Anne Williams takes a look at some British quilts, old and new, inspired by plant life
Certain themes seem to be perennial favourites with quilters, and designs inspired by flowers and plants are a case in point. But as gardening and the natural world are popular interests, perhaps it’s no surprise that quilters – and, indeed, artists from all disciplines – have long been attracted to botanical subjects. Then, who could fail to be inspired by the endless colour combinations and the fascinating shapes and textures offered by nature’s bounty? With spring’s longer days and (hopefully) brighter weather, if they aren’t already, buds should soon be bursting, leaves unfurling, flowers blooming and blossoms frothing, so what better time of year to head outside and give your creativity a kickstart?
HISTORIC EXAMPLES
Appliqué is a common technique for making quilts inspired by flora, with many surviving examples from the nineteenth century. Flowers, wreaths, vines and urns were all popular motifs, often portrayed in stylistic shapes. The Victorian era saw a rapid rise in the enthusiasm for gardening, flowers and plants. With new species being imported from overseas by plant hunters, for the well-to-do their garden was a way to show off their wealth and social standing, and perhaps also a source of ideas for other hobbies such as needlework. As appliqué involves applying layers of fabric on top of a background it is certainly not an economical method, especially if material has been fussy cut so a specific area of a print can be used for a particular motif. So, these quilts were not thrifty utilitarian items, but rather decorative pieces made by ladies of leisure to showcase their skills, and most likely their fabric and thread collections, too.
The maker of the mid-nineteenth century Red Manor House Coverlet (above left) is unknown, but they must have been an adept seamstress to create such a complex frame design. The squares surrounding the central motif of a red manor house each feature a different pattern, including flowers, pot plants and domestic animals, probably inspired by the maker’s surroundings. The edges of the appliquéd designs have been finished with hand-embroidered herringbone stitch, so this coverlet was undoubtedly a time-consuming endeavour.
The Jubilee Quilt (above right) is a tour de force of patchwork using sumptu
