Pieced together

Quilts and patchwork tell a feminine story, valued as works of art, historic record of events and pieces of design history.

When I was 18 years old, I made a small patchwork piece using paper hexagons. I stitched it onto a bed cover which sat on my bed at university. Technically this is patchwork; for it to be a quilt there needs to be two layers of fabric with a filling between, all stitched into a sandwich. Many museum collections include quilts, some have stories with the maker and owner recorded, others are full of stories which remain untold. The wear and repairs add another layer of stories. The large size presents problems for museums when displaying them and they are at risk of insect infestation and damage from light.

One of the largest UK collections of quilts is at the American Museum in Bath. It was set up by Americans to help the British understand home life and the decorative art of American. It starts with room sets including those of families who emigrated to America from Europe taking culture and objects with them. The museum has an amazing collection of quilts and textiles. The labels explain the styles and fabrics used and quite often the date it was made. When we visited there was a temporary exhibition – Kith & Kin, the Quilts of Gee’s Bend. This showcases the extraordinary work of a group of African American women from a remote river island community in Alabama who together have continued a 200 year tradition of quilt making. The colours are amazingly vibrant and the photographs that go alongside the quilts show them draped over fences.