I was inspried this week by the new exhibition at the V&A in London ("
Quilts 1700 - 2010") to hunt out some attractive quilts in cyberland. Surprisingly, although there are literally thousands of websites devoted to patchwork, Amish quilts and quilt patterns, it's not that easy to find pieces that are original but not avant-garde, attractive but not too "folksy".
I've come up with a few designers that produce what I think are lovely pieces - being handmade they inevitably come at quite a price. Oh well - it costs nothing to oggle so let's enjoy browsing!
First up are
Napoleon Quilts from the USA - my favourites by a long chalk, they are entirely hand-stitched and are produced in limited edition - no more than 8 of a design are ever made and some are totally unique. Created for children, their use should certainly be extended to adults!
I also am pretty fond of these pieces by
Sun Moon Lake . Two reasons: 1. they are based in a place I actually visited at Christmas, a little gem of a town tucked away in the moutains of central Taiwan and 2. they are made from soft cashmere, re-worked from cast off jumpers . Each piece is soft, warm and hand-crafted, as well as re-cycled!
Sally Campbell in Australia is a up there with the very best, designing quilts that as she says are either "hand-woven, hand-stitched, hand-dyed or hand block-printed". She works with artisans in rural parts of India using traditional techniques to keep ancient handicrafts alive. All the items are carbon neutral and part of the sum paid for them goes back to the community. The results are exquisite :
Raggidyragdolls are another pick from down under producing locally made hand-crafted children's toys and cot quilts. Featuring Red Riding Hood, magic animals and birds and all being machine washable, they make bedtime beautiful!
Like Sally Campbell, American
John Robshaw has long been interested in the printing techniques of Indian craftsmen. Working closely with local artisans, he spends much of his time in India, creating beautiful designs that combine a "painterly aesthetic" with traditional block-printing, producing elegant quilts that retain the spirit of age-old handicrafts.
All I have to do now, is get to the V&A!!
