Today_s_Quilter_-_November_2019

(singke) #1
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INSPIRATIONlback story


B


eckIsleMuseuminPickeringis
raisingfundstoconservea beautiful
signaturequiltthatwasgiftedtothe
museumin1988.Measuring118insquare,
thissizeablequilthasbeenondisplayat the
topofthemuseum’sstaircaseforthelast
fortyyearsand,throughthepassageoftime,
hassuereddamage from exposure to light
andgravity.
TheSignatureQuiltwasmadeat the
SundaySchoolofStPeterandStPaul’s
ChurchinPickeringunderthesupervisionof
FrancesLightfoot,thewifeoftheReverend
G.H.Lightfoot,VicarofPickering.It
carriestheembroiderednamesof 255 ofthe
teachersandchildrenattendingtheSunday
Schoolin 1888 onsquaresofTurkeyred
calicoandwhitecalico,borderedwitha wide
varietyofembroiderystitches.Oneofthe
255 namesonthequiltis AnnieTomkins,
who worked as a maid for Reverend

Lightfootand,whentheLightfootsdied,
Annieinheritedthequilt.It waspassed
ontoAnnie’sdaughter, who later donated
it tothemuseum.
Signaturequilts(oftencalledbazaar
quilts)werea particularphenomenonofthe
19thcentury.Oftenmadetoraisemoney
fora church,chapelorcharity,theywere
embroideredorsignedeitherby,oronbehalf
of,thepersoncontributinga sumforthe
privilegeofhavingtheirnameassociated
withthequilt.Giventhehistoricnature
ofthisquiltandtherelevancetothelocal
community,themuseumareraisingfunds
sothatit canbeconservedanddisplayed
onceagaininStPeterandStPaul’sChurch,
whereit starteditsjourneyover 130 years
ago.WouldyouliketohelpBeckIsle
Museumraisethefundstoconservethis
importantpieceofhistory?If so,youcan
make a donation at their website.

Doyouhavea quiltwitha taleto tell?Letus know,andyoucouldbe featuredontheBackStorypage!Email
[email protected] or writetoTo d a y ’s Q u i l t e r, Eagle House, Colston Avenue, Bristol BS1 4ST

CONSERVATION


MATTERS


The Beck Isle Museum Signature Quilt


Preserving
localhistory
TheawardwinningBeck
IsleMuseumofRural
Lifewasfoundedin 1967
bya groupofvolunteers
interestedinpreserving
thehistoryofPickering.
Housedina Georgian
GradeII*listedbuilding,
themuseumis hometo
some50,000objects,
cataloguingPickering’s
richhistoryasa rural
markettown.Tostart
planningyourvisitandto
findoutwhat’son,visit
http://www.beckislemuseum.org.uk
Free download pdf