The 1718 Coverlet

You may, or more probably may not, be aware that the Quilters' Guild in the UK have a patchwork coverlet from 1718 in their collection. Due to age and fragility it isn't displayed very often. I first became aware of it when it wasn't displayed in the American Museum in Bath ( cold weather = burst pipes = flooded display area), although I do think it was eventually displayed. As a side note it took me more than four years and a move away from Bath before I found out the American Museum had a quilt display (still haven't visited).

Anyway, where was I?

The coverlet was billed as one of the exhibits at the Festival of Quilts.

To protect it it was laid down and under perspex. Amazing that this was hand sewn in 1718 from scraps of silk.

The guild have done conservation and a lot of research into who made it and how. They've even had an attempt at reading the papers which are still in the quilt blocks. There's a piece of original linen on the back so these aren't easily accessible.

To give an idea of what it may have looked like originally the guild have made a copy...

Made in 2004 by members of the Quilters Guild

And as a bonus, if any were needed, they also had some patchwork seat covers from the 1700s on display.

We didn't have a show guide so we thought that was all for the 1718 Coverlet.

We were wrong.

The 1718 Coverlet 300 Years On - Susan Gilby

There was the 1718 Challenge category for quilts that either fully or partly reproduce the quilt, using the quilters own style while keeping the spirit of the original.

Interpreting 1718 - Helen Ginns

There was a surprising number on display, which is obviously not reflected in the number of photos I took! The amount of work that must have gone into each one is amazing.