DECEMBER 21, 2017
Mennonite Quilt of Illusion, Maker Unknown, Ontario, c. 1940, cotton, 72” x 87”, Private Collection.
There is only one word for this quilt … masterful. Okay there is another word … stunning. Okay, maybe one more … mesmerizing.
There is not a single mis-step in the design of this quilt. It deserves a long session of study just to understand why the values work as well as they do together. Careful placement of lights and darks and mediums together create a wonderful sense of depth. And the piecing is so beautifully executed.
As I look at it I am reminded of how unforgiving working with solids can be. This quilter was not deterred by that. I think she deserves a standing ovation for this one. What about you, what do you like about this one?
DECEMBER 20, 2017
Tree of Life, Mrs. John McCullock, Campbellford, Ontario, c. 1875 – 1900, cotton, 63” x 72”, from the collection of Country Heritage Park.
This quilt is charming. And it is quietly graphic … not the “in your face” kind, but the “yeah, you are going to want to look at me for a long time” kind! And look at those arches in the quilting … double lines too … I see them on the left side and then when I look at the right side, it looks like she did more of a baptist fan, but that might just be the lighting. I would definitely like to spend some in person time studying this one.
Then let’s talk colour. Pale blue/grey and pale pink and black/navy, brown and red. Yup it works. Definitely works.
Would you try that colour combination?
DECEMBER 19, 2017
McCrum Quilt, Margaret Ann McCrum, Leeds and Grenville County, Ontario, c. 1860-1881, wool and linen, 172 cm x 194 cm, from the collection of Canadian Museum of History.
While the first quilt this year was light and airy, this one is rich, lush and dramatic on that black ground. Notice how in the outer border she turns the corner differently in each one, and how the right side of the outer border is not as dense as the one on the left. There are birds in flight and birds resting on branches. There is spectacular detail in the compositions. I look at this quilt and I am in awe. And I wonder to myself, how long did it take her to make it? Is this how she spent some of her long winter days making this?
If you could ask her a question, what would you ask her?
DECEMBER 18, 2017
Chain and Bar Quilt, Maker Unknown, Alberta, c. dates not specified, cotton, 185.5 cm x 179 cm, from the collection of University of Alberta Museums.
When I opened the page on this one I had that little start of delight and a big smile. I have never seen this block before and it is so fun.
And there are so many things to see: the one turned HST block, the use of red as the cross bars in some of the block, the one block that has the values turned 90 degrees (she did the same thing with some of the centre broken dishes blocks because of the colours in the block and how they played with the sashing in the block).
So much energy and movement. I am putting this one on my list! Are you?
DECEMBER 17, 2017
Sixteen Patch, Maker Unknown, Eastern Townships, Quebec, c. 1880-1900, wool, 183 cm x 199 cm, from the collection of the Textile Museum Of Canada.
It is the subtleness of the colouring on this one that makes me swoon. I love the stripes going in different directions! I love the careful placement of the “pink” blocks down the left side and across the bottom, and then just that one that “turns” the corner on the top. This quiltmaker shows us that when you are making do with what you have you can still create beauty without everything matching exactly and being the same. And look how the green sashing is sometimes pieced, right in the “middle” of a block. Yes!
Are you drawn to this quilt? What do you like about it?
