Quilts Exhibition 2010
In March 2010 the V&A will present a major exhibition which will showcase over 300 years of British patchwork and quilting. For the first time the museum's collection of extraordinary quilts and coverlets will be displayed together with examples from some of the country's finest regional museums.
Creating a major exhibition is a bit like embarking on parenthood. The responsibilities are enormous and everyone has an opinion. Have you thought about doing this, including that, why aren’t you tackling this issue, will it really have a audience? The awful 2.00 am periods of restless wakefulness, fretting about the enormity of the task ahead. The sudden, unutterable feeling that actually, after all, you might not be up to the task - all fade into the murky depths of your unconscious the moment you go back to working with objects which are totally fascinating, completely absorbing. Every quilt has a hidden history, an unspoken story which is concealed within its layers.
This exhibition aims to showcase the skill and creativity involved in making highly complex and decorative quilts and bedcovers from 1700-2010 - we will also reveal some of the extraordinary stories behind some of the most superb examples. Most importantly this exhibition is about the hand and the heart, the sheer emotional response to objects which are so much part of all of our history, we simply need an opportunity to rediscover them.
This blog sets out to chart the progress of the exhibition, providing an unique 'behind the scenes' look at a process which is both complex and challenging. It will also be an opportunity to share work in progress with you our audience. We hope you will join us on our journey, we appreciate your support and look forward to your comments..
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Wool felt applique coverlet, Ann West, 1820, Museum no. T.23-2007
Comments
Please can you advertise this event with The Quilt Show, I am sure quilters from the USA and rest of world who are visiting the UK this year would love to see the exhibition. I have had a look on their website and it is deffinately not listed. Their
address is /www.thequiltshow.com/os/search_events.php.
Thanks
This stunning news ! I live in South America and quilt in isolation so the opportunity to see loads of quilts next year in a massive exhibition at the V and a will be the perfect excuse for coming over to the U.K.
I hadn't realised that the exhibition had already been so long in the planning,but,fear not,I'm sure there will be heaps of people coming to see it from far and wide.
Very excited about this. I am a keen quilter in Australia. Do you have the exhibition dates so I can start to plan. Looks wonderful
After discovering this exhibition I have decided to change my thesis subject to patchwork and quilts! any advice about sources of research would be very much appreciated. thanks
I am looking forward to the new book and the fabric panel but may I suggest that a 2011 calendar and/or set of notecards would be a great addition to the quilt exhibition merchandise.
I agree and would like to put my name down for one!
;)
That will be an exciting exhibition. I'll deffinately have to go down to London and spend a day at the V&A. Will make a print of this post and spread the word amongst my textile groups here in Suffolk :-)
Birgitte
This exhibition will be very exciting. I was excited when I started plans to attend the show. The blog will be a teaser into departure time next year.
We have planned to come since the idea of the exhibition was first whispered; we can hardly wait!
How wonderful! I'm absolutely delighted to see the V&A are having a quilt exhibition next March - I'm a keen quilter who stillo has a lot to learn and this will be a real treat to look forward. Good luck with all your plans and preparations.
I am absolutely sure the exhibition will be great success! Last year's textile exhibition in Leeuwarden (Holland) was fabulous and I can't wait to see one at V&A museum
So looking forward to the exhibition. As curator of a small exhibition space in Dublin that has just finished hosting a textile exhibition, I'm getting back to sewing & embroidery and find it's so relaxing. Looking forward to getting some new ideas at the best museum in the world.
I learned the basics of English patchwork whilst at secondary school between 1958 and 1963. Since then I have learned many new techniques, especially embellishment. My main interest is in Art Quilts and Wallhangings, especially Ecclesiastical Wallhangings.
I now teach dressmaking and creative needlecrafts in North London and Patchwork & Quilting is definitely the most popular short course I run.
I will make sure that all my students know about the exhibition so that we can all visit it together.
this exhibition will be very exciting - both for you setting it up and for the visitors. Any chance of bringing some of it to Australia - I'd love to come but probably won't
i'm french and i made quilts since 10 years ago, i love to make it a lot, but i'm alone, in france there are some groups but i live in a little town!
it's awesome: i can't be at the exibition in 2010, but i am sure it shall be graet, and i hope some pics on this site!
i need some new patterns!
thanks for sharing!
Chantal
Be prepared for a flood of quilters from across the pond, including me. Have you thought of producing and selling a few patterns inspired by some of the quilts that will be in the exhibition? Will there be a book of the quilts for sale? You might consider inviting some English quilters to conduct workshops during the exhibition, maybe demonstrating techniques used in the antique quilts and still in use today. Just some thoughts.
It is wonderful to have already a look at your work. Wrote a letter to Sue Prichard, hope she will recieve it soon!
As we had in our country, the Netherlands, a huge quilt exhibition last winter, which was a great succes. Quilting from the 17th century until now!
I can imagine that it will give the V&A a great impact in showing her quilts too. Also here in the Fries Museum in Leeuwarden, it became the best visited exhibition in the museum EVER! people love textiles, much more then many museum directors think! lots of success with your work, and I'll be there! An
It is wonderful to have already a look at your work. Wrote a letter to Sue Prichard, hope she will recieve it soon!
As we had in our country, the Netherlands, a huge quilt exhibition last winter, which was a great succes. Quilting from the 17th century until now!
I can imagine that it will give the V&A a great impact in showing her quilts too. Also here in the Fries Museum in Leeuwarden, it became the best visited exhibition in the museum EVER! people love textiles, much more then many museum directors think! lots of success with your work, and I'll be there! An
One of my friends started patchwork about 10 years ago. The same time I subscribed in a course to make needle lace.
We visit a lot of exhibitions together on either patchwork or needle lace. So I will tell my friend and maybe we will visit this exhibition next year. It surely is a fantastic idea to follow your plans via your blog.
I welcome this blog and the opportunity it provides to gain insights into staging an exciting and important exhibition. It will enable me to get even more out of my visits to the V&A next year. Well done and thank you.
This is so exciting! I'm an hour away from London which makes is so easy for me to get there. I just love the history of quilts and the stories behind them.
A blog about the progress of the exhibition AND photos! Excellent.
I have been waiting and saving for this exhibit for 2 years. Now I can follow the process of the exhibit plans via your blog. Seeing the mock-ups of the display area is fascinating. I was excited when I started plans to attend the show. The blog will be a teaser into departure time next year.
Sally
I am so pleased to be able to see how this exhibit is taking shape. When my friends and I first heard of this exhibit a few years back, we committed to being there. With our airfare (from California) and our UK lodging already purchased, your post is just adding to our excitement. We will watch for any additional news you might be able to tease us with.
Thank you so much for all your hard work.
Penelope Tucker
There are lots of us who are members of online quilt groups such as BQL ,BQHL, who are very happy to have such a treat in store .
We may be able to have a grand meet up as we are all over the UK and USA !
There are numbers of us in the US who are planning to be there for the proposed seminar and to see this extraordinary, once-in-a-lifetime exhibit. We have planned to come since the idea of the exhibition was first whispered; we can hardly wait!
I am so looking forward to this exhibition as I know lots of my friends are too. This will be an exhibition that I will be able to visit more than once as I live within the South East of England, so thank you so much and it is easily commutable.
M
I can't wait for this exhibition, i've just started teaching in my local village. every new techique i teach i like to tell them the history. The only typw so far that i've tought but can't find any history is 'somerset patchwork', so i'll be interested to see if its one that you display, or can anyone help me with this.
just found this through lainie at red thread studio and i love the idea and will link you in to follow along. thanks!
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