Striped Norwich Shawl

I am really enamoured of this shawl - I don't know much about shawls - but - this has some lovely colour combinations. What skill to weave this..

This seems to be the right side - bands of blue alternate with a sinuous band in mossy greens and rust.

The reverse has a striking magenta colour with darker shades of green - very sophisticated.

You can see how intricate the patterns are!

Shawls fell out of favour in the 1870's, so most of these have been languishing in trunks and lofts for over 100 years - many are not is very good condition - but still lovely. The best are wool or wool silk mixtures so subject to moth attack....

These shawls were used as wraps (coats) over the larger dresses popular at the time.
One can only imagine the social events and concerts that these attended!

The shawls are often very large and were meant to be folded and draped about the woman's shoulders. I am trying to learn more, but unlike quilts, there are few books to read on the subject.

Tan and Cream Strippy from Evenwood

Another strippy quilt, not very expensive and rather worn at one end! Yet, I was interested as the quilting designs stood out and were attractive. Also, the seller was from Spennymoor....Dorothy Osler recently organised a group of BQSG members to look into the Spennymoor quilters visited by Muriel Rose and Mrs FitzRandolph. I thought this might have a link.....as it turned out, this quilt is not from Spennymoor, it is from Evenwood which is a mining village Southwest of Bishop Aukland.

The quilt is made from tan and cream strips....

The designs are a four lobed design and a running feather....

I noticed something unusual about the running feather...

Although nicely quilted, the plumes do not all point forward...it is "wrong" in that the plumes point forward and backward....not the usual! All the tan strips are quilted with this pattern. The reverse is a faded floral sateen.

This quilt was one of several made by Edith Wilkinson, mother of three. Born in 1888, she lived most of her life in Evenwood. A miner's daughter, she also married a miner. She lived just short of 100 years.

The quilt measures 76 x 90 inches. 6" of one end is very worn where no doubt, it was tucked under the bed springs. I wont trim this off....