Here is a quilt from the Cardigan area. It dates from about 1880 and measures 74 x 84 inches. It was originally bought from Jen Jones many years ago - I bought it from a woman who was selling off some of her collection.
One side is a nice art nouveau print, while the reverse is a clear yellow cotton. The quilt is in good condition and is little used, with only slight fading. The scalloped edge is an "extra" for a special quilt. The edge is finished off with two lines of machine stitching.
The filling is a carded wool, the quilting thread is yellow to match the plain side.
The quilting designs are hard to see on the print side but come into their own on the plain yellow side. These designs include a central design of four lined petals, church windows with chevron and spiral infill, diamond crosshatching, an orangepeel border and large spirals on the scallops. The stitching is expertly done, although a bit quirky, especially the diamonds! Probably made by an experienced quilter, this was a special and "best" quilt.
This is one of the fourteen quilts that toured with Grosvenor Exhibitions last year - when I went to Chilford to pick them up, this one wasn't there - no panic, it had been left behind at the office and was soon posted back to me.
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