Description:
Wholecloth, cotton quilt with a piece of 18th century, chain-stiched, multi-colored wool, crewel embroidery with scrolling vines with flowers, leaves and berries carefully cut out from the original white linen background and then appliqued to a backing of plain weave, white cotton; back to front binding; and cotton batting. There are blue marking lines visible around some of the embroidery. The quilting, which looks like an English quilting pattern, is done in a narrow diamond grid with a double-line arched border with paisley flowers, and hearts and spirals within arches in 9-10 quilting stitches per inch. According to the original data card, the quilt was given to the donor by a Mr. Carter who was a former curator of an historic house in England.
Label Text:
Created from a pair of wool crewel-embroidered linen bed curtains, this quilt is a masterpiece of re-cycling. The original curtains were based on designs from Indian hand-painted cotton, ‘tree-of- life’ forms. It is likely that the linen ground wore away and the embroidery was completely cut out, re-arranged, and appliquéd to a cotton backing. Various thin stems and branches were re-embroidered in wool chain-stitch. After the appliqué was completed, the entire piece was quilted in a pattern of diamonds with an elaborate border of half-circles and diamonds. The crewel embroidery,worked entirely in chain-stitch, is some of the finest work in the collection.
Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+F.589 |
