300 Year British Quilting Exhibit at Victoria Albert Museum

[Barbara C.]

Friday, May 7

Dear Reader,

I was planning on broadcasting items on The Quilt Show blog from London as there happens to be a 300 Year quilt exhibit here at the Victoria and Albert Museum at the very same time I am spending two weeks in London prior to a garden tour of England later in May. Unfortunately, the free internet connection is with a connection that is older than my little notebook computer so I will have to diary my entries and load up my impressions when I get back to the Bay Area.

I arrived at the Radisson Edwardian Kenilworth Hotel in Central London around 3 this afternoon and promptly jumped in bed, snoozing to TV. At dinner I went down to the hotel restaurant and ordered a Caesar salad with chicken and white wine, topped off with brown bread ice cream and coffee. Dragging out the meal as long as possible, I met a lovely woman from northern Yorkshire (yes, they did know the folks from All Things Great and Small -- their horses were treated by the famous Vet/author) and we talked about all the great things to see in London among other things. She highly recommend ed the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Queen’s art exhibit at Buckingham palace.

When the lady left, I struck up a conversation with the couple to my left. Their daughter will soon be moving to the San Francisco Bay Area from Charlotte, North Carolina to attend art school. They didn‘t know which one as they didn‘t know there was more than one in San Francisco. I take it that would be the San Francisco Institute of Art.. We had a far ranging conversation and may run into each other at the British Museum tomorrow.

It is very interesting about being a woman in 2010. When I was at the airport awaiting my shuttle to my hotel, I was pronounced “very brave” to be traveling to London ALONE for two weeks. Forty years ago, it was considered “very brave” for a man to be on patrol in Vietnam. A woman in 2010 gets to be brave to be on vacation in London. Show me the medal. I am a brave today lady.

[Barbara C.]

Dear Reader,

After coming back to the hotel from the British Museum this afternoon, I mentioned that the connection they have to the internet has a cord that is incompatible with my more up-to-date computer. The concierge was kind enough to point out that the internet access is wireless and it should work fine. OK……..

So I posted my first entry from yesterday and am writing another today. If you go on line to the Victoria and Albert Museum website, you can see the material that is on sale in conjunction with the 300 Years of Quilting exhibit, along with a quilting book. I also plan to see the William Morris museum while I am in town and will report on it as well. The British Museum was stunning. I took the greatest hits audio tour and the Pantheon audio tour. I am exhausted and looking forward to staying off my feet until tomorrow. I had a terrific meal at a local Anatolian restaurant where I ordered all vegetables to offset the English breakfast that is provided along with the cost of the hotel. I want to save my dollars for fabric.

Carol `

[Barbara C.]

I hope you went upstairs to see the textile collection too. That's stunning!

[Barbara C.]

Dear Amoret,

Thanks for writing. Are you referring to upstairs at the British Museum or at the Vic toria and Albert? At the British Museum, I moved through the rooms upstairs qui ckly to view certain items as directed by the audio tape. That tour still took three hours!! I can go back as it is just a block from my hotel if you would recommend it.

Thanks,

Carolo[/code]

[Barbara C.]

Carol, thanks for sharing with us. I will continue to check in to see what else you have added.

[Barbara C.]

Dear Ritzy,

Thanks for your interest. It is so much fun to share. I am hoping that I will be able to take pictures in the exhibit. If I can, I will be sure to post them online.

Carol

[Barbara C.]

Keep sharing Carol! I love hearing what others are doing on their travels. I am going solo on an 8 day quilt cruise in June and then staying on for another ten days. A back to back cruise they call it. I will start in Dover and end up in Copenhagen. Fly to Frankfurt and then home to NC. My very nice quilt cruise coordinator's are taking me with them in London to the Globe Theater to see MacBeth. Then they are going to introduce me to Greek food.

Barbara

[Barbara C.]

Floor 3 in the V&A Carol. There is a gallery with upright cases that hold slide out panels and each panel has fabric samples on them. They are from quite morden printing techniques on the right back 2000 years. (I managed back to about the 14th century). It's amazing to see lace, embroidery, tapestry and weaving all less than a few millimetres under your finger that was made by hand hundreds of years ago.

Don't forget the bulk of the V&A is free, including this part, and it wouldn't take long to go and see. It sent tingles down my spine some of it!

Oh, there are no cameras alowed in the Quilt exhibition sadly, not sure about elsewhere though. (And the Jewellery is in the gallery next door to the Textiles. That's worth a look too!!!)

[Barbara C.]

Hi Carol, it sounds like you're having fun in London, I'm sure you'll be safe there, I certainly have no qualms about going there by myself . Where else are you travelling to in the UK? Do you need advice on finding quilt shops? Sadly you will find them very expensive compared to the ones in the US and most of the fabric is from there anyway, but I know the shop in Warwick, near the castle, makes a point of trying to stock english fabric and english-themed fabric as they get a lot of overseas visitors.

Most hotels have wireless internet now, I'm glad you found that out so we can enjoy your trip with you :wink: . The weather's pretty good at the moment, May is my favourite month here, everything is so pretty.

