Here is an old poster that I bought inexpensively on Ebay last year. It shows a photo of a Welsh woman in traditional garb, and advertises "The Great Welsh Patchwork Quilt Show" at the Orangery in Holland Park. Interesting that at that time, they had to state "patchwork quilt" not just "quilt"; I would think that today "quilt" would suffice.I don't know whose exhibition it was - Ron Simpson's or Jen Jones' ? I assume that it was a show and sale of quilts. It has no year - just a date - November 5 - 15 and venue. Does anyone know the year? Did anyone go to this show?
This Christmas, I had the poster framed as a gift to myself - needless to say, it cost about four times as much to frame as it did to buy!
Running out of space in the living room - I used to do a lot of embroidery and cross stitch - I still take it on holiday. The sampler in the middle is one that was given to me as a kit for Christmas by mother one year when I was a teenager (I had already completed one; seems a rather ambitious gift these days).Carol was given one too - I think they were by Paragon or another large American company - bought at the needlework shop at Clayton's in Palmer Square, Princeton.
Another area in the front hall (just near the kitty litter boxes!) More family photos and samplers. The sampler on the left is Carol's Christmas sampler - when she died in 1989, I took the partly completed sampler home with me. With a young family, it was not finished and framed until 1998. I think that they are copies of American samplers.
The wall hanging is a silk scarf designed by local artist and businessman Stuart Morris several years ago when he was experimenting with silk printing (needless to say, it is all done in China now, where it is cheaper and there is more expertise). I quilted several different scarves for a trade fair. This was my favorite and I reappropriated it- it was quite freely hand quilted with no marking.
Also in the living room is this quilt - it is to a pattern, Heartz by Jan Mullen - Hazel Judge saw Jan's original quilt in the Quilters Haven window and liked it - I made her one and also made myself one. The salmon fabric is a dyeing mistake - I thought it would never be used - but it proved just the right colour for the two quilts. The quilts were machine quilted with a nice leaf and vine pattern around the border which was fun to do.
I enjoyed seeing your wall of crafts through the years. It's fun to see how our interests have changed! I did that same sampler (by your new poster) in 1974. My mother liked it so much she offered to have it framed for me if I'd make her one- so I did it again in '79. Not at all amazing that 2 women who were patient enough to do this kit twice would end up making quilts.
ReplyDeleteKathi
Kathi, I am amazed that you did this kit twice - as I remember, it was a large sampler with a lot of work in it, that took me quite a while to complete!
ReplyDeleteHow fun to see all of your creations, and I am so happy that you bought the poster. It's a hoot!
ReplyDeleteI have since learned that the exhibition took place in 1988, and was one of Ron Simpson's shows - he held them in several places around the country. There were quilts to buy as well, as he was a dealer in textiles. Possibly with Jen Jones' quilts as well.
ReplyDeleteThis followed on from a first sale at Llanidloes in 1985.
Love your work! I did the sampler to the right of your Welsh woman sampler in 1981 for my son's birth. I seem to recall the actual cross stitch didn't take me long but the bowl of flowers etc at the bottom took ages. In the picture below that, I particularly like the sampler on the left, which has a number of similarities to the other one and I wondered if you know if it is still available? I would love to make it for my son, who is now married, and my daughter-in-law.
ReplyDeleteThanks
Liz Carnell