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I am a quilter living in Woodbridge, Suffolk who has made quilts since I was a teenager. I also ring bells! Both are great British traditions....I will try to feature some of my antique Welsh and Durham quilts, the quilts I make myself, my quilting activities and also some of my bellringing achievements. Plus as many photos as I can manage. NB: Double click on the photos to see greater detail, then use back button to return to the main page.













Friday 25 February 2011

Nature Print/Earth FlowerWelsh Quilt

This is very much a typical bed quilt - made in the Rhondda vallies about 1910-1930. The Art Deco fabric is known variously as Earth Flower, Mushroom Flower and Nature Print, it shows a stylised bunch of flowers and came in a variety of colour ways. One side is grey with pinks and browns - the reverse has cream with blues, browns and greens. The size is 80 x 80 inches. Condition is very good with little wear and no fading.


It was hard to capture the quilting, it is somewhat coarse but effective - it consists of simple twists, crosshatching and a central spiral or circular motif. The wadding is carded wool.


A closeup of the two fabrics - rather cheerful, I think.



The corner of the quilt, showing the hand sewn edge, which is typical of Welsh quilts. This quilt is a very heavy quilt, as it has a woollen blanket inside, and would have been a very warm quilt in use. I wonder why these quilts were never used - were they kept for "special" or were they just considered old fashioned?

3 comments:

  1. The little blobby flowers appear as a motif in Japanese textiles, a stylised version of the chrysanthemum. I wonder if that's how they came into Art Deco fabrics?

    Interesting that the quilt has been so little used.

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  2. Correction - I see that I was saying two different things about the wadding above - went and had a feel - both are sort of correct as there is a ribbed feel to the quilt, meaning that there is likely to be an old quilt inside. It was common to recover old quilts. Now, before you think "masterpiece" I did have a peek inside one of my other quilts which is a similar type - inside was a very oridnary and rather worn country quilt in a beige colour - nothing very exciting!! Pippa

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  3. Interesting. I have one old Welsh quilt (not in good condition, probably used as a dog blanket), which seems to have about 4 layers inside. They just seemed to put new fabrics on top of the old ones.
    I like the fabric on your quilt.
    Jane

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