Possibly Welsh. Date?

 I bought this from a lady in Weymouth but it came with no history. The only reason I have for suspecting it might be from Wales is the spirals in the quilting which is indicative but not definitive.This one is huge, the bed is four foot six wide and six foot three long. It lays on the floor on  both sides and would top and bottom if the bed did not have a foot and a head stopping it fall over the edge of the matress.

It probably could do with washing but I am loathe to as some of the fabrics have started to fail. I love the mauve prints in this.

Another of my antique pieces (very photo heavy again! but you like that don't you?)

 I 'think' this one is a similar age to the Sarah Fox one I posted here, about 1825-1835. I really am no expert, I just go by my gut feeling so if you know better (or worse) please comment and I will amend this.

 Now follows loads of photos of the fabrics and how the maker handled (or failed in the process of making it). Do not be surprised by the bottle of ketchup in one of the photos. I figured it was one item I had in the house where the colour is recognized throughout the world and you can adjust the colours you are seeing on your screen accordingly. It was still sealed so no danger of it leaking!

 I think it very clever how the black stripe has been appliqued to create this 'Chinese lantern' look. Each straight run of these circles is in one continuous piece of fabric.

The maker ran out of the brown stripe used in one of the outer borders so just changed to a different stripe.

 The off white background fabric looks like cord in the photos but it is more like a modern dress shirt weave.

 The maker had used so much of this back print in those clever circles, there had to be a join and a smidge of other fabric to finish this corner.

 There is a knife edge rather than binding. This is typical.

 In places there is double thread quilting. I don't know why. And in some places on the back of the work like the top of this photo below, the quilting stitch doesn't go all the way through the layers. This makes me think it was not stab stitched and the uneven lines also suggest it was done without a frame.

I hope you enjoyed this tour of my quilt. Let me know and I shall post more of my small collection.

Super Victorian quilt

When I delivered my quilts yesterday an antique show was taking place at the venue. This gorgeous quilt was on it's way out of the door. I asked permission to take this photo but stupidly my phone was stuck on video mode and it's taken me ages to get a still from a 3 second video and this is the best I can do. These tiny little hexagons are about 1/2 an inch across. Some of the centres have been fussy cut and one had a darling little cat in the centre.

Many thanks to Ferret who knows my phone better than I and managed to get my phone back into photo mode, alas too late for this quilt.
I got glimpses of a few really super quilts so those going to the National Quilt Show at Sandown this week are in for a treat.

Early coverlet

Some people shouldn't be allowed out. I'm one of them so I don't very often, the temptation to buy is too great. But of course these days one can buy online. What's a girl to do?
This lovely appliqué coverlet said buy me. I tired in vain to resist but I couldn't. Isn't it wonderful. Some of the fabrics have been fussy cut on the tulips. The toile de Jouy bird only appears in one corner. Was it added later or did the maker just fancy having it on her side of the bed? Or perhaps she placed it so it would show when you opened the bedroom door? It doesn't cover up a hole in the fabric which was my first thought. All the needle turn appliqué is quite finely done.