The welsh quilt centre

textile heritage

The Welsh Quilt Centre first opened its doors to the public in 2009. A long-cherished ambition of its founder, Jen Jones, she tells us, “I have been collecting Welsh quilts since the early 1970s and see no point in owning them if I can’t share them with others”.

A BURGEONING COLLECTION

A North American, Jen’s interest in Welsh quilts was prompted by a move to Wales following her marriage to a Welshman. She recalls, “When I arrived in Wales, it was a time when there was a trend for modernisation. Lots of little cottages were being done up and much of their contents were being carelessly hurled out. I quickly realised that quilts were generally considered to be ‘old bedding’ and surplus to requirement. I’m not a quilter, but I grew up surrounded by quilts and had a few tatty examples from home that I regarded as precious heirlooms. Passing quilts down, even if they are practically falling apart, is common in the States, so I found it very upsetting to see old quilts being casually abandoned.”

Rather than dwell on the losses, Jen embarked on what she now calls her salvage operation. “I hadn’t previously encountered Welsh quilts, but I thought they were extraordinary. The variety is enormous, and I just adore the makers’ irrepressible creativity. It soon became evident that, despite their diversity, Welsh quilts are recognisable by their stitching and that they are hugely significant items in the nation’s cultural history. I couldn’t understand how their value wasn’t recognised, but convinced they were worth saving, I carried on,” Jen expounds.

In the early days, a great number of old quilts were available, especially through auction houses. Initially buying the quilts for no reason other than to rescue them, Jen kept almost everything, but as numbers grew, she realised she needed to rationalise her purchases. Jen decided to keep those that were in better condition, as to preserve everything would have been too costly, and to sell on the excess quilts. At first, she did this through decorative and antiques fairs, where the quilts were popular with interior designers, and eventually opened her Cottage Shop in Llanybydder so buyers could travel to her instead. “In addition to keeping things under control, buying and selling helps to fund my own collection and its care,” she expl