'm used to - but no less the valuable I hope.