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


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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
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