A design challenge for patchwork?

I came across this picture in my files -

Yes I know it's the Royal Wedding but put that on one side and look at the floor.  I meant to suggest at the time that if anyone was looking for inspiration for a Royal Wedding Quilt (and I am not) they need to go no further.  This is the newly restored medieval floor in Westminster Abbey known as the Cosmati Pavement.  Here is an even better view -

and here is what it would look like as a quilt -

What a challenge! 

If you would like to know more about this click here and for a BBC video.

Who can resist Turkey Red?

I should really have saved this post for the Christmas season, but as I love red all year round I can't resist sharing these two old Turkey reds with you.

The first is in the collection of the Quilters' Guild and as ever the maker is unknown.

 It is beautifully quilted and I wish I could claim it as Welsh but the patterning isn't definitive enough.  It was made from Turkey Red discharge printed fabric in a floral and paisley leaf design, in a sawtooth medallion patchwork layout with cream cotton fabric. It is backed with calico and hand quilted and there is a small linen tape on one corner, with the surname 'Russell' written in black ink. It's also beautifully organised and not at all like the next quilt which I also like very much indeed.

This quilt belongs to Pippa Moss whose collection was exhibited at this year's Quilt Association Summer Exhibition in Llanidloes.

I had only ever seen a picture of this quilt so it was great to see it in reality.  I have the feeling that it's made with all the red fabric the maker could gather which is why it was the inspiration for this quilt in my "Little Welsh Quilts" eBook -

I used all my favourite pieces of red fabric in this quilt, hence it's title "Precious Reds".