Was it last week that I told a friend, "I'm not buying fabric online ever again. I keep getting unpleasantly surprised by the colors, the scale of the designs, or both." Shortly there after, I caved-in to an online fabric sale. This time, I knew I liked at least one of the fabrics (second from the right) because I already had some. I'm sure glad I took the plunge! I am lovin' all this yummy stuff that just arrived today!
Broderie Perse Exhibit at the New England Quilt Museum
Speaking of pretty fabric, if you have a way to get to the New England Quilt Museum, don't miss the newest exhibit. I was there today and it's pretty fantastic. Contemporary Broderie Perse: An Elegant Revival runs from July 15 - October 17. After that, the exhibit travels to the National Quilt Museum in Paducah, KY.
What I found engaging was the beautiful floral fabrics; the teeny-tiny buttonhole stitches that looks like they were done by machine (but they're all hand done); and the wonderful medallion quilt designs. I kept forgetting these were contemporary quilts, the colors and fabrics were deceptive.
Broderie perse literally means "Persia embroidery." You can read more about the NEQM exhibit here but note that after the exhibit closes, the information will be replaced by content relative to the next exhibit....so, I pasted part of the content into these bullets:
Combining collage, fine appliqué, and fine quilting, broderie perse, also known as cut-out chintz appliqué, presents a high point in the art of quilting and deserves the admiration and attention of all who appreciate fine needlework.
The technique emerged in the late eighteenth century when chintz fabrics were very expensive and only the very wealthy could afford whole cloth bed coverings made from large pieces of chintz.
By cutting motifs out of a small amount of fabric, the quilter could rearrange them onto a large field of inexpensive plain cotton to imitate the designs on larger fabrics.
Plain cream or white fields filled by fine quilting surround the trees, floral sprays, wreaths, urns, birds, and baskets appliquéd with tiny whip, buttonhole, or reverse buttonhole stitches.
The style, which was very popular in the Middle Atlantic States and the South into the 1840s, largely disappeared after the 1850s.
The exhibition, curated by Anita B. Loscalzo, presents 30 contemporary broderie perse quilts and several antique examples in order to familiarize viewers with the style and its history.
1 comment:
Thanks for the link, wouldn't it be great to see the exhibition online? I do like your new fabrics!
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