Today_s_Quilter_-_November_2019

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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