The Welsh quilting tradition has been unsung for far too long and we are now going to sing it praises!
We want to share with you what we already know and keep you up to date with what is happening in the Welsh quilting world. We hope too that you will play your part and send us any information that you think will be of interest to all of us who love Welsh quilts and want to learn more about how they were made in the past.
For those of you who want to make new Welsh quilts and want to pick up ideas, we will be showing you what we are making and provide you with new designs to inspire you. Watch this space!
About The Book
We wrote our book MAKING WELSH QUILTS to fill a gap on your shelves. For although Welsh quilts and their distinctive quilting patterns are known and admired throughout the world of quilting this is the first book that takes a comprehensive approach to the subject.
In it you can read about the history of Welsh quilting and see many pictures of old quilts from both private and public collections. There are instructions and patterns for making 10 quilts together with their quilting plans and most importantly you are shown how the distinctive Welsh quilting motifs included in the book can be used and adapted to suit your own designs.
Click here to buy the book from the David & Charles web site.
The Exhibition
To celebrate the publication of MAKING WELSH QUILTS, we organised an exhibition within the Festival of Quilts at the NEC Birmingham. UK in August 2006. This took the form of a gallery of wonderful old quilts which we had persuaded museums and private collectors to lend us. It was very exciting as it was an opportunity for us all to be able to examine quilts that are rarely on display. The small quilts that we made for the book, and many others that there wasn’t space to include, were also displayed in an informal ‘studio’ setting. Mary gave a lecture on her approach to quilt-making and Clare taught a workshop on Making a Welsh Quilt.
About The Authors
Clare: Hi, I am Clare Claridge and I live in Quakers’ Yard in the heart of the South Wales valleys, which used to be a stronghold of the Welsh quilting tradition. I have been interested in Welsh quilts and their very distinctive patterning for many years ever since meeting Katy Lewis of Abertridwr, who became a professional quilter in the 1930’s under the Rural Industries scheme. In 1992 I helped organise a documentation day in Cilfynnydd as part of the Quilters’ Guild Heritage Project and have taught and lectured on the subject since then. I collect old quilts when I can find them and afford them, not only for the pleasure of owning them but to record how the quilters developed their distinctive ways of working. I also enjoy making new quilts using techniques never dreamt of by the old quilters and feel that by doing so I am moving the craft forward and making it relevant today..
Mary: Hi, I am Mary Jenkins and I live in Cardiff, the capital of Wales and now devote much of my time to my passion for Welsh textiles. I collect both Welsh quilts and samplers and also teach and lecture on both subjects. My parents both came from South Pembrokeshire which is known as Little England beyond Wales, because we don’t speak Welsh there and I spent my early childhood there. The fact that so many of the most beautiful old quilts were made in Pembrokeshire makes me very proud of my county’s quilting heritage and I am trying my best to live up to it!