V and A Quilt Exhibition London...continued

There were so many beautiful quilts and here are a few more from the Quilts 1700-2010 Exhibition at the V and A.

View towards Changi Quilt, made by Girl Guides held at Changi Prisoner of War Camp in Singapore for their quilt leader - beautifully presented with toile quilt in the distance.

Channel 4 has an feature on the quilt with a video you may wish to see.

The Red Cross Quilt and detail.

The quilt was made by the Canadian Red Cross Society and is dated 1939-1941. During the Second World War the Society donated quilts to those in need. The children of a family, whose house and all their possessions were destroyed by enemy bombing, each received a quilt. The concept of Project Linus, Comfort Quilts and other quilting projects of making a quilt for those in real need has been taking place for quite some time. Most recently we blogged about the Haitian Quiltathon - quilts are a great solace and comfort, a security blanket when all other comforts have gone...

Quilt made from blackout curtains and sateens.

Quilts at the Victoria and Albert Museum

Opens today 20th March 2010

Winter/Male and Summer/Female by Jo Budd 2010

George III Reviewing the Troops 1803-1805
Joanna Southcott Coverlet c 1808
Caroline of Hanover Quilt unknown maker c 1820

Close-up of the Bed Hanging at the V and A

One more quick post before anyone notices I'm not doing any work...

This photo shows some of the amazing pieces that make up the whole. A huge amount of work must have been involved in the design and execution of this piece.

V and A Quilts Exhibition - The Domestic Landscape

These quilts are all in the first section and for those who loves historical quilts are a really superb collection. I really should be doing some accounts...so...more photos to follow soon.

The quilt detail shown below is from George III Reviewing the Troops (1803-1805). The construction is technically brilliant and reveals details of the makers life and her social and cultural background. This detail shows just a small section of the quilt below the main centre circle of George III. Vignettes made up of between 23 and 45 patches, hand-drawn inscriptions and embroidery form a border surrounding pieced circles.

This Mariner's Quilt is displayed as it would appear on a bed - again beautifully constructed and preserved. This quilt was made in the 1850's and includes fabrics dating from the 1820's. The mid to late 1800s style was for dense colours and bright patterns. Patchwork designs were produced in magazines and gradually evolved their names such as Mariner's Compass (the centre design) and Jockey's Cap (the circles partially seen in the foreground of the picture below.)

The quilting on this one showed up beautifully in the subtly lit gallery and again displayed bed-style.