Quilts 1700-2010 at the V&A

Thanks to my blog, I received an exclusive invitation to the preview of the "Quilts 1700-2010" exhibition at the V&A, which opened last Saturday and is on until 4th July 2010. So I went along on Wednesday 17 March and I must say I had a very pleasant afternoon. There were some absolutely stunning pieces, and 2 in particular really amazed me. I think a few selected pictures will be worth a thousands words, so grab a drink, make yourself confortable and enjoy your visit

Pieces from "The Domestic Landscape"

Clamshells bed hangings (1730-1750):

detail:

Bed cover and single curtain (mid-1700)

Coverlet (1802)detail:

Coverlet (1797) - one of my favorite (do you remember Dear Jane?...) detail
I would think that the middle blocks (in the octogonal medallion) were about 4' and the outside ones about 6'.

Pieces from "Private thoughts, public debates"

Coverlet (1829): can you see the tacking thread?

Coverlet (1803-1805): my other big favorite, look at the close ups below to be impressed, all circle blocks, so technical.
Close-ups

Coverlet (1830)

Pieces from "Virtue and Virtuosity"

How many times do I have to repeat myself by Caren Garfen (2010)

Right to life by Grayson Perry (1993)

Cover or hanging (1964-77): thousands and thousands of hexies (probably about 1/4' each!!!)

Pieces from "Making a living"

Bedcover (1933)

A Chinese dream (2010) - made of old and new Chinese banknotes

Pieces from "Meeting the Past"

HMP Wandsworth Quilt from Inmates of HMP Wandsworth (2010)

Coverlet from The Changi Girl Guide Group (1943)

I hope you have enjoyed the quilts as much as I did. If you are in London during the exhibition, go to the V&A and see the quilts for yourself, I am sure you will have a great time.

The V&A, in association with Liberty have created a special line of fabric (18 designs) and of course, I had to buy some. One word of advice if you have to be tempted (you never know...) don't buy the FQ bundles (there are more expensive than buying individual FQs and you only get a piece of tape to keep the 6 FQs together for the extra 4£).
Until next time,

Celine