[Barbara C.]

Dear Friends,

I may be delayed in returning to California at the end of the month due to volcanic activity. I have day-dreamed of being snowed in while on a ski trip. Maybe I will forced to spend a few more days in London instead. I hope so. The Victorian and Albert Museum is having a Members’ week at the end of the month which includes “Fashion Show: A Musical Revue” celebrating the V&A exhibit Grace Kelly, as well as a Liberty of London lecture on Contemporary Quilting.

Today I went to the Quilts 1700-2010 Exhibit. There were many quilts worth looking at close up. Many interesting details are lost in the photographs in the accompanying book. What struck me was that, due to English paper piecing, the quilters used many shapes that would be easy to hand sew, but not so easy to construct with a sewing machine. The 18th century quilters were especially fond of a curved shaped that looks a bit like a shield. They would sew the shapes together in the manner of a hexagonal quilt, using many silks and velvets and creating a very pleasing pattern. Additionally, their quilting design lines were spaced much farther apart. The designs would be intricate -- but writ large. As the batting was higher in these particular quilts, the design lines really showed up. There would be a scant half inch between two parallel lines, for example, creating an almost braided or corded effect. Many of the quilts were shinny and it turns out they used metal thread. I was also surprised by the size of many blocks. Studying quilts from another time gives me perspective on how many preconceptions about how a quilt should look are based on the taste of our current times. I find I like many looks that I wouldn’t have considered before. There is a definite tradition of very detailed quilting on pieces with a backing, but not batting. I hope this exhibit eventually travels to the US.

Oh -- fabric. I had picked up three fat quarter packs. I then picked up a sample copy of the book to determine if I wanted to purchase it. I stacked the fat quarter packs on a table just outside the exhibit to look through the book. A lady came out of the exhibit and paused to look at the queue of people around the books. She sees the fat quarter packs, picks up and examines each one in turn and then puts them down. Another lady and then another lady did the very same thing. I reached out to restack the packs and a lady jumps back as she was reaching towards them and she apologizes. I laughed and told her what had just happened. We just can’t keep our hands off the fabric. I bought the book too. Tomorrow I will go back and take the new member tour and visit the Grace Kelly exhibit. The book store is filled up with jewelry and high fashion books and the museum is jammed with visitors for that exhibit. Monday will be a good day to visit Grace.

Carol

[Barbara C.]

Dear Amoret,

Thanks for the tip about the 3rd floor at the V&A. I will be sure to go there tomorrow. It sounds like a dream place to visit-- and revist.

Carol

[Barbara C.]

Dear Barbara,

A European quilt cruise. Wow. What is your itinerary? Are their guest teachers?

Carol

[Barbara C.]

Dear Alibeoly,

I am taking the Exploritas England's Great Garden Heritage: From Sissinghurst to Chelsea. We will be staying in Maidstone for three days, Cheltenham for three days, and London for three days. The tour ends with the Chelsea Flower Show. If you know of any quilt shops in Maidstone or Cheltenham, please let me know. I would love to visit. I will try to get to the quilt shop near the Warwick Castle that you mentioned as I would like to get some British fabric while I am here.

Carol

[Pam D.]

Dear Carol

Ali may know of some shops that I don't. However I have googled and found that there is a quilt shop at Cheltenham, http://www.goosechasequilting.co.uk

Also I think the nearest one to central London is http://www.tikkilondon.com at Kew Gardens. You could visit a quilt shop and Kew Gardens in the same day. I couldn't find any in Maidstone.

Libertys deparment store is an amazing place to visit. Liberty prints cotton fabrics are famous worldwide, but expensive. http://www.liberty.co.uk

Do check their websites as some of the quilt shops have limited opening hours.

I hope that you have a great trip. Pam

[Pam D.]

Dear Friends,

The sun was shining between the clouds this morning and I immediately headed for a cruise on the Thames. It comes as part of a bus package for the day of London. I took the boat from the Westminster pier to Greenwich and back. And then I got on the tour bus for a tour of the city. I had taken another tour yesterday and so I am getting oriented at last. On the tours, you learn about the origin of a number of turns of phrase. I won’t spoil your fun, but you will get to learn where the following come from:

He’s taking one for the road
He’s staying on the wagon
We are not amused
He’s got Dutch courage

I was so confident that I decided to walk home from Oxford street. Of course, I soon was lost. I went to a bookstore, found a good tour book with a map and went to a coffee shop to study. No problem, just four blocks away I was back on the street with the British Museum. The sun was going down and I went into a very friendly pub. I sat at the counter while waiting for a table and ordered fish and chips and a pint, moving to a table before the food was served. Lucky me, a couple asked to share the table. They were from Paris and we had a wonderful conversation that lasted through a second pint. Having just retired, I must say I don’t particularly envy a man my age with a 5 year old daughter. His second wife was wonderful and we had a lot of fun. But that’s a lot of more years of work. I just want to party and am looking forward to, God willing, the safe delivery of a grandchild in October.

Carol