It's a huge honour to hear of our fabrics being used in modern recreations of historic pieces. Barbara Harrison emailed to tell us how one such quilt provided her with inspiration for a challenge... with impressive results:
Quiltfest has been held each February since 2002 in Llangollen, North Wales. It is the brainchild of Val Shields, one of the early members of the Quilters' Guild and exhibits are by invitation only. This year Region 13 of the Guild was charged with the organisation of Quiltfest and issued members of the Region with a challenge: to produce an A4 sized piece entitled 'The world about me, as inspired by The Wrexham Tailor's Quilt.'
The Wrexham Tailor's Quilt was made by James Williams between 1842 and 1852 using offcuts from military uniforms. Normally housed in the National Museum of Wales, near Cardiff, it is currently on display at Wrexham County Museum, North Wales.
The Wrexham Tailor's Quilt (image courtesy of The National Museum of Wales)
I loved the colours of The Wrexham Tailor's Quilt and used some of my Oakshott fabrics, of a similar hue to the military uniforms, to produce my piece for the challenge. Living in Chester, the world around me is vibrant with rivers, bridges, canals and rail and road networks, plus strong Roman and Victorian architectural influences. I enjoyed designing this small hanging and was delighted to be awarded First Prize!
Barbara's prize-winning quilt: The World Around Me (image courtesy of Quiltfest)
Congratulations, Barbara! You're an inspiration to us all.
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