Last Wednesday I had the pleasure of examining this wonderful Welsh quilt which is in the collection of the Welsh National History Museum at St. Fagans near Cardiff. It isn't on display so I viewed it in the storage area and here I must thank Elen Philips, the curator in charge of textiles there, for all her help and enthusiasm when we quilters get into the investigation groove.
I don't really know where to start as I took lots of pictures of this very large bed quilt, both of the top, which is a mixture of broderie perse applique and pieced patchwork and the reverse of the quilt which is very densely quilted with very typical Welsh patterning. So I will divide this post into two parts and talk again about the quilting and hopefully some of the history once I have had a chance to study the pictures more carefully!
The quilt is in good condition, but is water stained in the central area which is a shame. Otherwise the fabrics, which are mainly chintz are still vibrant, many still holding their glaze! The broderie perse applique is very neat, but not invisible and turned under and not attached with herringbone stitch, which was the other way with this technique in the early part of the 19th century!
In this last picture the basket is a little out of focus but I have included it as you can see some of the wonderful Welsh patterning about which I will talk again.
I do hope that all you ladies who are working hard at the Rowdy Flat Library Quilt and Susan Smith its designer, who was inspired by our Welsh Mary Lloyd quilt to create it, will find these pictures interesting!
I don't really know where to start as I took lots of pictures of this very large bed quilt, both of the top, which is a mixture of broderie perse applique and pieced patchwork and the reverse of the quilt which is very densely quilted with very typical Welsh patterning. So I will divide this post into two parts and talk again about the quilting and hopefully some of the history once I have had a chance to study the pictures more carefully!
In this last picture the basket is a little out of focus but I have included it as you can see some of the wonderful Welsh patterning about which I will talk again.
I do hope that all you ladies who are working hard at the Rowdy Flat Library Quilt and Susan Smith its designer, who was inspired by our Welsh Mary Lloyd quilt to create it, will find these pictures interesting!
