Two Special Exhibits from France and the British Isles

Quilts de Légende

Last fall, Kara posted about the Quilts de Légende exhibit at the European Patchwork Meeting in France. As their exhibit was a favorite when we visited Houston in 2016, I (Teri) tried to keep my jealousy to a minimum. I was thrilled, then, to see that this exhibit would be at Houston again this year. So while Kara and I didn't get to see the quilts together, there was something special about the fact that we both were able to view the same quilts—an ocean and a year apart! 

Quilts de Légende is a biennial exhibit of contemporary quilts inspired by antiques from the 1800s to early 1900s. The purpose of the exhibit is "to spotlight beautiful works that respect the techniques of the past and achieve a balance in color choices." 

Their mission appears to be accomplished! As before, this was one of my favorites of the quilt exhibits. Here are the photos that I took; to see the rest of the exhibit, click on the link above to see Kara's post from France last year. Enjoy!

       

So many skill sets were used to create these quilts: intricate piecework, appliqué, outstanding hand-quilting, broderie perse, and perhaps even some paper piecing. A treat for the eyes!

Antique Quilts of the British Isles

This collection of antique beauties was an awe-inspiring exhibit. The mixture of techniques used here as well was fascinating to study. Again, we have examples of so many different skills. It is hard to look at these and not want to sit down with needle and thread and start to stitch!

 

Bet you can't guess how many tiny hexagons there are in this lovely quilt top. Go ahead and give it a go—make a guess!

  

Zooming in for a closer look...

Each hexie was about 1/4-inch, and the papers were mostly still attached. If you look closely, you can see the thread knots used to keep the papers in place as it was pieced.  How many hexies did you guess?

Was your number close?

The combination of the silks and velvets had a stunning effect.

You can see the green transitioning to the tan.

The chintz is perfect for the center medallion!

I just love the birds in the center of this intricately pieced quilt.

  

Excellent embroidery!

  

This sampler worked into a quilt was intriguing. It appears that at least the center was embroidered by Hannah Langdale at age 12 in 1814, judging from the stitching. We could surmise that she made the whole quilt, but it is evidently not a certainty.

  

  

Charming embroidery, and such a nice finishing touch with the crocheted edge

 

I stopped by the Paper Pieces booth during Market and told them that I thought this quilt would be a paper piecer's dream!

The papers are still in place in the hexagons in this quilt top.

  

Another stunning combination of silk and velvet. The velvet border is striking.

So many lovely pieces of stitched art were to behold in these two exhibits. Be sure to stop by Kara's post from last year to see the rest of the Quilts de Légende exhibit. Hopefully, you have felt as inspired by these needle artists as I. Do you feel the connection with those stitchers from the past when you view their work, as I do?

I have one more batch of quilts to share. I will keep you wondering what kind of quilts they are. It shouldn't be too difficult to guess, but I'll keep you in suspense until my next post. Until then ~ 

Happy Stitching!!