11 January 2017

17 in 2017 - Number 2 - The Welsh Quilt

Number 2 on my 17 in 2017 list is The Welsh Quilt

I was luck enough to be able to attend the 2010 Quilt exhibition at the V & A in London, I fell in love with the beautiful hand quilting on this Welsh quilt from their collection.

The original quilt was made between 1800 - 1850 and measures a whopping 235cm x 207cm, you can read what little is known about it on the V & A website
http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O128357/bed-cover-unknown/


I wanted a lap sized quilt, so I did a lot of figuring out and came up with something around 59" x 66" 

I made templates for some of the triangles as they were very odd sizes! Here are my rough notes in case anyone else wants to have a go:

I cut a square and turned it into an octagon for the centre - finished 13” approx
narrow cream border finished 1 1/4” then turned it on point
once it was on point the whole thing including the blue floral setting triangles measures 22"
The next cream border is 3"
triangle border = 5” - rectangles not squares length approx 5 3/4” plus fiddling!
2nd triangle border = 3” - rectangles not squares length approx 6” plus fiddling!
last triangles border on top border only = 5”
final cream border  = 7”


The fabrics are mainly reproductions and all came from my stash including the backing. I am using a Hobbs Wool wadding which is a dream to hand quilt. I wanted to replicate the look of the beautiful Welsh wholecloth quilts on the back, so I chose a plain fabric. Part of what makes a quilt 'Welsh' is the fabulous designs they use for quilting, I struggled to see the quilting on the original and so made up my own stencils, using some of my British quilt reference books and the internet.

The piecing went together quickly and I started hand quilting in the Autumn of 2013 things were going really well...








I pick it up on and off over the next winter, until the arthritis in my hands and wrists go so bad that I couldn't hand quilt.  I was finally diagnosed last year with rheumatoid arthritis and have been relatively pain free for a few months now.  I have finished all the hand work I had prepared for Happy Days so I have picked up my beautiful Welsh Quilt again.  I am hoping that my hands will hold out, and I can carry on quilting.

12 comments:

  1. nice quilting on this - really adds to it.

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  2. Beautiful work, well done on the pattern.

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  3. Your Welsh quilt is very beautiful, I hope you can continue to work on it without having to experience too much pain.

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  4. Wishing you many happy and painfree days a-quilting...

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  5. Please to hear you are back sewing. Great quilt.

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  6. This is lovely, I hope your arthritis doesn't stop you finishing it.

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  7. Elaine thats a terrible pain and its almost impossible to hold the needle, Im using a Japanese sashiko thimble now, it sits at the base of your middle finger disk part hangs down in to the palm and you push the needle through with the palm of your hand not pull the needle through with your fingers much much easier. It takes some getting use to but it means you can keep hand quilting Cheers Glenda

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  8. What a beautiful quilt! And all this hand-quilting, incredible!!
    Very inspiring!
    Best wishes!

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  9. oh it is absolutely gorgeous and I hope that you will be pain free and able to enjoy your stitching

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  10. I love your version, Elaine and the quilting is super! Hope your hands/wrists hold out.

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  11. Your quilt is a beautiful interpretation and the quilting is elaborate and gorgeous. Hope you don't push yourself too hard so that the pain comes back, but you still get it done.

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  12. Beautiful quilt! I'm glad you are able to function again with your meds. Hope that continues for you. The quilting is just lovely!

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