What is a Welsh Quilt?
Welsh Quilts,
Please remember for every rule/fact/instance, there will be exceptions.
As with so many things in life, they evolved and grew as fabrics and tools and information became available.
When I think of Welsh Quilts,
I think bold designs
I think Bold colours
I think serendipitous
I think, spirals, hearts, paisley (Welsh pear),leaves, infills
I think frames/borders
Did I mention I love Welsh Quilts.
Welsh quilts were made and used for warmth. To be used on the bed. To be functional.
And as you would expect we used what we had to hand to make our quilts.
In Wales we have plenty of sheep. Which meant we have wool. Which meant we had woolen fabrics, and wool to use as a filler/wadding/batting.
As cotton fabrics became more available we used them also. With cotton sateen often being favoured especially for the Wholecloth Quilts.
The quilt top could be a Wholecloth (one fabric) or Pieced, often using scraps (that's pieces from already used and worn out clothing, quilts, etc. or left over pieces from making clothing).
The middle could be anything from beautifully carded wool to old worn out quilts, straw, paper, old clothes etc, all dependent upon the quilt makers circumstances.
Two types of Welsh Quilt immediately spring to my mind.
The Wholecloth
And
The Pieced frame type quilt
And Strippys - so simple and yet so beautiful.
These types of quilt shout WELSH to me.
You'll also see lots of other types of pieced Welsh quilts. But I don't want to confuse the issue so we'll talk more about those at a later date. (Something to look forward to).
AND
I think I've given you enough examples to start off with - because if you are anything like me. When someone gives me too much information at one time - my brain get overloaded and the information falls out of my ears.
Of course the most important thing about Welsh Quilts for me, is the Quilting.
Frame/medallion type Quilting was so often used.
These quilting patterns distinguish a Welsh Quilt from others.
Please remember for every rule/fact/instance, there will be exceptions.
As with so many things in life, they evolved and grew as fabrics and tools and information became available.
When I think of Welsh Quilts,
I think bold designs
I think Bold colours
I think serendipitous
I think, spirals, hearts, paisley (Welsh pear),leaves, infills
I think frames/borders
Did I mention I love Welsh Quilts.
Welsh quilts were made and used for warmth. To be used on the bed. To be functional.
And as you would expect we used what we had to hand to make our quilts.
In Wales we have plenty of sheep. Which meant we have wool. Which meant we had woolen fabrics, and wool to use as a filler/wadding/batting.
As cotton fabrics became more available we used them also. With cotton sateen often being favoured especially for the Wholecloth Quilts.
The quilt top could be a Wholecloth (one fabric) or Pieced, often using scraps (that's pieces from already used and worn out clothing, quilts, etc. or left over pieces from making clothing).
The middle could be anything from beautifully carded wool to old worn out quilts, straw, paper, old clothes etc, all dependent upon the quilt makers circumstances.
Two types of Welsh Quilt immediately spring to my mind.
The Wholecloth
And
The Pieced frame type quilt
And Strippys - so simple and yet so beautiful.
These types of quilt shout WELSH to me.
You'll also see lots of other types of pieced Welsh quilts. But I don't want to confuse the issue so we'll talk more about those at a later date. (Something to look forward to).
AND
I think I've given you enough examples to start off with - because if you are anything like me. When someone gives me too much information at one time - my brain get overloaded and the information falls out of my ears.
Of course the most important thing about Welsh Quilts for me, is the Quilting.
Frame/medallion type Quilting was so often used.
These quilting patterns distinguish a Welsh Quilt from others.
Below is a Wholecloth Quilt I bought from Jen Jones
I was told it was probably from the 1940's
And made in the Machynlleth area in Wales
Can you see the frames/borders?
These are so typical on a Welsh Quilt
Below is a diagram of a typical framed structure
you may be familiar with this type of pieced quilt
You may recognise it as a Medallion quilt
you may be familiar with this type of pieced quilt
You may recognise it as a Medallion quilt
But this typical quilting 'frame' is
used by the Welsh to enclose their quilting motifs
on BOTH Wholecloth and Pieced quilts.
used by the Welsh to enclose their quilting motifs
on BOTH Wholecloth and Pieced quilts.
A close up of some lovely hearts
Some spirals and leaves
Note the double lines of straight quilting
dividing the 'borders/frames' on the quilting.
dividing the 'borders/frames' on the quilting.
The cross hatching infills
more spirals large and small
and more of the double lines of quilting defining the borders/frames
Even in pieced Welsh Quilts the
use of the frame/border layout for the quilting
is used.
(note the frame/border quilting layout ignores the
frame/border layout of the pieced quilt top!)
In other words the quilting patterns are stitched straight over the
pieced areas.
I think/hope that give you a little taste of Welsh Quilts
Is the info falling out of your ears yet?
Time for a pictorial break.....
To view more stunning examples of Welsh Quilts
Have a wander around this Blog as it grows.
or visit
or
and
That's all for now folks - enJoy x
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