Saturday 31 January 2009

PATCHWORK MYSTERY THICKENS.

Apologies to patchwork quilt historians here and in the US, for creating a mystery over my patchwork bedspread,  posted below, and suggesting it might have come in 'kit form'.  If it was in 'kit form' it would change the history of patchwork, and I don't want to make a mistake in changing the course of history.
This picture shows the quilting on the back side of the piece.
It is very unusual to find two patchworks this similar to each other from this era. They have both ended up in the same county (Cumbria), but we think it was only by chance. The patchwork my mother saw in the exhibition was bought at an antiques shop in London, and my bedspread was found in Windermere at my great grandparents house. It was never used here, and it is very unlikely it was made by anyone in my family.  It was either bought, or given. 
I am so intrigued, further investigations are needed. Could there any more patchworks of this design?  

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

York Castle Museum collection has a quilt with this same centre. These prints, by Bannister Hall, were generally sold for use in furnishing - they might for example have been used for chair seats or backs - but of course they were ideal for quilt centres. They turn up in quilts as whole pieces, or with elements cut out and appliqued, all over the country and in the United States