Today_s_Quilter_-_November_2019

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QUILTING HERITAGE l g u n n e rsb u r y p a rk m u se u m

Join us at http://www.todaysquilter.com

fascinatingexhibitionthatexploreshowquilting

developedfromthelate1780stothe1850s,

lookingat technologicalandsocialchanges.In

additiontotheexhibition,thereis anexciting

programmeof lecturesandworkshopsrunning

concurrently.HeatherAudin,Curatorat The

Quilters’Guild,themuch-lovedJanetClareand

textileartist,RuthSinger,arejustsomeof the

familiarfacesthatwillbeintroducingvisitorsto

themanyfacetsof patchworkandquilting,from

EnglishPaperPiecing to an exploration of our

quiltingheritage.

RuthSinger’sCriminalQuiltslecturewill

provideaninterestingcontrasttolifeinthe

19thcenturyfromthatof theformerresidents

of Gunnersbury,theRothschildfamily,partof

thewealthybankingdynasty.Ruth’sCriminal

Quiltsprojectwasinspiredbyphotographsand

documentsrelatingtowomenheldinStaord

Prison1877-1916,andwillbeondisplayat

themuseumovera weekendinNovember

(see overleaf ). Of particular interest is the

talkbyDrBridgetLong,whojoinsHeather

AudinforanafternoonlectureontheActon

Topitself,explainingwhyit is anoutstanding

exampleof domesticdecorative needlework from

Gunnersbury’s collection.

TheActonTop

Duringmyvisit,SeniorCuratorJuliaTubman

andAssistantCuratorAmyDobsonwereinthe

finalstagesof preparingtheActonTopfordisplay

initscustom-builtconcavemount,almostlike

anoversizeddeckchair,whichcansupportthe

weightof thequilt– a sizeable118inx 118in.Other

objectsondisplayincludea 1780-1790ssilkquilt

witha woolwadding,hand-quiltedwitha basket

designineachcorner;a colourful,two-sided

PatchworkCoverlet(1850s),anda BabyQuiltwith

a traditionalframestructure,madeupof squares

andhalftrianglesthatdatesbacktothe1860s.

TheActonTopis bothpiecedandappliquéd

andis thoughttohavebeenmadearound 1825

bywomenof theIncefamilywhowerelocalto

Acton.It wasdonatedtothemuseumin 1831 bya

MissGraham.Therearetwosetsof initials“TW”

and“MW”embroideredinthe borders, but their

identityremainsa mystery.

Almost 200 yearsold,thetopfeaturesappliqué

designsof contemporaryfiguresinRegencydress,

biblicalscenes,animalsandplants.If youlook

closely,youwillseethatthemakershavemade

a considerableeorttoincluderealisticdetails

intheirhandstitching.Noticethebustleonthe

dressof thewomancarryinga flower,thestrapson

thesandalsof manyof thefiguresinthebiblical

scenes,andthetinyeyesthatgivethebirdstheir

character.BothJuliaandAmyhavegreataection

forthequiltandwereeagertopointoutareasof

interest– thecleveruseof fussycutting,theelegant

pineapple, the butcher bedecked in checked apron,

Above,The

levelofdetailin

theappliquéd

scenes

suggeststhat

themaker(s)

gavecareful

considerationto

thebestuseof

fabricandstitch

detailtobring

thesescenes

tolife;

Belowleft,

Retroposter

fromwhen

theActonTop

wasexhibited

in the1970s;

Belowright,

Gunnersbury

Park Museum