Medallions? Frame? What's in a name!

"Medallion" is a much prettier word than "frame" - a book with the title "Frame quilts" wouldn't have the same appeal.  I would buy either like a shot because I have always loved quilts with something in the middle.
However, I have decided that there are two other categories neither of which could be correctly described as Frame Quilts.

I have been searching hard on line for a nice example of a British Frame Quilt and chose this one -

I don't know much about it and I apologise to the person who took the picture because I have lost the reference.  It is well organised for a British Medallion and it looks as if it might have embroidery in the middle which was quite a popular thing to do. It has some interesting touches mixing applique with simple piecing.

Some of our earliest quilts can't really be described as Frames. What would you call the three below?

The Sundial Coverlet dated 1797

The Jane Pizar Coverlet - some confusion about this date but I think it is early 19th century

The 1718 Silk Patchwork Coverlet is one of the earliest known dated patchworks, and is constructed in the mosaic patchwork tradition of piecing over papers. 

None of the above images are that great and I apologise but they at least give you an idea of the layout of these 18th and early 19th century quilts with a large focus block at its centre surrounded by a field of small blocks.

These  British coverlets are really sampler quilts with a "medallion" in the middle, perhaps a new category, Sampler Medallion?  The Jane Pizar is certainly the best design - it works beautifully with its three borders all well thought through, no - oh well let's just finish it off quickly here - which is a great temptation after such a mammoth piecing effort.  Though I adore the Sundial, I think it falls short in this respect.

Then the other category could be Mosaic Medallion such as the Elizabeth Chapman coverlet -

This is just a part of the Elizabeth Chapman coverlet (it's  very big) in the V&A Collect dated 1829

A great many Dutch quilt fall into this category too -

A fabulous old Dutch Quilt in the International Quilt Study Centre in Nebraska.  It's early - late 18th century I think?

Medallions are so fascinating I think I will be returning to this subject sometime!

Sorry about my above spacing issues, I have been chopping this piece about and Blogger doesn't like that!


 

Dolly/teddy quilt and comments

I have given up on this  little doll quilt - I should really do much more quilting in the border and it grieves me to see it empty, but really, I am so fed up with this quilt!  You know how some quilts are easy and now and then you struggle - well this little quilt has been one of those!

I have photographed it with my 70's rag doll Jessamy.  The teddy was made by Nichola Dugmore who named her Kate.

I love teddy bears and still occasionally buy one though I try hard not to!  They are so difficult to resist, sitting on a shelf looking so appealing - I just love them!  This one was bought many years ago and is beautifully made with a little hand knitted dress - I had forgotten how sweet until I took these pictures!  

 
Now for comments!  Recently I have had great difficulty leaving comments on blogs. This seems to be the fault of Blogger as they have made the encrypted word that you have to type to prove that you are not a robot almost impossible to decipher and when you do, they reject it.  On several occasions I have given up entirely.  This is a shame for both readers and bloggers, because we bloggers love having comments, it helps the juices flow!.  I used to have a great many but I have noticed that they have fallen away of late which I find dispiriting.  I have now pressed the button to turn off this encrypted facility so please do try and leave a comment. 

Patchwork Houses

I used to teach a workshop on patchwork houses and am discussing with Hazel at the Jen Jones Quilt Centre whether to try it again?  Not sure if it will go?

With that possibility in mind,  I have dug out some of the completed houses and also some that are half finished or still in my design workbook.

This is my version of Thomas Hardy's Cottage it was  fun  picking out lots of flowery bits for the garden - mostly Liberty lawn.

This is called "Liberty Cottage" because again is is mostly their fabric.

The above two pictures are of one terrace of houses - I couldn't fit them in to one picture.

To finish off here's a little pin cushion -

They are fairly easy to sew but it is the fabric selection that is the most exhausting bit.  I seem to have to get my entire collection our just looking for the perfect piece and then have to pack it away again! Sometimes a certain fabric will suggest an architectural feature and then I have to design a house to show it off!

More about the Cosmati Pavement.

Strange how things happen?  Just after I had last posted this new picture of the Queen was unveiled
showing her standing on the pavement -

If you would like to read more here is a link.

Also, I don't think I made the link to the BBC video very clear, so if you missed it here it is again - http://www.bbc.co.uk/cultureshow/videos/2009/08/s6_e5_cosmati/index.shtml

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".

The Colour of Heaven

I  read a while ago that scientists had decided that pale turquoise was the colour of heaven.  This cheered me enormously because it is a great favourite of mine and I have used it all over my house.  In fact when I come to choosing a new colour scheme, which I am doing at the moment, I am teased - is it to be the colour of heaven?  Well yes it is actually and here are a few already in place -

 These are of my living room, kitchen, bathroom and bedroom and I haven't included my garden room or my new shower room which is one of the reasons I haven't posted for ages.  It was supposed to take two to three weeks but I think we are into the seventh week and the builder has gone on holiday!

The sting in this tale is that a few days later, those same scientists said that they had got it wrong and that BEIGE was actually the colour of heaven!  Ugh!