The Quilt Collection

29/08/2024

The Quilters’ Guild - British Quilt Study Group

Are you interested in the history and development of British patchwork and quilting?
Do you want to find answers to things that puzzle you?
Do you want to discover how particular techniques or dyes were developed?
Do you have a single quilt or style of quilts you want to research?
Do you want to research contemporary practice?

The British Quilt Study Group, a special interest group of The Quilters’ Guild, holds an annual seminar where research papers on these topics are presented. The papers are then published in the annual journal ‘Quilt Studies’.

We are now calling for ideas for papers for the 2025 September/October seminar and want to hear from people who would like to submit proposals for papers. At this stage, all that is required is a 500-word abstract detailing your idea. The BQSG Research Panel will help you develop your ideas with suggestions and guidance.

If you have a project in mind but feel that you cannot pursue it due to cost, BQSG offers an annual bursary of up to £500 to contribute towards additional research costs. The bursary could be used for attending the seminar, travel and accommodation costs for your research, childcare, copying and reproduction fees or other agreed costs necessary to your project.

Email [email protected] to find out how to submit an abstract and how to apply for the bursary. Closing date for receiving abstracts is 30th November 2024 (later submissions may be considered at the discretion of the Research Panel). The closing date for applications for the bursary is 7 January 2025.

If you would like to read papers from previous seminars, copies of Quilt Studies can be bought from the Quilters’ Guild shop at www.quiltersguildshop.org.uk/

The Quilters’ Guild of the British Isles is the national organisation for people involved in patchwork and quilting. The British Quilt Study Group is one of five specialist groups within The Guild and provides a forum for people interested in the history, development and contemporary practice of patchwork and quilting. See https://bqsg.quiltersguild.org.uk/

Further information is available from Liz Nally, Research Administrator, at [email protected]
Accompanying Photograph: 1830’s/1840’s North Country Patchwork Quilt (detail). © Elizabeth Nally, Private Collection

08/08/2024

We're thrilled to announce our forthcoming exhibition and opening times in conjunction with the Heritage Open days, from the 6th - 20th September* (we'll continue to open for another week after the Heritage Open days finishing date). The theme this year is "Routes-Networks-Connections", and we look forward to presenting "The World on our Doorstep" exhibition, which explores a selection of textiles from The Quilt Collection that originate or feature design influences from other parts of the world.

(*please note we are not open Sundays)

The World on our Doorstep exhibition explores a selection of textiles from The Quilt Collection, that originate or feature design influences from other parts of the world.

05/08/2024

We had such a great time at the Festival of The Festival of Quilts. Thank you to all those who came to support our exhibition and we hope you enjoyed it! It's really important for us to be able to share our Collection with the public, and it was our pleasure to be able to show such rare and important pieces of our patchwork and quilting heritage.

A huge thanks also goes to all our volunteer stewards who helped to make our visitor experience more special.

A few images below for those who missed it or weren't able to visit this year.

25/07/2024

Wow, only one week to go until we can welcome you to our gallery at the fabulous Festival of Quilts! All the quilts and coverlets are condition checked and ready for packing, all the text and labels are printed and the tool box is ready!

This year's show will be simply stunning, and as well as our original Quilt Collection pieces on show inside our gallery, we're thrilled to have the opportunity to display some fantastic reproduction quilts inspired by our historic items on the outside of our gallery.

Thanks also go Year 2 students of York St. Johns University Illustration course, who completed a project based on the designs, patterns and prints found in the quilts in this year's exhibition. We look forward to sharing their work with you!

18/07/2024

If you're visiting the Festival of Quilts this year (1st - 4th August, Birmingham NEC) then do come and see our exhibition, "Patchwork: Pattern and Print, 1780-1840".

For those interested in delving a little deeper, there are daily Gallery talks by renowned Quilt historian and expert Dr. Bridget Long (Thursday) and Quilt Collection Curator Heather Audin at 11am and 2pm (Friday, Saturday and Sunday, except Friday 11am).

We can't wait to see you there!

11/07/2024

We're so excited to share our fantastic Festival of Quilts exhibition with you, which will open in exactly 3 weeks!

This is a rare opportunity to see 14 stunning pieces from the Quilt Collection made between 1780-1840 - several of which have never been publicly exhibited before! These pieces are exquisite examples of our patchwork and quilting heritage and this is an exhibition not to be missed. We hope to see you at the show in Birmingham!

This year’s exhibition from The Quilt Collection provides a stunning visual feast – a collection of late eighteenth and early nineteenth-century pieces.

30/05/2024

William Wyatt Coverlet
Date: 1849
Size: 254cm (W) x 267cm (L)

Edwin and Mary Bloomfield Coverlet
Date: 1850
Size: 230cm (W) x 246cm (L)

23/05/2024

The Mitchell Quilts - 1899

Title: Cumbrian Frame Quilt

Date: 1899
Description: Printed cottons frame quilt with a central square on point. This is one of two quilts (see also 'Cumbrian Triangles Quilt') made by Bertha Mitchell for her sister Elizabeth's wedding in 1899. The two quilts were then passed on through the family to celebrate another three generations of marriage until the quilt was donated to Collection in 2005. Bertha Mitchell was a seamstress who worked at Keswick Boarding School, sewing repairs to clothing. She married late in life to a widowed brother-in-law. Some of the cottons in the quilt are from flour bags, which likely came from Walmsley & Smith in Barrow or Pattinsons' Mill in Whitehaven.
Size: 177cm (W) x 184cm (L)

Title: Cumbrian Triangles Quilt

Date: 1899
Description: The quilt is made from triangles of printed dress and furnishing cottons. This is one of two quilts (see also 'Cumbrian Frame Quilt') made by Bertha Mitchell for her sister Elizabeth's wedding in 1899. As the two quilts by Bertha were made at the same time, some of the same fabrics are in both pieces. This quilt also has examples of Turkey Red printed fabric, a popular choice in the second half of the 19th century as it was vibrant and colourfast.
Size: 169cm (W) x 187cm (L)

04/04/2024

Title: Chintz Frame Coverlet
Description: A cotton frame coverlet with five borders of triangles. It is brown, pale blue, pink and natural coloured and is hand-pieced.
Maker: Esther Cooper Perry or her aunt Esther Cooper
Date: 1830-1839
Size: 249cm (W) x 283cm (L)

28/03/2024

Title: Braided Star Coverlet
Description: Made from cotton fabric, pieced, each piece edged with braid, with some regular geometric shapes and many 'crazy' shapes with piped edges
Maker: William Singleton
Date: 1860-1870
Size: 199cm (W) x 239cm (L)
Pictures: 2-5

Title: Fitted Wool Tablecover
Description: Hand-pieced wool table cover with fitted sides and cotton fringe. The design is geometric shapes of circles and squares which are edged with braid. The cover was made to fit a specific table and has a scalloped edge along all sides.
Maker: William Singleton
Date: 1860-1880
Size: 96cm (W)
Pictures: